Parking
Use the signed Lower Mine Trail parking area on Miette Road, about 200 m south of the Highway 16 intersection. Trailers and large motorhomes should stop at this lower lot because Miette Road is narrow and winding.
Overview
About Pocahontas Mine Interpretive Trail
Easy lower loop through the former Pocahontas coal-mine site in Jasper National Park. Parks Canada lists this lower loop (Trail 31) at about 800 m round trip and 20 minutes; an older park guide gives 900 m. This repaired line follows the lower loop only—it does not include the separate upper Mine Trail (Trail 32) or the Punchbowl Falls spur.
The loop is mostly paved and gently graded, with interpretive signs and overgrown remnants of the early Pocahontas mining town. It is a short, accessible history walk through mixed forest rather than a waterfall hike or a route to the upper viewpoints. Treat the upper loop and Punchbowl Falls as separate, rougher extensions if you choose to continue beyond this mapped loop.
The trailhead is on Miette Road about 200 m from Highway 16. Use the signed Lower Mine Trail parking area. The route is in bear country, and the old mine structures are unstable—stay on the path and do not enter or climb the ruins.
Why go
- Short, mostly paved loop with gentle grades and accessible walking
- Interpretive look at overgrown remnants of the former Pocahontas coal townsite
Heads up
- Interpretive signs and historic remnants can be damaged or overgrown
- The upper Mine Trail and Punchbowl Falls require separate, rougher routes
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Jasper map
Full mapElevation1,065–1,101 m
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
8 active Jasper alerts
- 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
- Closure93A (Wabasso Road) no through travel during roadworkFrom 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
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Jasper Tour Guide
Your drive to Pocahontas Mine Interpretive 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
Pocahontas Campground: Quiet Base for the Hot SpringsListen
“You're passing the Pocahontas Campground, a quiet, treed spot that serves as the main base for visiting the Miette Hot Springs.”
Plays on the road 0.8 km from the trailhead in the Parkwolf Jasper Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Know Your Conifers: A Roadside ID Guide
- When the River Shatters
- Trumpeter Swans of Jasper Lake: A Comeback You Can Hear
- Sulphur Skyline: A Steep Hike to a Hot Soak
- 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.
