Cross-country skiing

Free admission and discounted overnight stays

The Canada Strong Pass is back! Enjoy free admission and 25% off camping and overnight stays with Parks Canada from:

• December 12, 2025 to January 15, 2026 
• June 19 to September 7, 2026

Jasper offers up a great mix of cross-country ski trails with something for everyone.

On this page

• Current conditions
• Groomed ski areas
• Grooming guidelines
• Skier set trails

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Cross-country ski trail conditions

Click on the “ABC” button to see the complete list of trails.

Groomed ski areas

1. Whirlpool cross-country ski hub

1. Whirlpool cross-country ski hub

Difficulty	Trail	Distance	Description	Type
Easy	Moab Lake trail - Whirlpool cross-country ski hub to red chairs	7 km return	Ski on the gentle rolling terrain of Moab Lake Road. The red chairs at a viewpoint of the Whirlpool River make a great destination.	Skate skiing Classic skiing
Moderate	Moab Lake trail - Whirlpool cross-country ski hub to Moab Lake viewpoint	15.2 km return	Follow Moab Lake Road past the red chairs and the Whirlpool River. The groomed trail ends at a viewpoint of Moab Lake.	Skate skiing Classic skiing
Moderate	Leach Lake trail No dogs	13.8 km return	This trail brings you to beautiful Leach Lake at 3.5 km followed by views of Mount Hardisty and Mount Kerkeslin at 6.9 km (end of the trail).	Skate skiing Classic skiing

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Elevation profile - Moab Lake trail

Text version

• The elevation profile begins at the start of the groomed cross-country trail on Highway 93a at 1141 m. There are two parking areas that offer a short classic-trail to access this point.
• There is gentle elevation gain and loss over the initial 3.4 km to just beyond the Red Chairs and river viewpoint (1164 m). This section is rated at green or easy.
• The final 4 km to the end of the groomed trail at the Moab Lake viewpoint (1250 m) ascends with more significant hill climbs.

Elevation profile - Leach Lake trail

Text version

• The elevation profile begins at the start of the groomed cross-country trail on Highway 93A at 1141 m. There are two parking areas that offer a short classic-trail to access this point.
• There is a gentle elevation gain for the first 2.3 km. This section of trail is rated at green, or easy.
• The next 1.2 km gains further elevation to arrive at Leach Lake (1247 m). This section of trail is rated as blue or moderate difficulty.
• The final 3.4 km to the end of the groomed trail near the start of the Geraldine Fire Road descends to 1178 m. and is rated as blue or moderate difficulty.

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Amenities at Whirlpool cross-country ski hub

• Permanent privies
• Campfire pit with firewood and seating

2. Whistlers Campground

2. Whistlers Campground

Difficulty	Trail	Distance	Description	Type
Easy	Whistlers Loops No dogs	Various	Choose your adventure from a total of 6 km of groomed campground trails. The ring road and loops 15/16 are groomed for classic and skate. The 1 km short-cut trail through loops 42 and 59 is classic only.	Skate skiing Classic skiing

3. Pyramid

3. Pyramid

Difficulty	Trail	Distance	Description	Type
Various difficulty levels	Pyramid Fire Road	13.2 km return	Choose your turn-around point: ski the mainly flat, first 1.1 km to Pyramid Creek at the end of Pyramid Lake (green), continue on and gain steady elevation on your way to Pyramid Slough at km 3.1 (blue). Climb steeply to the lookout over the Athabasca Valley shortly before the end of the groomed trail at km 6.6 (black)	Skate skiing Classic skiing

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Elevation profile - Pyramid Fire Road

Text version

• The elevation profile begins at the start of the groomed trail, at the edge of the parking lot (P7) at 1184 m.
• There is little elevation gain or loss for the first 1.1 km to the bridge over Pyramid Creek. This section is rated as green, or easy.
• There are some moderate climbs over the next 2 km from Pyramid Creek to Pyramid Slough (1330 m). This section is rated as blue or moderate difficulty.
• Beyond Pyramid Slough, there is significant elevation gain over the next 3.5 km to the end of the groomed trail (1491 m). There are steep switchbacks near the halfway point. This section is rated as black or difficult.
• There are viewpoints approximately 1 km prior to and just beyond the end of the groomed trail.
• An unmaintained, skier set route ascends beyond the groomed portion of the trail.

4. Pipeline

Difficulty	Trail	Distance	Description	Type
Moderate	Pipeline	5.1 km one-way	The pipeline ski trail between Highway 16 and the Miette River offers a wide open, gentle ski with some rolling terrain.	Skate skiing Classic skiing

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Elevation profile - Pipeline trail

Text version

• This 5.1 km one-way trail is a mixture of flat and gently rolling terrain. The trail begins at 1062 m, ends at 1060 m and has a highest point of 1066 m. This trail is rated as green or easy.

Centennial Park

3. Whirlpool cross-country ski hub

Difficulty	Trail	Distance	Description	Type
Easy	Centennial Park loop	0.5 km loop	Located in the Municipality of Jasper, Centennial Park offers a small, family-friendly loop when snow permits.	Classic skiing

Grooming guidelines

Start of season

We aim to start grooming December 15, conditions permitting.

Needed conditions include:

• Ground is frozen
• Sufficient snow on the ground (*Varies based on terrain and type of snow)
• Favourable weather forecast
• Snowmobile packing is essential until the initial base is set (can range from 15-30 cm of packed snow depending on ground surface).

End of season

Ski trails are maintained until March 15, or as weather and snow conditions permit.

Temperatures

Temperature has a large impact on snow conditions, grooming quality and our ability to groom. Warm wet snow can be very challenging and hard on equipment and, if followed by a cold spell, the resulting icy surface can be dangerous. In extreme cold, snow does not pack well and can pose a safety concern for groomers.

Temperatures

Temperature range	Impact
> 5°C	No grooming takes place. Equipment is likely to bog down and damage trail. Snow chunks and poor corduroy are likely.
5°C to 0°C	Grooming is avoided when possible.
0°C to -10°C	Generally, best temperature range for good packing and grooming results .
-10°C to -20°C	Quality of snow packing and grooming declines; safety risk from temperature and windchill increases
-20°C to -25°C	Poor grooming results. Compacting is possible, track-setting is not. For safety, staff time spent in these temperatures is limited.
< - 25°C	No grooming to take place: grooming results are too poor, machinery malfunctions, and safety concerns from cold temperatures.

Skier set trails

Looking to go beyond the trackset trails and explore more of what Jasper National Park has to offer? Skiers can strike off on their own adventure to explore the landscape.

Before heading out, keep in mind the following

• Stay safe on ice. Visit our skating page for safety information.
• Avoid closures. Check closures before heading out and keep in mind delayed access for caribou areas and wildlife corridors.
• Be avalanche aware. Many areas of the park are in avalanche terrain. Learn more about avalanche terrain.

Popular areas for exploring on skis include:

Summit Lakes / Jacques Lake

Explore for half a day to Summit Lakes, or head into the Jacques Lake Cabin for an overnight (operated by the Alpine Club of Canada). Learn more about avalanche safety and ice safety at Summit Lakes.

Hidden Cove

Explore the spectacular views along the wintery shoreline of Maligne Lake. Hidden Cove makes a great destination at 3.5 km. Interested in spending the night? Call 1-877-737-3783 or visit reservation.pc.gc.ca. Be safe while travelling on ice. You can learn more about ice safety here.

Pyramid Bench

Pyramid Bench has a wide variety of summer trails ready for you to explore in the snow. Trail 15 is flat packed, or make your own tracks on the many other trails. Refer to the day hiking page for ideas.

Big Bend

Starting at Sunwapta Falls, this wide, forested trail winds through the upper Athabasca Valley toward panoramic peak and river views. Big Bend campground is a great place to try winter camping.

Ski touring

Looking to earn some turns? Visit our ski touring page.