In native folklore, the site of Mountain Park, surrounded by the incredible alpine beauty, was known as the place where "stones that burn." And from their very first sightings, pioneer prospectors were moved by the magnificent vistas of spectacular Rocky Mountain peaks and pristine alpine valleys, brushed by countless rows of towering spruce trees, and kaleidoscopic meadows of wild flowers.

The awesome beauty of the towering Rocky Mountain peaks inside Jasper National Park offer a spectacular backdrop to the rustic ambiance of the Mountain Park's pioneer cemetery, the final resting place form more than 150 Coal Branchers, and the highest graveyard in the British Commonwealth, sitting at an elevation of 1,890 metres (6,100 ft.).

Coal fields were staked in 1909, and the town of Mountain Park established in 1911, becoming the first community along the Coal Branch's western line. For the next 39 years, it was the highest civilized point in Canada and the British Commonwealth.