 Jasper's Disaster Point Hike The Disaster Point hike has some historical signifigance, which is defined in its' name.
Hiking Distance: It is about 3 km to the highest point.
Hiking Time: You can complete this climb in 1 to 2.5 hours, with less time on the return hike.
Disaster Point parking and trailhead area is 39.7 km east of the Icefields Parkway along Highway 16(towards Edmonton). The hiking trailhead area is not clearly marked, being along a 70 km zone beneath a low cliff. A sign pointing to Pyramid Mountain and Roche Ronde will help you find this historical Jasper hike. It is also half a kilometer west of an animal-lick parking area(mountain sheep are often there).
Your hike will take you across the highway from the parking area. Go up a very steep sheep trail on the left side of Syncline Ridge(not well marked). At the top of the hill, look for an overgrown old hiking trail, which follows this steep crest. When we were there, it appeared that no one had even used the trail this year(2005), but you can follow this route until it becomes even more faint and indistinguishable from the sheep paths.
We suggest considering only going 1 kilometer to the scenic hiking point that overlooks the Athabasca River. This shorter hike will still allow you to see the route of the fur traders and Overlanders of the past. Their historical hiking trail continued ahead and became very steep.
*Be very careful. When we hiked this trail, the grasses and brush were thick and about 4 feet high, which does not allow for seeing any wildlife that may be near you.
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