Jasper Palisade

Last updated

The Jasper Palisade is a geologic formation of Jasper National Park, Alberta, Canada. It is so named because it has a sheer cliff face and vertical markings, reminiscent of palisade walls used as a protective enclosure around forts. The Palisade can be seen along Alberta Highway 16 (the Yellowhead Highway) in the west as the highway first crosses the Athabasca River approximately 19 km (12 mi) east of Jasper townsite.

Jasper National Park national park in the Canadian Rockies

Jasper National Park is the largest national park in the Canadian Rockies, spanning 11,000 km2 (4,200 sq mi). It is located in the province of Alberta, north of Banff National Park and west of Edmonton. The park contains the glaciers of the Columbia Icefield, springs, lakes, waterfalls and mountains.

Alberta Province of Canada

Alberta is a province of Canada. With an estimated population of 4,067,175 as of 2016 census, it is Canada's fourth most populous province and the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces. Its area is about 660,000 square kilometres (250,000 sq mi). Alberta and its neighbour Saskatchewan were districts of the Northwest Territories until they were established as provinces on September 1, 1905. The premier is Jason Kenney as of April 30, 2019.

Canada Country in North America

Canada is a country in the northern part of North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic to the Pacific and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering 9.98 million square kilometres, making it the world's second-largest country by total area. Its southern border with the United States, stretching some 8,891 kilometres (5,525 mi), is the world's longest bi-national land border. Canada's capital is Ottawa, and its three largest metropolitan areas are Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver.

The Palisade was once home to a forest fire lookout station, as it afforded a clear view of much of the Athabasca River Valley. The fire lookout has since been abandoned as more modern techniques of fire detection have become available. However, the clear view of the Athabasca River Valley remains, and one can hike to the crest of the Palisade from Pyramid Lake. This hike is approximately 10 km (6.2 mi) from the lake to the crest and the elevation gain is approximately 800 m (2,600 ft).

Fire lookout

A fire lookout is a person assigned the duty to look for fire from atop a building known as a fire lookout tower. These towers are used in remote areas, normally on mountain tops with high elevation and a good view of the surrounding terrain, to spot smoke caused by a wildfire.

Pyramid Lake (Alberta) lake in Alberta, Canada

Pyramid Lake is a kidney-shaped lake in Jasper National Park, Alberta, Canada. It lies at the foot of Pyramid Mountain, a natural landmark that overlooks the town of Jasper. It has a total area of 1.2 km2 (0.46 sq mi) and discharges in Athabasca River through the 2 km (1.2 mi) long Pyramid Creek.

Related Research Articles

Athabasca River river in Canada

The Athabasca River originates from the Columbia Glacier of the Columbia Icefield in Jasper National Park in Alberta, Canada. The impressive and scenic Athabasca Falls is located upstream about 30 km (19 mi) from the Jasper townsite.

Mount Edith Cavell mountain

Mount Edith Cavell is a mountain located in the Athabasca River and Astoria River valleys of Jasper National Park, and the most prominent peak entirely within Alberta.

Jasper, Alberta Specialized municipality in Alberta, Canada

Jasper is a specialized municipality in western Alberta, Canada. It is the commercial centre of Jasper National Park, located in the Canadian Rockies within the Athabasca River valley. Jasper is approximately 362 kilometres (225 mi) west of Edmonton and 290 kilometres (180 mi) north of Banff, Alberta, at the intersection of Highway 16 and Highway 93.

Hinton, Alberta Town in Alberta, Canada

Hinton is a town in west-central Alberta, Canada.

Angeles National Forest

The Angeles National Forest (ANF) of the U.S. Forest Service is located in the San Gabriel Mountains and Sierra Pelona Mountains, primarily within Los Angeles County in southern California. The ANF manages a majority of the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument.

Pyramid Mountain (Alberta) mountain in Alberta, Canada

Pyramid Mountain is a mountain in Jasper National Park, Alberta, Canada, named for its pyramid-like shape. James Hector named the mountain in 1859 due to its appearance from the Athabasca River valley on the eastern side of the peak.

Athabasca Falls waterfall

Athabasca Falls is a waterfall in Jasper National Park on the upper Athabasca River, approximately 30 kilometres south of the townsite of Jasper, Alberta, Canada, and just west of the Icefields Parkway. A powerful, picturesque waterfall, Athabasca Falls is not known so much for the height of the falls, as it is known for its force due to the large quantity of water falling into the gorge. Even on a cold morning in the fall, when river levels tend to be at their lowest, copious amounts of water flow over the falls. The river 'falls' over a layer of hard quartzite and through the softer limestone below carving the short gorge and a number of potholes. The falls can be safely viewed and photographed from various viewing platforms and walking trails around the falls. Access is from the nearby parking lot, which leads off Highway 93A just northeast of the falls. Highway 93A takes off from the nearby Icefields Parkway, and crosses the falls on the way north to the town of Jasper. White water rafting often starts below the falls to travel downstream on the Athabasca River to Jasper.

Maligne Lake lake in Alberta, Canada

Maligne Lake is a lake in Jasper National Park, Alberta, Canada. The lake is famed for the colour of its azure water, the surrounding peaks, the three glaciers visible from the lake, and Spirit Island, a frequently and very famously photographed islet. The lake is located 44 km (27 mi) south of Jasper town, and is accessible by motor vehicle, including shuttle buses from Jasper. Boat tours run to Spirit Island in the spring to autumn season. The 44 km Skyline Trail, Jasper's most popular, highest and above treeline, multi-day hike, begins at Maligne Lake and finishes near the town of Jasper. Other popular day hikes include the Opal Hills and Bald Hills loops. Winter activities include cross-country skiing and snowboarding.

Alberta Highway 2 highway in Alberta

Alberta Provincial Highway No. 2, commonly referred to as Highway 2 or the Queen Elizabeth II Highway, is a major highway in Alberta that stretches from the Canada–United States border through Calgary and Edmonton to Grande Prairie. Running primarily north to south for approximately 1,273 kilometres (791 mi), it is the longest and busiest highway in the province carrying nearly 170,000 vehicles per day in central Calgary. Between Edmonton and Fort Macleod, the highway forms a portion of Alberta's Export Highway and the CANAMEX Corridor. More than half of Alberta's 4 million residents live in the Calgary–Edmonton Corridor created by Highway 2.

Alberta Highway 1A highway in Alberta

Alberta Provincial Highway No. 1A is the designation of two alternate routes off the Alberta portion of the Trans-Canada Highway. However, it is not the only name used for spurs off Highway 1 - Highway 1X is another such designation. These highways, however, are not part of the Trans-Canada Highway network, and only have Alberta's provincial primary highway shields instead of the ones used for the Trans-Canada Highway.

Sundance Provincial Park

Sundance Provincial Park is a provincial park located in western Alberta, Canada, 100 km east of Jasper National Park.

William A. Switzer Provincial Park provincial park in Alberta

William A. Switzer Provincial Park is a provincial park in Alberta, Canada.

Medicine Lake (Alberta) lake in Alberta, Canada

Medicine Lake is located within Jasper National Park, Alberta, Canada. It is located approximately 20 km (12 mi) southeast of the townsite of Jasper, Alberta. Medicine Lake is approximately 7 km (4.3 mi) long and is a relatively shallow lake. The lake is part of the Maligne Valley watershed which is mainly glacial fed.

Hamber Provincial Park park in Canada

Hamber Provincial Park is a provincial park in British Columbia, Canada, located at the provincial boundary with Alberta, surrounded on three sides by Jasper National Park. When the park was created in 1941, it constituted one of the largest protected wilderness areas in Canada. In the early 1960s, the provincial government reduced its size by 98% due to pressure exerted by the forestry industry, planned hydroelectric developments along the upper Columbia River and the re-routing of the Trans-Canada Highway away from the park.

Alberta Highway 63 highway in Alberta

Alberta Provincial Highway No. 63, commonly referred to as Highway 63, is a 434-kilometre (270 mi) highway in northern Alberta, Canada that connects the Athabasca oil sands and Fort McMurray to Edmonton via Highway 28. It begins as a two-lane road near the hamlet of Radway where it splits from Highway 28, running north through aspen parkland and farmland of north central Alberta. North of Boyle, it curves east to pass through the hamlet of Grassland and becomes divided west of Atmore where it again turns north, this time through heavy boreal forest and muskeg, particularly beyond Wandering River. Traffic levels significantly increase as Highway 63 bends through Fort McMurray, crossing the Athabasca River before connecting the city to the Syncrude and Suncor Energy plants further north. It ends approximately 16 km (10 mi) beyond a second crossing of the Athabasca River northeast of Fort McKay.

Sunwapta Pass mountain pass in Alberta, Canada

Sunwapta Pass is a mountain pass in the Canadian Rockies in the province of Alberta. Sunwapta Pass is the low point of the saddle created between Mount Athabasca and Nigel Peak. The pass marks the boundary between Banff and Jasper National Parks. The Icefields Parkway travels through Sunwapta Pass 108 km (67 mi) southeast of the town of Jasper and 122 km (76 mi) northwest of the Parkway's junction with the Trans-Canada Highway near Lake Louise. The pass is the second highest point on the Icefields Parkway. Bow Summit in Banff National Park is the highest point on the parkway.

McLeod River river in Alberta, Canada

The McLeod River is a river in west-central Alberta, Canada. It forms in the foothills of the Canadian Rockies, and is a major tributary of the Athabasca River.

The Whistlers

The Whistlers is a 2,470-metre (8,100-foot) mountain summit located in Jasper National Park, in the Trident Range of the Canadian Rockies of Alberta, Canada. The municipality of Jasper is situated 7 kilometres to the northeast. Its nearest higher peak is Indian Peak, 2.5 km (1.6 mi) to the southwest. The highest and longest aerial tramway in Canada ascends to a lookout at 2277 meters elevation, still 193 metres below the summit, but a hiking trail continues to the summit. Some of the mountains that can be seen from the top include Mount Robson, Mount Bridgland, Monarch Mountain, Pyramid Mountain, Hawk Mountain, Mount Colin, Grisette Mountain, Mount Tekarra, Mount Hardisty, Mount Kerkeslin, Terminal Mountain, and Manx Peak.

References