Construction near Mount Edith Cavell will limit access to the popular sight in Jasper National Park this year/Scott Johnson

Access to the Mount Edith Cavell day-use area, already one of the most popular destinations in Jasper National Park, will be limited and require a free permit this year due to construction at the parking lot and access road.

Visitors can pick up permits for the 9-mile Cavell Road, which opened this week, outside the Jasper National Park Information Centre in Jasper townsite between 8 and 10 a.m. daily. The passes are available up to two days before the trip date and cannot be reserved. Only one permit is required per vehicle.

A maximum of 180 vehicle permits will be allotted each day, with departure times at 8:30 a.m., 11 a.m., 2 p.m., and 4 p.m. Park staff will be on site daily to check permits and operator authorizations. The gate at the bottom of the Cavell Road will be closed for construction and safety reasons between 8 p.m. and 8:30 a.m.

Cyclists will not require a permit. All visitors with reservations for Tonquin Valley Adventures, Cavell Hostel, Wates Gibson Alpine Club of Canada hut, and Tonquin Valley backcountry campgrounds don’t need to pick up a permit but must bring reservation confirmations.

Mount Edith Cavell is one of the most popular and iconic areas of Jasper National Park. The day-use area offers spectacular views of the north face of Mount Edith Cavell – including Angel Glacier, Cavell Glacier and Cavell tarn – and a trail to Cavell Meadows.

In 2012, a major ice avalanche resulted in a destructive debris flood as well as ongoing parking and access road maintenance issues. This $3.5 million project will relocate the parking lot access road away from high-risk avalanche and flooding zones, increase the number of parking spots, and permit the reconstruction and rehabilitation of trails and viewpoints.

The Cavell Road will remain open for the season through September 18.