Parking
Park at the end of the 6.8 km unpaved Moab Lake Road, reached from Wabasso Road (Highway 93A), about 35 km south of Jasper.
Overview
About Athabasca Pass Trail
This remote 48.5 km (30.1 mi) one-way backcountry route follows the Whirlpool River valley from the Moab Lake Road trailhead to historic Athabasca Pass. Plan a 4–5 day backpacking trip, carry a backcountry camping permit, and arrange your return or continue only with a suitable expedition plan. The route passes Whirlpool, Tie, Middle Forks, Scott, and Kane Meadows camps; the final park campground is about 1 km below the pass, with the Athabasca Pass National Historic Site and Committee’s Punch Bowl beyond.
Why go
- Historic fur-trade corridor to Athabasca Pass and Committee’s Punch Bowl
- Remote Whirlpool River valley scenery with a chain of backcountry campgrounds
- Bikes are permitted to Simon Creek; dogs and horses are permitted under park rules
Heads up
- A 48.5 km one-way route requiring a multi-day backcountry commitment
- Remote and lightly maintained beyond Whirlpool, with route-finding and unbridged crossings
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Jasper map
Full mapElevation1,233–1,749 m
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
8 active Jasper alerts
- Closure93A (Wabasso Road) no through travel during roadworkMentions Wabasso Road, referenced in this guideFrom mid-October to early November 2026, plan for 93A (Wabasso Road) to be accessible from the south entrance only; no through travel is expected during roadwork.Official details
- ClosureWildfire-impacted areas and facilities closedStay out of closed wildfire-impacted areas and facilities in Jasper National Park; closures protect public safety after the 2024 wildfire and remain in effect while recovery and safety work continues.Official details
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Jasper Tour Guide
Your drive to Athabasca Pass Trail, narrated.
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
Why the Whirlpool River WhirlsListen
“The Whirlpool River definitely lives up to its name. All those swirls you see are created as the water rushes over boulders and through narrow spots, forcing it to spin into eddies.”
Plays on the road 1.7 km from the trailhead in the Parkwolf Jasper Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Geraldine Lakes: A Rugged Backcountry Hike
- Athabasca Pass: The Fur Trade’s Hidden Highway
- Athabasca Falls, Jasper's Most Powerful Waterfall
- Jasper’s Secret Predators: Wolves, Cougars and Lynx
- 157 audio storiesacross Jasper’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Grizzly Bear, Caribou, Gray Wolf, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 91 trails, 129 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“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!!!!”
Wildlife
Wildlife in Jasper
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.
