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Athabasca Pass, elevation 1,748 m, is situated on the extreme southwest boundary of Jasper National Park, on the British Columbia-Alberta border. It's a solitary spot, rarely visited by hikers and mountaineers. Athabasca Pass is reached from the east by gentle slopes from the Whirlpool River, an Athabasca River tributary. Its west side drops steeply down Pacific Creek to Wood River, a Columbia River tributary.
Its first recorded crossing was by David Thompson and his party in 1811. Thereafter the pass was used for several years as a main fur-trade route across the Rocky Mountains, though heavy snow caused voyageurs some hardship during late spring crossings. A small lake at its summit was named the Committee's Punch Bowl after the governing body of the Hudson's Bay Company.
