The Old Fort Point Loop is an excellent short hike just outside the town of Jasper. The vast majority of hikers on this trail make the short, but steep climb to the top of the hill to enjoy epic mountain and Jasper townsite views. A few of them continue on to visit the Parks Canada red chairs, but hardly any continue to do the full loop, which is a shame, because it’s a beautiful hike – even after the 2024 forest fire.
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Old Fort Point Loop Highlights
There’s no messing around at the beginning of the Old Fort Point Loop trail – as you leave the parking lot, you are greeted by a steep set of stairs to climb!
Not to worry, the stairs don’t last very long and you are instantly rewarded with a viewpoint where you can enjoy some amazing views of the Athabasca River while you catch your breath.
Beyond the Athabasca River viewpoint, the Old Fort Point Loop trail becomes a real hiking trail. The trail to the top is quite steep, and the trail surface alternates between a rocky trail and steps carved out of the rock. The river views down to the right are pretty amazing, so you have plenty of reasons to stop for a break if you need one.
As you climb the trail, you’ll start reaching the forest, which was badly burned in the 2024 Jasper fires. As we hiked the trail in August 2025, it was heartening to see new growth starting to emerge from the devastation.
After 500 m / 1,600 feet of nearly all uphill hiking, you’ll reach the false summit. Take a moment to enjoy the views of Beauvert Lake and the Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge – the water color of the lake is amazing!
We were treated to an explosion of yellow wildflowers as we made our way up the rest of the hill on Old Fort Point. Once at the top, we made our way to the initial viewpoint.
Although we were there on a cloudy, dreary day we still enjoyed some amazing mountain vistas from the top of Old Fort Point. I could just imagine how rewarding the views would be on a bluebird day! Most people turn around here and go back down, but we came to hike the full Old Fort Point Loop, so we kept going west beyond the initial viewpoint.
The trail continues through undulating hills in a forest of black, burned trees. The burned forest is surprisingly beautiful with a carpet of fresh green grass with occasional wildflowers interspersed. There are nice views of Signal Mountain (2,311 m) through the trees ahead.
At the 1.3 km / 0.8 mile mark of the Old Fort Point trail, there is a spur trail to a plateau where you will find a pair of the iconic Parks Canada red chairs. Parks Canada has placed sets of these Adirondack red chairs at some of the most scenic spots in Canada’s national parks. So you can imagine how good the mountain views are from up here.
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We found more red chairs on our family trip to Jasper. If you are driving the Icefields Parkway, don’t miss the viewpoint of the Columbia Icefield from the Wilcox Pass hike to the red chairs.
From the vantage point of the red chairs, you can enjoy 360° mountain views. Pyramid Mountain (2,766 m) is right in front of the chairs, but I thought Mount Colin (2,687 m) to the north was also especially nice. Looking south, you can see The Whistlers (2,464 m), where we had enjoyed a trip up the Jasper SkyTram the day before.
Whatever crowds were left on the Old Fort Point trail will be completely gone once you leave the Parks Canada red chairs. Continuing west, the trail now runs through a forest of blackened aspen trees, which again look surprisingly beautiful in the aftermath of the 2024 fire.
Before long, the trail starts turning back towards the parking lot and begins to descend. There is a junction for the trail to the Valley of the Five Lakes hike, but it’s currently closed due to the fire.
As we descended further into the valley of aspen trees, we began to notice that it wasn’t just grass shoots and flowers growing – there were tree shoots too! Big ones! Some were several feet tall – it was a very exciting sight!
From here, we followed the Old Fort Point trail all the way through the beautiful aspen forest all the way to the parking lot.
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If you enjoy viewpoints and are looking for more of a challenging Jasper hike, check out the Opal Hills Loop trail near Maligne Lake.
Old Fort Point Trailhead
The Old Fort Point trailhead is just minutes from downtown Jasper, along the shores of the beautiful Athabasca River. There are two parking lots for this very popular hike – one on each side of Old Fort Point Road. Although there is a decent amount of parking, the two parking lots can get full especially during peak season or weekends, so arrive early to secure a spot.
Old Fort Point Loop Hike Stats
How Long is the Old Fort Point Loop Hike?
If you hike the full loop (as we did), the distance of the hike is just 3.9 km / 2.4 miles.
How Hard is the Old Fort Point Loop Trail?
Despite the initial short, but steep ascent to the viewpoints, we rate the Old Fort Point Loop trail as an “easy Jasper hike”.
The initial 0.7 km / 0.4 miles is very steep, as you’ll gain roughly 150 m / 500 feet in elevation. But this distance is very short, and once you reach the top, it’s a nice gentle downhill slope for the rest of the loop.
I know some of you will hike the Old Fort Point Loop and will grumble that it was NOT an easy hike. But, these are the Canadian Rocky mountains, and it’s hard to find flat hiking trails.
To share another point-of-view, Parks Canada rates this hike as “Moderate”. But we think that in the grand scheme of things, this is a short Jasper hike with minimal elevation gain, thus we call it an “easy Jasper hike“. The truth probably lies somewhere in the middle…
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If you are looking for a true easy hike without much elevation gain, check out our recommended easy hikes around Jasper.
How Long Does the Old Fort Point Hike Take?
It should take a typical adult about 90 minutes to enjoy the full loop around Old Fort Point. We’re pretty fast hikers, and it took us exactly 90 minutes to do this hike with our two kids (12 and 10 years old).
Old Fort Point Trail Map
The Old Fort Point hiking trail is a pretty popular hike, so if you are just going to the initial viewpoint or the red chairs, you likely won’t need a trail map. But if you venture beyond the red chairs, it’s a good idea to have the trail map downloaded onto your phone. There are several trail junctions along the trail, so having a trail map will give you peace of mind that you are on the right track.
To find the trail map in the AllTrails app, simply click here for the “Old Fort Point Trail Map”. Being so close to the Jasper townsite, you may be able to get a signal to download it in the parking lot, but I recommend downloading the trail map prior to leaving.
A recent App of the Year winner, AllTrails is also one of the best apps for visiting Banff! Enjoy map downloads and many more premium features with a 7-day free trial of AllTrails+!
Hiking The Old Fort Point with Kids
If you are visiting Jasper with kids, this short, scenic hike is a lot of fun for the entire family. The first 1 km / 0.6 miles or so is really steep, but kids usually have no trouble making the hills look easy – plus there’s plenty of amazing views to enjoy if they do need a break along the way!
Beyond the initial viewpoint, the Parks Canada red chairs are always a hit with kids, and is a great spot for family pictures. From here, the reminder of the loop is a gentle downhill through a beautiful aspen forest. Kids love a gentle downhill hike – it encourages them to run ahead and create their own adventures!
Our kids (10 & 12) had a ton of fun the last time we hiked the Old Fort Point Loop. We especially loved looking for all the new trees and flowers that are starting to grow again after the devastating fire.
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If your family trip also takes you to Banff National Park, don’t miss these amazing Banff day-hikes with kids.
Old Fort Point Hiking Safety
Your biggest safety concern on this short & scenic Jasper hike is the steep uphill to the first viewpoint. There are some small, loose rocks on the trail, which may cause some traction issues (especially if you come back down this way). Be mindful of your steps in this section of the hike and you’ll be ok.
Wildlife Safety
When hiking in Banff National Park, you are responsible for your own safety. Before hitting the hiking trails we highly recommend you read our Essential Banff Hiking Tips for information about bear safety, trail conditions, wildlife warnings and possible closures.
Old Fort Point Loop Trail Logistics
- Dogs are allowed on-leash on the Old Fort Point hike.
- Mountain biking is not allowed.
- There are toilets in the parking lot.
- You won’t get cell service for the entirety of your hike, so don’t count on it for your safety. Download your trail maps beforehand.
What to Bring for Hiking the Old Fort Point Loop Trail
This Jasper hike is reasonably short, but as with any outing in the mountains, you should be prepared for any eventuality. Check out our list of Banff hiking essentials and Banff hiking clothes to get the most enjoyment out of your hike, regardless of the variable weather and trail conditions.
The Old Fort Point Loop is a classic, short hike near Jasper which packs in a ton of scenery in a short amount of time. It’s one of the most fun short hikes near the Town of Jasper!
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Dan Brewer, a life-long Alberta resident, calls Canmore home along with his wife and two kids. He is the co-owner of Travel Banff Canada, where he gets to share his passion for the Canadian Rocky Mountains. Dan, along with his family, love being outdoors doing one of the many activities they enjoy in the mountains: hiking, mountain biking, paddleboarding, skiing, snowshoeing and cross-country skiing.
When he's not in Canmore enjoying one of his favourite local hikes, you can find him hoping on a plane to explore a new country with his family or working on one of their other two travel sites: Family Can Travel and Baby Can Travel.