Skyline Trail

The route begins at the Maligne Lake trailhead, at the end of Maligne Lake Road, and finishes 44.1 kilometers later at the Signal Mountain trailhead near the Jasper townsite; the south-to-north direction is preferred since it loses more elevation than it gains. From the parking area, follow the trail north past the Maligne Pass junction and climb gradually 5 kilometers to Evelyn Creek campground. Continue north-northwest across open meadows, climbing to Little Shovel Pass and Little Shovel campground at 8 kilometers, then keep climbing into the alpine to reach Snowbowl campground at 12 kilometers — the start of nearly 25 kilometers of trail above timberline. From Snowbowl, the trail undulates along an open ridge below Curator Mountain to Curator campground at 19 kilometers. Past Curator, the trail climbs its steepest pitch of the route, roughly 980 vertical feet on loose rock, to The Notch at kilometer 22. At 8,235 feet, The Notch is the highest point on the trail and its most exposed section; expect lingering snow into August. Beyond The Notch, the trail descends along the ridge crest below Amber Mountain and Centre Mountain, then drops through rocky terrain below Mount Tekarra to Tekarra campground at 30 kilometers. From Tekarra, switchback down through subalpine forest to Signal campground at 35 kilometers, then continue the final 9 kilometers to the Signal Mountain trailhead. Carry a topographic map for the alpine sections — the ridge is directly exposed to weather with no bail-out points for several kilometers at a stretch.