Less than 4.8 kilometres southwest of Jasper is the Whistler Trail, which gets its name from the whistling sound made by marmots. You are in the alpine environment as soon as you step off the tram. Walk around the viewing deck and you will see in the foreground low-lying vegetation and rocks characteristic of alpine tundra. The fantastic backdrop to this scene is half a dozen mountain ranges, sprawling river valleys, and crystal clear spring-fed lakes winking in the sun.

During the brief, midsummer bloom looks for white dryas, alpine anemone, alpine forte-me-not, and alpine poppy. If you watch the rock piles, you will likely spot pikas and marmots scurrying about, and a binocular scan of the surrounding mountainsides may turn up bighorn sheep. Golden eagles and northern harriers may glide overhead while ptarmigan cluck about on the ground.