Parking
Start at the Jasper Activity Centre parking lot near Pyramid Lake Road. Cottonwood Slough and Pyramid Lake Road access points are alternatives for different, shorter starts; parking rules can vary by access.
Overview
About Pyramid Bench Loop
Why go
- Walkable from Jasper; the Pyramid Bench and lake views arrive early and continue through the loop.
- Signed routes connect hikers with cyclists and horses across the bench.
Heads up
- Frequent junctions require a map.
- Shared-use sections can be busy, especially near stables and road crossings.
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Jasper map
Full mapElevation1,096–1,309 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 Pyramid Bench Loop, 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
Jasper's History at the Yellowhead MuseumListen
“You're approaching a part of town that holds a lot of Jasper's history. The Jasper Yellowhead Museum is right here, and it’s where the story of the park really comes into focus.”
Plays on the road 0.1 km from the trailhead in the Parkwolf Jasper Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Jasper Townsite Overview and Highlights
- Jasper Gas and EV Charging Hub
- Shell Gas Station and Historic Anglican Church
- HI Jasper and Closed Services
- 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!!!!”
Trail guide
Hiking Pyramid Bench Loop
Route and difficultyThis is the connected Pyramid Bench / Pyramid Lake loop from Jasper's townsite.
This is the connected Pyramid Bench / Pyramid Lake loop from Jasper's townsite. The repaired route is approximately 14.5 km (9.0 miles) on the stored OSM-connected line, with about 118 m of climbing. It follows the signed multi-use network toward the Pyramid Bench and Pyramid Lake, then returns on Trail 2. Allow roughly 4–6 hours depending on stops and surface conditions.
Scenery and wildlifeThe route crosses old Douglas-fir forest and open bench slopes, with broad views over Jasper,…
The route crosses old Douglas-fir forest and open bench slopes, with broad views over Jasper, Pyramid Lake, Patricia Lake, and the Athabasca Valley. Bighorn sheep may graze the lower slopes; this is bear country.
Access and route-findingThe primary access is the Jasper Activity Centre parking lot near the start of Pyramid Lake…
The primary access is the Jasper Activity Centre parking lot near the start of Pyramid Lake Road. Cottonwood Slough and other Pyramid Lake Road access points can shorten or reposition the outing, but they are different starts. Junctions are frequent, and the signed network includes shared-use paths used by hikers, cyclists, and horses.
SafetyCarry a map, yield to bikes and horses, bring water and sun protection for exposed sections,…
Carry a map, yield to bikes and horses, bring water and sun protection for exposed sections, and carry bear spray. Check Parks Canada trail conditions and safety information before setting out.
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.
