Sight · Jasper National Park
Wind-scoured high pass with the Skyline’s widest alpine views
Overview
The Notch is the Skyline Trail’s crux: a high, windswept saddle around 2,511 m that feels raw, remote, and very alpine. It’s the section everyone talks about—beautiful, committing, and occasionally brutal when the weather turns.
Map
Local know-how
Check current trail and snow/cornice conditions before committing to the pass.
Top up water at Curator Lake or other sources before the ascent—none at the pass.
Pack serious wind and weather layers; this saddle is fully exposed.
Trekking poles help on the steep, loose climb and on lingering snow.
If the weather turns, don’t linger—cross efficiently and descend to safer terrain.
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 tourMore 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
From the pass you get some of the most expansive views on the route—peaks, deep valleys, and glacially carved basins that look endless. After topping out, the trail cruises a high ridge for roughly 4 km, so the scenery just keeps coming. Curator Lake sits below the climb if you’re approaching from the south.
Expect a steep, loose grind up from Curator Lake (most people hike south to north). Snow can linger late into summer and cornices sometimes hang on early season—treat them with respect. The Notch is notorious for high winds and rapid weather shifts; gusts can be serious, and whiteouts are possible even in July. This is a place to move efficiently if conditions sour.
The high subalpine and alpine terrain can deliver sightings of marmots and pikas, with occasional mountain goats and even caribou reported in the broader area. Bears live here too; standard bear precautions apply along the Skyline.
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.
Parkwolf’s Jasper ranking
The audio tour guide for the drive, plus offline maps, trails, and wildlife heatmaps for when the signal drops.
