Jasper National Park

Jasper National Park: The Quieter Side of the Canadian Rockies

Jasper National Park covers 11,000 square kilometres in the Alberta Rockies, about twice the size of Banff National Park to its south. They share the Icefields Parkway, a 230km road that connects the two towns and passes the Columbia Icefield midway. Most Rockies visitors do Banff. Jasper, two hours further north, has the same landscape quality with significantly fewer people - except in July and August when everyone has the same idea.

The July 2023 wildfire that burned through the Jasper townsite destroyed roughly a third of the buildings in town. As of 2024-25, rebuilding is ongoing and some services and accommodation options may be limited compared to pre-fire capacity. Check current status before planning.

Maligne Lake

Maligne Lake is 22km long and sits at 1,690m elevation. The boat tour to Spirit Island, a small forested promontory about 14km from the launch dock, is one of the most reproduced photographs in Canadian tourism materials. The boat takes 90 minutes return; tours run June to mid-October and cost around CAD 80 per person. The alternative is to canoe or kayak from the dock; rentals are available and the paddle to Spirit Island takes about 2.5-3 hours each way.

The drive from Jasper town to Maligne Lake (48km, about 45 minutes) passes Medicine Lake, which drains underground through a karst system in autumn - the lake level drops by 15+ metres and the river channel can partially empty. In October the effect is visible from the road.

Athabasca Falls and the Icefields Parkway

Athabasca Falls, 30km south of Jasper on Highway 93, is where the Athabasca River narrows to 18 metres and drops through a series of gorge formations. The force of the water has carved potholes and canyon walls visibly. It takes 30-45 minutes to see properly and the viewing platforms are accessible on foot from a small parking area.

The Columbia Icefield, 103km south of Jasper, is one of the largest non-polar ice masses in North America. The Athabasca Glacier descends from the icefield to within a kilometre of the road and has retreated over 1.5km since 1844. The Glacier Skywalk (CAD 34 adults, glass-floored platform over a canyon) and the glacier walks are run by Pursuit from the Icefield Centre. The Snowcoach drives onto the glacier surface (CAD 99 adults, 90 minutes). These are expensive for what they provide, but the icefield itself is an extraordinary thing to see from road level without paying anything.

Hiking

The Skyline Trail is 44km one-way along a high ridgeline above treeline, with camping at designated backcountry sites. Parks Canada issues permits for backcountry camping; the Skyline permit is popular and should be reserved through the Parks Canada reservation system from mid-January. The full trail takes 2-3 days; the section from Signal Mountain trailhead to Snowbowl campsite (about 18km) is accessible as a day hike for fit walkers.

Edith Cavell Meadows Trail, 30km from town, has a hanging glacier directly above the meadow. The trail to the meadow is 8km return with modest elevation gain. The glacier calves ice into a small lake at the trail’s end.

Wildlife

The Athabasca Valley between Jasper town and Maligne Lake is one of the most reliable places in Canada to see elk (wapiti). Bulls with full antlers are visible in fields along the road from September through October during the rut. Moose frequent wetland areas around Maligne Lake and the Miette River drainage. Wolves and grizzly bears are present but sightings require either luck or early morning hours on the parkway.