The friendly, and picturesque community of Jasper is peacefully nestled in the midst of Jasper National Park’s vast, unspoiled grandeur, offering an internationally recognized four-season vacation destination.
Visitors to Jasper will find shimmering glaciers, abundant wildlife, crystal clear lakes, thundering waterfalls, deep canyons and evergreen forests surrounded by towering, rugged mountain peaks.
The first recorded visit to Athabasca Valley was by surveyor David Thompson in 1810, with the North West Company building a supply depot on Brule Lake in 1813, which became known as Jasper House after clerk Jasper Hawes. This region has seen many changes in the last two centuries – from sporadic visits by native people to more than 3 million visitors a year.
Today, in spite of its highways and railroad, Jasper National Park looks very much like it did when David Thompson, Canada’s great fur-trade-era explorer first saw it. Jasper offers first-class visitor attractions, activities, facilities and services within magnificently scenic wilderness surroundings of unparalleled beauty.
Snow-capped mountains and waterfalls suspended in clear blue ice are all part of the breathtaking “wonderland” that is Jasper in the winter. Exciting challenges await every level of skier. Downhill skiers can find excellent conditions and uncrowded trails at Marmot Basin, while Nordic skiers can choose from a wide variety of trails for short rips or overnight excursions.
Winter travellers can enjoy outdoor ice skating, the Maligne Canyon “Crawl”, sleigh rides, snowshoeing, winter picnics, observing wildlife, or cozying up to a roaring fire. For the more adventurous, snowmobiling, heli-skiing, and heli-snowshoeing can be found just a short drive outside the park. Jasper remains one of the world’s best-kept secrets in winter – the jewel of the Rockies.
Population: 4,700
Location: Jasper is Located in Jasper National Park near the British Columbia/Alberta border, 518 miles (863 km) from Vancouver and 248 miles (414 km) from Calgary, Alberta.
View map of the area
- Map of Banff/Jasper/Lake Louise
VIA Rail runs from Vancouver to Jasper in the BC Rockies, and back to the Pacific Coast at Prince Rupert, with an overnight stop in Prince George. VIA Rail Canada connects at several cross-border crossings with Amtrak, for continuing rail travel through North America. Today’s VIA Rail network and services offer outstanding travel options, whatever your budget or destination. Whether you’re on a coast-to-coast adventure or on an Inter-city hop, VIA Rail’s trains will take you there in comfort and style.
Jasper National Park is Canada’s largest Rocky Mountain Park and one of North America’s largest natural areas – spanning 10,878 sq. km (4,200 sq. mi.) of awe-inspiring scenic splendour. Jasper is the largest and most northerly of the four Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks which comprise the UNESCO World Heritage Site. Its scenery is rugged, including deeply gouged Maligne Canyon and picturesque Maligne Lake. Thrill to the thunder of Sunwapta Falls; enjoy the serene beauty of the glacier-covered Mount Edith Cavell; hike along any of the 1,000 km of trails; or have a relaxing soak in Miette Hot Springs.
Jasper’s combination of wildlife, startlingly blue-green mountain lakes, soaring peaks and broad forested valleys ranks it as one of the world’s premiere national parks. The park’s distance from large urban centres and its relatively intact ecology create a special sense of “early days in the Rockies.” Today, over 3 million people pass through the gates and more than 1.8 million people a year visit the park to experience this unique wilderness and World Heritage Site.
]Located 19 miles (30 km) west of Jasper in British Columbia, and adjacent to Jasper National Park, the peak of Mount Robson is the highest peak in the Canadian Rockies, towering 12,972 feet (3954 m) over the western entrance to the park.
Mount Robson Provincial Park, one of the oldest in British Columbia, contains the headwaters of the Fraser River. In the northwest section of the park is the massive Berg Glacier, notable for being one of the few living (or advancing) glaciers in the Canadian Rockies. To really experience Mount Robson Provincial Park you need to get out of your vehicle and hike, as the superb scenery in the park makes it an excellent site for hikers, climbers, and backcountry enthusiasts.
The park contains 202 km of hiking trails ranging from easy strolls to challenging backcountry excursions. Rearguard Falls and Overlander Falls are short walks, while the Mount Fitzwilliam Trail and the spectacular Berg Lake Trail, which starts in a Cedar Rain Forest and meanders through the Valley of a Thousand Falls, offer wilderness camping opportunities. Three camping areas in the park have a combined total of 176 vehicle/tent sites at Robson Meadows Campground (125) and Robson River Campground (19), both near the western boundary, and Lucerne Campground (32), just west of the Alberta border. Wilderness campsites are also located along the Berg Lake Trail. Concrete boat launches and ample parking are located at the east end of Moose Lake and at Yellowhead Lake; the latter also has a sandy beach. Take Hwy 16 east from its junction with Hwy 5 in Tete Jaune Cache into the park, which is adjacent to the Alberta border and Jasper National Park.
The Jasper-Yellowhead Museum & Archives displays documents and artifacts that record the human history of Jasper National Park and the Yellowhead Corridor. Follow in the footsteps of inhabitants, travellers and fur traders who have left their mark in the Athabasca Valley for more than 10,000 years. The Historical Gallery displays nine exhibits depicting the history of the area.
The annual Freewheel Biathlon (Bike and Run) in October is a local favourite. The race consists of a 10-km bike ride on highways 93 and 93A, followed by a 10-km trail run on the Fortress Lake Trail and a pasta feast and awards ceremony.
The Jasper Root Romp in mid-October is a 10-km trail race that has been billed as one of the toughest in North America. Run, walk or hike the scenic trails that will take you by mountain lakes and streams, through aspen groves and pine forests.
Celebrate winter in Jasper during January for the annual Mountain Festival of fun. Two weeks of action packed events and activities for the whole family. Lift tickets are reduced from the regular season rate at Jasper’s Marmot Basin!
Visit the Columbia Icefield located 66 miles (105 km) south of Jasper on the spectacular Icefields Parkway. Your fully guided tour will take you onto a living glacier, the largest south of Alaska, aboard a specially designed coach (early May to mid October). This 9.5-hour return tour from Jasper includes a stop at Athabasca Falls. Time will be allowed at the Columbia Icefield to take a Snocoach ride onto the Glacier.
The Miette Hot Springs claims to be the hottest springs in the Canadian Rockies, where water emerges from the ground at 54 degrees Celsius.
Two hot pools and a cold pool overlook spectacular views of the Fiddle River Valley, with good wildlife watching and hiking opportunities in the immediate vicinity.
The Jasper Tramway provides an unforgettable view of the Athabasca Valley and Jasper National Park. Two tram cars take visitors to an elevation of 7,496 ft (2,285 m), the longest and highest tramway in Canada. The Upper Terminal has a gift shop and a licensed restaurant. Hike along prepared trails in the alpine region with complimentary certified guides.
Experience the wonders of Jasper’s magnificent scenery and beauty on one of a variety of sightseeing tours in the area, including wildlife tours or a guided interpretive walk to learn of Jasper’s natural history. Wildlife sightings may include bear, elk, deer, moose, sheep, coyote, caribou, beaver and bald eagle. Our sightseeing tours include Maligne Valley, Columbia Icefields year round, Mt. Edith Cavell, Miette Hot Springs during the summer and Canyon Ice Walks, Snowshoeing, Cross Country Skiing, Dogsledding and Snowmobiling during the winter months.
Go skiing in a place where snow comes from heaven, not from Earth. A place where you spend more time on your favourite run than in lift lines. Welcome to Jasper’s Marmot Basin in the beautiful and rugged Jasper National Park. Take a deep breath and prepare yourself for the adventure!
Golf: Golfers can head to a wonderful old golf course in a beautiful and hilly Rocky Mountain setting at the 18-hole Jasper Park Lodge Golf Course, first opened in 1925. Teeing-off amongst the backdrop of dramatic mountain ranges with local wildlife as your gallery is an unequalled golfing experience. Golf Vacations in Alberta and British Columbia.
Jasper offers some of the world’s most pristine rivers for your river rafting enjoyment. Explore and enjoy these turbulent rivers in the most “eco sensitive” way possible.
Athabasca Falls are among the most powerful and breathtaking falls in the Rocky Mountains. The Athabasca River thunders through a narrow gorge where the walls have been smoothed and potholed by the sheer force of the rushing water carrying sand and rock. Capture the brilliance of rainbow-hued spray or the dazzling sheets of ice suspended from jagged rock on film! Located 14 miles (32 km) south of Jasper.
Few summits in the park can match the craggy beauty of Mount Edith Cavell. A small, powder blue meltwater lake and beautiful Angel Glacier are easily reached by a short self-guiding trail that winds its way along the shores of the lake. Another longer trail leads to picturesque Cavell Meadows. Trails are less crowded mornings or late afternoons. Located 18 miles (30 km) south of Jasper.
Maligne Canyon is one of the most spectacular gorges in the Canadian Rockies, where sheer limestone walls plunge to depths of over 50 metres (165 ft). An interpretive trail winds its way from a picnic area across six bridges where you can catch the spray from the thundering Maligne River, or peer into the mossy depths. In winter, try your hand at a guided Canyon Tour across the floor of the frozen canyon. This is a sight you’ll not want to miss!
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An unforgettable Canadian Rockies vacation awaits you at Johnston Canyon Lodge & Bungalows in the Rocky Mountains of Alberta, Canada. Conveniently tucked away between world-famous Banff and Lake Louise, on the banks of the impressive Johnston Canyon Creek, you will find a holiday gem among Banff accommodations. Johnston Canyon is adjacent to one of the most famous waterfalls in Banff National Park. Visitors from all over the world relax in the heritage charm of our Lake Louise / Banff cabins.
