Skyline Trail Jasper: 44km Through the Most Spectacular Hike in the Canadian Rockies

The Skyline Trail in Jasper National Park is the most iconic backcountry route in the Canadian Rockies — 44km of alpine terrain through Little Shovel Pass, Big Shovel Pass, and The Notch, the highest point on any trail in Jasper. This was my first time hiking the Skyline Trail, and it set the baseline for what makes Jasper backpacking so special. In 2025, I returned to hike the Skyline Trail one year after the Jasper wildfire to document what changed. Watch the post-fire follow-up here:    • I Returned to Jasper's Skyline Trail After...   This video covers the complete Skyline Trail traverse from Maligne Lake to Signal Mountain, including: Little Shovel Pass and the first alpine meadows Big Shovel Pass and the approach to The Notch The Notch — the highest section of trail in Jasper National Park Camping at Snowbowl and Curator campgrounds The Signal Mountain fire road descent Practical trip planning notes for anyone hiking the Skyline Trail If you are planning to hike in Jasper National Park, bear safety is non-negotiable. Check out my bear safety framework here:    • When a Bear Walks Into Camp: The Decisions...   CHAPTERS 00:00 Intro 06:14 Little Shovel Pass 08:29 Why Skyline Again? 18:12 Day Two 22:17 Big Shovel Pass 26:59 The Notch 34:34 Day Three On Day Two? 41:01 Signal Fire Road After The Fire 42:20 Howe's The Hike? ⛺ SUPPORT THE EXPEDITIONS Join the Patreon community →   / howesthehike   Buy Me A Coffee → https://buymeacoffee.com/howesthehike 🛍️ MERCH — Howe's The Hike? https://howesthehike.ca/shopping 🔗 AFFILIATE LINKS These cost you nothing extra and help keep the expeditions going. 🇨🇦 MEC (Canada): https://alnk.to/btnkVxS 🇺🇸 REI (USA): https://rei.pxf.io/DyB6qq