Tangle Ridge Trail (10.7 km, Challenging) – Jasper National Park

Overview

About Tangle Ridge Trail

Why go

Summit reveals major peaks largely hidden from the Icefields Parkway
One of the most accessible big‑view summits in the Columbia Icefield region

Heads up

Faint, cairned route above treeline requires route finding
Loose scree near the summit makes the descent slow and tedious

If you want giant-mountain views without ropes, this is your move. Tangle Ridge delivers a true summit feel and a backstage pass to the Columbia Icefield—think Mount Athabasca, Snowdome, and even distant Mount Columbia and Mount Alberta—peaks you cannot properly appreciate from the highway.

Parkwolf’s verdictWhy go

Map & elevation

The route

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Full map

Elevation1,842–2,994 m

TrailheadTangle Creek Falls pullout52.26727, -117.28647

Keep this map with you offline in the Parkwolf app

Plan your hike

Before you go

Parking

Park at the Tangle Falls/Tangle Creek pullout on the Icefields Parkway. The signed parking area is about 30 m from the mapped route start; follow the route from the falls, briefly use the Wilcox Pass Trail, then turn off at the cairned Tangle Ridge route.

Best time to go

Aim for mid- to late-summer (July–September) when upper slopes are clear of snow. Early starts are smart: you will beat crowds at the falls and dodge typical afternoon build-ups on this very exposed ridge. Shoulder seasons can work for strong, experienced hikers, but expect cold, wind, and lingering snow.

Safety

Sustained steep climbing with loose scree; faint route above treeline. Exposed to rapid weather changes and thunderstorms; no water on the ridge. In shoulder seasons, snow and avalanche conditions may apply—check current advisories.

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

See all 8 alerts

A park ranger sits on a dash-mounted phone, talking, as Parkwolf’s Tour Guide plays “Army Cutworm Moths: A Grizzly Bear Buffet” on Grand Loop Road below Dunraven Pass in Yellowstone — Parkwolf Tour GuideThe highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.

Jasper Tour Guide

Your drive to Tangle Ridge 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 tour

Recorded for this trailhead

Tangle Falls: Roadside Waterfall and Rugged Hike

Listen

“Keep an eye out for Tangle Falls, which cascades down the rock face right next to the highway. It’s an easy and popular stop, as no hiking is required.”

Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Jasper Tour Guide.

Hiking Tangle Ridge Trail

The experienceStart at Tangle Creek Falls on the Icefields Parkway and enjoy a quick hit of waterfall energy…

Start at Tangle Creek Falls on the Icefields Parkway and enjoy a quick hit of waterfall energy before the real work begins. The route climbs steeply through dense forest, breaks into open alpine, then turns into a broad, gentle ridge with increasingly loose scree near the top. It is non-technical but sustained. Above treeline, expect a faint path marked by cairns and big, uninterrupted views the rest of the way. The payoff is a 3,001-metre-class summit and a panoramic sweep of glaciated terrain.

This is an out-and-back day hike: the mapped corridor runs about 5.36 km one way from the falls pullout to the summit, while the visitor distance is the full return—about 10.7 km (6.7 miles) with roughly 1,150–1,166 m of cumulative elevation gain. Follow the Wilcox Pass Trail briefly before turning off at cairns, then continue on a less-defined line to the ridge. Bring poles for the scree; they will earn their keep on the descent.

Know before you goBottom line: it is a strenuous grind with loose footing near the top, but one of the most…

Bottom line: it is a strenuous grind with loose footing near the top, but one of the most accessible big-view summits in the Icefield region. If you are fit and game for a little route-finding, it is absolutely worth your day.

Navigation gets real above treeline. Cairns help, but basic route-finding is part of the deal.
There is no water on the ridge—carry what you need. Layers are mandatory; weather flips fast at altitude.
Geology fans: you are standing on classic Canadian Rockies sedimentary rock with front-row views of glacial carving all around.

Wildlife

Wildlife in Jasper

All Jasper wildlife maps

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 map

Sighting maps show where each species has been reported across Jasper. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.

Tangle Ridge Trail