Mount Edith Cavell
Jasper National Park
Most requested
Vehicle size restrictions for Cavell Road
Maximum length 25 feet
No trailers and large motorhomes allowed on Cavell Road. Drop-off area located in the parking lot at the start of Cavell Road on 93A.
An impressive 3,300-metre peak, Mount Edith Cavell is named after a British nurse executed during World War I for her part in helping Allied prisoners escape occupied Brussels. An earlier name, "La Montagne de la Grande Traverse", was given to the peak by French-Canadian voyageurs using nearby Athabasca Pass as a fur trade route. A narrow 14 kilometre road brings visitors close to the mountain's awesome north face, an area famous for interesting moraines, the Cavell Meadows, alpine flowers and spectacular views of Angel Glacier.
Getting there is half the fun. The old parkway (Highway 93A), built in the 1930's by hundreds of men left unemployed during the Great Depression, winds through the Athabasca Valley along the river. The Cavell Road, starting at kilometre 13 along the old parkway, is a twisting, turning 14 kilometre route through sub-alpine forests to the slopes of Mount Edith Cavell.
This is a very fragile area that experiences high visitor use. Vegetation grows very slowly at this elevation, and even the softest footprint can last for decades. Please stay on the designated trails so as not to disturb plants and flowers. Picking vegetation and feeding wildlife, including birds, is unlawful.
Cavell Road opens to vehicles on June 23, weather permitting. Typically, the road remains open to vehicle traffic until early October. Check https://511.alberta.ca and Jasper National Park road updates for up-to-date road conditions and status.
Seasonal closures for caribou conservation
All access is prohibited from November 1 through May 15 (inclusively) to protect important winter habitat of the Tonquin caribou herd. This includes Cavell Road, Astoria Trail, Portal Creek Trail and Whistlers Creek Valley.
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