Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Many hiking trails begin from the hot springs complex; the shortest is from the picnic
area to the source of the springs (allow five minutes each way). Overlooking the pools is a
café, while a restaurant and lodging are just down the hill.
MM
Mount Edith Cavell
This 3,363-meter (11,033-foot) peak is the most distinctive and impressive in the park.
Known to natives as the “White Ghost” for its snowcapped summit, the mountain was giv-
en its official name in honor of a British nurse who was executed for helping prisoners of
war escape German-occupied Belgium during World War I. The peak was first climbed
that same year; today the most popular route to the summit is up the east ridge (to the left
of the summit). The imposing north face (facing the parking lot) has been climbed but is
rated as an extremely difficult climb.
GETTING A CLOSER LOOK
For those less adventurous, several vantage points, including downtown Jasper and the
golf course, provide good views of the peak. But the most impressive place to marvel at the
mountain is from directly below the north face. A 14.5-kilometer (nine-mile) road winds
up the Astoria River Valley from Highway 93A, ending right below the face. This steep,
narrow road has many switchbacks. Trailers must be left in the designated area at the bot-
tom. Highway 93A was the original Icefields Parkway, following the southeast bank of the
Athabasca River. The route has now been bypassed by the more direct one on the other
side of the river.
From the parking lot at the end of the road, you must strain your neck to take in the
magnificent sight of the mountain's 1,500-meter (4,920-foot) north face and
Angel Glaci-
er,
which lies in a saddle on the mountain's lower slopes. On warm days, those who are
patient may be lucky enough to witness an avalanche tumbling from the glacier, creating
a roar that echoes across the valley. From the parking area, the
Path of the Glacier Trail
(one hour round-trip) traverses barren moraines deposited by the receding Angel Glacier
and leads to some great viewpoints.
Pyramid Benchland
• Length: 7 kilometers/4.3 miles (2 hours) round-trip
• Elevation gain: 120 meters/400 feet
• Rating: easy
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