Parking
At Maligne Lake, continue past the chalet and across the bridge to the parking lot on the west side of the lake. The Skyline trailhead is on the right-hand side of the road just before the lot.
Overview
About Shovel Pass Trail
Why go
- Big alpine views and wildflowers at Little Shovel and Big Shovel passes
- Clear out-and-back route from the Maligne Lake trailhead
Heads up
- About 21.8 miles (35.0 km) total makes this a demanding full-day hike
- Long exposed stretches, high-elevation snow, and rapidly changing weather require careful planning
An alpine out-and-back from the Maligne Lake trailhead along the opening Skyline Trail to Big Shovel Pass. The route climbs through subalpine forest, passes Little Shovel Pass and Snowbowl’s open meadows, then reaches broad alpine views at Big Shovel Pass.
Parkwolf’s verdictWhy goMap & elevation
The route
Loading the Jasper map
Full mapElevation1,689–2,324 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 Shovel 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
The Map to Maligne LakeListen
“For a long time, this lake was a place known mostly to the Stoney Nakoda people, who called it Chaba Imne, or Beaver Lake.”
Plays on the road 0.2 km from the trailhead in the Parkwolf Jasper Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Maligne Lake Boat Cruise and Historic Chalet
- The Red Chairs at Maligne Lake
- Opal Hills Trailhead: A Steep Climb or a Moose Walk
- The Phantom River: Where Maligne Goes Underground
- 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 Shovel Pass Trail
Route and distanceFollow the Skyline Trail about 10.9 miles (17.
Follow the Skyline Trail about 10.9 miles (17.5 km) one way from the Maligne Lake trailhead to Big Shovel Pass, then return on the same corridor for about 21.8 miles (35.0 km) total. This record stops at Big Shovel Pass; it is not the full 44.1 km Skyline Trail to the Signal trailhead. Little Shovel Pass is around 6.4 miles (10.3 km) from the start, and Snowbowl is around 7.6 miles (12.2 km).
Difficulty and feelThis is a strenuous, long day in high country.
This is a strenuous, long day in high country. Allow roughly 8–14 hours for the full out-and-back depending on pace, breaks, and conditions. The trail climbs to about 2,320 m and includes long exposed sections above treeline. Big views and alpine wildflowers reward the sustained effort.
Access and planningStart at the Maligne Lake trailhead and follow the Skyline corridor toward Big Shovel Pass.
Start at the Maligne Lake trailhead and follow the Skyline corridor toward Big Shovel Pass. This is a backcountry route: plan for self-sufficiency, water treatment, and a conservative turnaround. The full Skyline continues beyond Big Shovel Pass toward the Notch, but that continuation is outside this trail record.
SafetySnow can persist on this high-elevation route, and weather can change quickly in exposed…
Snow can persist on this high-elevation route, and weather can change quickly in exposed terrain. No dogs are permitted on the Skyline between Maligne Lake and the Signal trailhead, and bikes are not permitted on this portion. Carry navigation and appropriate layers, and follow applicable backcountry regulations.
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.
