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Sulphur Skyline

Sulphur Skyline near Jasper, AB

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This trail was given a rating of 4 out of 5 stars

8 kms
3hours
moderate
Hiking
Summer
Jasper, AB

SixofSpades

LARGER MAP

NTS Map: 083f04

Elevation Gain: 700 m (2,300 ft).

Short and steep, but very rewarding.

The trail is divided into 2 parts. You start off on a short paved path; here you will be accompanied by the tennis shoe hikers and their whining children. Oh well. Past that it turns into a well-kept rocky trail. There is a steady incline here and the scenery is pretty ho-hum, unless of course, you just can't get enough of trees. There are a few occasional breaks and you get a great view of Sulpher Ridge to your right. At 2.6 km the trail branches, straight on to Mystery Lake and right to the summit. Go right and on up to the second leg of the journey.

Only 2 km to go but the trail gets a bit steeper here. Still lots of trees, but when you get a break, you have a great view of the valley you just walked up, as ell as the parking lot in the distance. Further up (will it never end? my burning legs ache!) you will come to an alpine meadow. There is a peculiar white rock in the middle that was left ages ago by some glacier. Follow the path through the meadow and on up to the summit. This last bit is very steep and verging on difficult. Upon reaching the rocky summit you are rewarded with a stunning view of the entire area. To the east you can see Fiddle River Valley and Mount Drinnan in the distance. West and south there is the Miette Range and Utopia Mountain. To the northwest you can see the Ashlar Ridge.

Ahhh, weather. Our favourite friend. It was overcast on my trip. I got rain, hail, and sunshine on the way up. The hail came on the way up to the summit. But the sun came out when I was on top. You are totally exposed and the wind will howl up from the south side of the ridge you are standing on at the summit. But step back a bit, sit down, and enjoy the view. You will only feel the wind if you stand on the edge. If you go on a sunny day, bring lots of water. The sun will shine down on you all along the trail.

Lastly, since you are at Miette Hot Springs, why not stop and soak in the heat of the natural mineral goodness. Ahhh.

In winter please check the Avaluator (Online Trip Planner) rating is: Simple. See more trip planner route details here.

Current conditions:

Directions:

From Edmonton, follow the Yellowhead to Jasper Park. Go into Jasper Park. Watch for the sign that says Miette Hot. (About 7 km) Turn SOUTH (left) onto that road. Follow it up to the springs. Park in the place called 'Parking Lot'. Get out of your vehicle and begin walking.

By Posted By: ClimbinCorey - Tue Aug 03 12:29:40 EDT 2010 Upside Great views, especially once the switchbacks start.
Good workout
Very short on the way down (did it in 40 minutes!)
The path from the treeline to the summit is a nice challenge and change of pace from the switchbacks. Downside Pretty steep!
Major switchback shortcuts! Good for saving time, terrible because of the trail erosion they cause.
Extremely busy in peak season (saw about 100 people on the way down) Comment This hike is the one that sparked my love for nature and hiking, so it will always have a place in my heart. As my first summit, it really opened my eyes to the beauty of the Canadian Rockies. Definitely a good way to spend three or four hours. The hot springs are nice if you're into that kind of thing as well.

By Posted By: Jebbbbb - Wed Sep 30 19:57:19 EDT 2009 Not Rated Upside The destination was well worth the hard effort of the climb. The short cuts on the second part of the hike were great. Downside As a very first hike, this was extremely hard on my body. The summit was equally hard Comment Loved my time here

By Posted By: Michel - Sun Jun 10 11:17:32 EDT 2007 Upside The view was as beautifull as described. We were luckier with sun shine all day and a nice pool swim on our way back in the thermal pool. Downside We have had our first bears seeing. Two cubs. We did not stay to see the mother but from the testimony of other hicker she was there alright. Comment Would go back any time. It is not that hard of a hike. Nice day hike.

By Posted By: mtncat - Wed Apr 06 10:46:55 EDT 2005 Comment Great trail description. Any summit hike in the Canadian Rockies rates a five with me. With 700m of vertical over 4.6km this hike would be considered difficult by most hikers. Note to MarvinH: Sulpur is spelled correctly.

By Posted By: shasselmann - Tue Jul 27 20:05:16 EDT 2004 Comment Great workout and can be done on short notice. If you have children, they will be able to hike this trail which does offer spectacular view at the top. Bring water.

By Posted By: shasselmann - Tue Jul 27 20:02:05 EDT 2004 Not Rated

By Posted By: MarvinH - Mon Mar 15 00:51:38 EST 2004 Comment At least spell the name correctly.