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 A palisade, sometimes called a stakewall or a paling, is typically a fence or defensive wall made from iron or wooden stakes, or tree trunks, and used as a defensive structure or enclosure. Palisades can form a stockade. Etymology ''Palisade' ...

walls used as a protective enclosure around forts. The Palisade can be seen along

Alberta Highway 16 Alberta Provincial Highway No. 16, commonly referred to as Highway 16, is a major east–west highway in central Alberta, Canada, connecting Jasper to Lloydminster via Edmonton. It forms a portion of the Yellowhead Highway, a major ...

(the Yellowhead Highway) in the west as the highway first crosses the Athabasca River approximately east of Jasper townsite. 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 from the lake to the crest and the elevation gain is approximately .

References

Geology of the Rocky Mountains Jasper National Park {{Canada-geology-stub