Sight · Jasper National Park
Short, punchy scramble with feathered rock and big Fiddle views
Overview
Roche à Perdrix sits right on the park’s eastern edge in the Fiddle Range and rises to 2,134 m. It’s one of the first major peaks you notice driving in on Highway 16—and a satisfying half‑day scramble if you like hands-on terrain and wide-open views.
Two things set this one apart: the quick access off the highway and the mountain’s namesake rock—foliations that really do look like partridge tail feathers. Top it off with sweeping views over the Fiddle Range and eastern valleys and you’ve got a compact, rewarding objective.
Parkwolf’s verdictWhy it’s worth your timeMap
Local know-how
Start from the Highway 16 pullout just before the park boundary.
Carry all your water—there are no reliable sources on the route.
Stick to the established boot path and ridge; drifting north can cliff you out.
A helmet is wise for loose rock, and layers for sudden weather shifts.
Plan your stop
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Jasper Tour Guide
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Jasper National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
See the Jasper audio tourRecorded for this area
Roche à Perdrix: The Onion-Skin Mountain“That striking, slabby mountain is Roche à Perdrix. Early voyageurs gave it that name, which means ‘Partridge Rock,’ because its peeling layers reminded them of feathers.”
Plays on the road 2.5 km from Roche à Perdrix in the Parkwolf Jasper Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Guide
Most people tackle the NW ridge, a true scramble with sustained steepness and some exposure. If you stick to the easiest line, it’s all hands‑on hiking; follow chimney variations and you’re briefly into easy technical climbing (around low 5th‑class). Expect loose rock in spots and intermittent trail segments. Parties that drift too far onto the northern shoulder report getting cliffed out below the summit.
There’s a commonly used pullout off Highway 16 and an informal start for the route. No toilets, no water taps, no picnic tables—plan to be self‑sufficient and carry all the water you need. Helmets are smart for loose rock; bring layers and navigation for sudden weather shifts and the occasional disappearing path.
Named in 1872, the “partridge rock” nods to the mountain’s layered, foliated sedimentary rock that resembles partridge feathers—most obvious near the summit.
Reports for this specific peak are limited, but typical foothill and alpine species in the area can include mountain goats or bighorn sheep on rocky terrain, with deer, elk, and raptors lower down. Give wildlife space and follow park guidelines.
Wildlife
174 sightingsGrizzly BearMost seen around 8 PMSighting map
43 sightingsCaribouMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
40 sightingsGray WolfMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
12 sightingsCanada LynxMost seen around 8 PMSighting map
315 sightingsMooseMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
1,028 sightingsElkMost seen around 7 AMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Jasper. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
Keep exploring
Parkwolf’s Jasper ranking
The audio tour guide for the drive, plus offline maps, trails, and wildlife heatmaps for when the signal drops.
