Brazeau River trail
Brazeau River trail is the core of the Brazeau Loop backpacking route in Jasper National Park. It’s a long-distance, high-elevation wilderness hike built around three mountain passes and river fords, typically done as a roughly lollipop-shaped counter-clockwise loop.
A demanding standard profile starts at Nigel Creek trailhead and goes over Nigel Pass, then drops toward Four Point Campground (#16). From there the route continues to Brazeau Lake Campground (#21) and onward to Poboktan Pass and Jonas Cutoff Campground (#23).
From Jonas Cutoff the trail works up to Jonas Shoulder, then descends toward Jonas Pass and returns to Four Point (#16) before finishing back to Nigel Creek trailhead, retracing the Brazeau River-trail portion of the loop.
Backcountry logistics revolve around the staffed campground set: Boulder Creek (#15), Four Point (#16), Brazeau River (#19), Brazeau Lake (#21), John-John Creek (#22), and Jonas Cutoff (#23). Jonas Cutoff is high and more exposed than the lower campgrounds.
Seasonal timing matters: the passes can hold snow until July, and travel is not recommended earlier in the season. Weather can shift quickly in this high country, and the route includes multiple river crossings that can become unsafe when water is up.
Route management has changed due to conditions at a major Brazeau River bridge near the southeastern tip of Brazeau Lake: the bridge is washed out, and the river can be impassable in high water. That has affected the ability to complete the usual loop and can force an alternate routing between Four Point (#16) and Brazeau River (#19) on the west side of the river; bridge crossings to the east side are specifically discouraged.
Overnight travel requires a backcountry camping permit and a valid park pass. Bikes, dogs, and horses are not allowed on the maintained trail segments that make up the Brazeau Loop, and there are campground-specific rules like no fires at Jonas Cutoff and fire restrictions to designated fire pits elsewhere. Permits are mandatory for overnight trips and are reserved in advance.
More information: Booking, Map, Visitor information