Extending over 11,000 square kilometres, it’s the largest national park in the Canadian Rockies and part of UNESCO’s Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks World Heritage Site.
Parks Canada
Find your connection to this special place by discovering one or all of our five spectacular regions, exploring our extensive trail network, or visiting our famous red chair locations. (Hint: the winter months are pretty spectacular!)
Jasper is an incredible park. It is a little further north and a four hour drive from the closest big city (Edmonton) which means it is usually not as crowded – at least not when I have been there.
Town of Jasper
The Town of Jasper is a wonderful mountain hideaway. I first visited when I was a kid and remember going up the gondola and seeing the statue of Jasper by the train station. The gondola is still operating (I hope with more than a few upgrades, since I was a kid) and the statue of Jasper has moved from the train station to the gondola entrance (they say it’s the original).
What I like about Jasper is it does not have the feeling of being a tourist resort. It’s a small mountain town that has facilities for tourists. A number of hotels, restaurants and gifts shops are present while that small town friendly feeling is still maintained. The down side of this means that you have to usually book your accommodations far in advance and you will probably pay a little more than you expect, but the scenery is worth it!
Sunwapta Falls
Whatever time of year you visit, Sunwapta Falls is worth seeing. Even in the middle of winter and encased in ice it is stunning and powerful.
Columbia Icefield Tour
Yes, this is the touristy thing to do, and I would almost call it a tourist trap but if you cannot hike out to a glacier (or icefield) then this is an alternative. It’s a little expensive, by my standards, but a fun thing to say that you have done. A bit of a drive south of the Town of Jasper you will find the Columbia Icefields, here you can buy a ticket to ride a snow coach onto the Athabasca Glacier. You get off the bus for a few minutes, actually standing on the glacier, before heading back. The company changes every few years but currently it is run by Pursuit.
[OK, that’s the end of my tourism plug.]
Nigel Pass Trail
How could I not do this trail. After all it was named after me as a thank you from the parks service for all the great … what? No? It’s not named after me? It was named after Nigel Vavasour. What about Nigel Peak? That was named after him too. Uhmm, Nigel Creek? No, him again. Could I at least get a parking spot named after me?
OK, this trail is near the southern end of the park, which means just north of Banff National Park. An out and back style trail that is mostly flat but offers some wonderful views. I sound like a stuck record as I think all the trails in the mountains offer great views. Walking this trail, I made sure the bear spray was always handy as you are walking through forested areas and meadows with tall shrubs, which means that it is easy to accidentally creep up on an animal. You also want to bring a good map or GPS with you as I missed the trail branch that went over to the Pass and hence I ended up a short distance away but didn’t realize it until I downloaded my route below. I guess I just have to do this trail again, but not until they name part of the trail after me, but I’m not firm on that. 🙂
Jasper National Park is someplace that I always enjoy going back, and not just because they named a Peak, Creak, Pass and Trail after me. It’s almost a North American version of the Galapagos Islands, where human and nature co-exist in harmony.
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