Updated September 6, 2024. Visitation is slowly being restored in Jasper National Park following the July 22nd wildfire that decimated parts of the Athabasca Valley and Jasper Townsite. This includes a few short trails. For a complete list of roads, trails and facilities currently open, go to Parks Canada’s What’s open and closed in Jasper National Park web page.

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A wildfire that destroyed sections of Jasper townsite and the Athabasca Valley has resulted in the closure of all access to Jasper National Park for the foreseeable future.

Lightning strikes on Monday, July 22, ignited two fires to the north and south of Jasper townsite. The southern fire, in the Mount Kerkeslin area of the Athabasca Valley, increased in size and started moving down valley towards the townsite.

An evacuation was ordered on Monday night. As many as 25,000 residents and visitors were forced to leave the park via Highway 16 into British Columbia.

On Wednesday evening, winds whipped a wall of fire into Jasper townsite. Over the next few hours over 30 percent of structures in the town were damaged or destroyed.

Jasper Backcountry closed

Scores of backpackers were camping in the Jasper backcountry when the evacuation order was announced. Parks Canada asked people with satellite communication to stay in place at backcountry campgrounds. Helicopters were dispatched to evacuate all backcountry hikers.

A story on the CBC website described the evacuation of backpackers from the Fryatt Valley trail soon after the fire began (see What it’s like being trapped by wildfire in Alberta’s backcountry).

By early afternoon Wednesday, July 24, Parks Canada announced that frontcountry evacuations were complete. Meanwhile, backcountry evacuations were ongoing and had been completed in “high priority areas”.

While reports are sketchy, several trails in the Athabasca Valley south of Jasper have been affected by the fire. Any trail damage will take some time to rehabilitate and closures could remain through 2025.

All access in the park, including the backcountry, is closed until further notice. Backcountry camping reservations from July 23 to September 3 are automatically cancelled and will be fully refunded.