Jim W.

Honestly, if you are researching Jasper National Park, you'd probably do better to look at individual sites within the park, rather than checking one single review for the entire park. That said... If you are trying to decide if visiting Jasper National Park is worth it, the answer is 'yes'. The only real drawback is that it is somewhat isolated. * You can fly to Edmonton, rent a car, and drive 4 hours to Jasper townsite. * You can drive 2.5 hours or so north from Lake Louise also. * You can fly into Vancouver, but I think the drive from there is more like 10 - 12 hours. However, once you reach Jasper, there are a lot of things to see and do: * Mountain / lake trail hikes * At least 2 large waterfalls * A sky tram to the top of a tall mountain near the town * A boat tour of a scenic lake (Maligne) within 30 miles * Touring onto a glacier just over an hour south of town * Various other canyons and lakes nearby You will likely make the town of Jasper your home base for a trip, as it is just about the ONLY option within reasonable driving distance. It is a bit touristy, but is still picturesque. It has a number of hotels, restaurants, and shops all catering to tourists. Fees to enter the park are around $22 CDN per day per car. The scenery is spectacular. When we visited in August of 2023, there was still lingering smoke from this years' wildfires, such that the mountains were less clearly visible in the distance, but this is not normally the case.

Michael B.

This is the best national park in the area. It offers a tremendous amount of hiking and wildlife viewing without the tourism and crowds of Banff. You can spend weeks here and not see everything. The campsites, especially Wapiti, are wonderful. Those located near Jasper provide excellent access to basic amenities while also making you feel secluded. If you can, wake up at sunrise and drive to Maligne Lake because I almost promise you'll see wildlife - sometimes literally on the road.

Seth A.

I wanted to showcase the major highlights around downtown Jasper, Alberta, Canada and within the close vicinity of Jasper National Park as well. Although I road-tripped through the Canadian Rockies and had unlimited time this past summer of 2022, I would suggest using about 3 - 5 days in the area to enjoy the sights and surroundings. Here are a list of attractions that are worthwhile to check out during your visit... Jasper Skytram - a very popular activity situated 7 kilometers outside downtown. It takes you to the "top of it all", but for me, I preferred the gondola in Banff much better. Oh, btw...since cell phone reception works well in downtown Jasper, simply plug destinations into Google Maps and you'll have no issues finding any of your destinations. Annette and Edith Lakes - these lakes are good for walking around and having picnics. The settings here were quiet, but I was yearning for more in terms of sceneries. The snowcapped mountains were situated too far away in the distance. You can do some paddling on the lakes as they offer rentals. Medicine Lake - is located on the road to Maligne Lake and if you visit in the morning with the sun shining brightly, the reflections are top notch!!! Maligne Lake - located 37 kilometers from downtown. You must take a boat tour while at Maligne Lake. You'll exit the boat for 15 minutes at Spirit Island...which is the pinnacle/apex for what makes Maligne Lake so wonderful. I recommend making reservations for boat tours during peak summer times. You can do it online when you plug Maligne Lake into Google Maps. Maligne Canyon - located 6 kilometers from downtown. This exhibits some walking pathways among a canyon with overlooks and a waterfall. It was nothing special but still, another frequented spot for tourists. Miette Hot Springs - located 60 kilometers outside downtown Jasper, but technically still located within the park boundaries. The springs are sort of secluded and out of the way from the rest of the landmarks, but if you have free time...it was pleasant to soak up in the hot waters among a picturesque setting. Also here while driving the road to the hot springs, I came across a bear. So, I guess, be on the lookout for wildlife. It's very cheap to come here. It was less than $10 Canadian for entry - a bargain!! And they provide showers and changing rooms. Lastly and technically part of Jasper NP is... - Sunwapta Falls - right off Icefields Parkway and 42 kilometers north of downtown. It's a quick stop for a canyon ravine atmosphere. It took me 30 minutes to hang out. Just okay. - Athabasca Falls - 24 kilometers north of downtown Jasper and again, situated right off Icefields Parkway. It's very similar in terms of what to expect, just like Sunwapta Falls. Photography was sort of difficult to capture and...I didn't need more than 1 hour to explore. Oh, btw...almost forgot...Valley of the 5 Lakes is 22 kilometers from downtown. I really appreciated the colorful lakes here and the hiking trails. This should be a top priority to check out!!...conveniently sitting right off Icefields Parkway. Finally...I stayed at a terrific campground called Whistlers Campground, located just outside downtown Jasper. It was cheap, maybe $25 Canadian per night featuring brand new showers and bathrooms. I stayed for 3 nights at Whistlers Campground and it was fantastic, with great cell reception and perfect accessibility to wildlife and all the great attractions in Jasper. Welp...if you've made it this far, thank you for taking time to read this.

A Y.

I am in awe of Jasper. In my eyes, the scenary of Jasper is beyond description. Calling it beautiful cheapens it. Calling it magnificent simplifies it. When I looked at the mountains in front of the National Park Office in towncentre, I felt a serenity, a rugged beauty, a gravity from the mountains. For this scenary alone, I recommend visiting Jasper if you can. Of the various activities available in Jasper, we chose to go hiking (free of charge; comfortable and ankle protecting shoes recommended), take the SkyTram to climb one of the rockies ($60pp; recommended), join a bus tour to see wildlife in Maligne Valley ($72pp; recommended if you don't have a car), scroll around town (free; recommended) and try various food places ($20 to $100pp; recommended). Jasper is an expensive foodies heaven with a vibrant food scene, full of cuisines from various cultures. The most expensive is to have a steak. If your hotel room comes with a kitchenette, consider buying the steaks from Your Jasper Grocer and cook them yourself. There are other famous activities that we didn't get a chance to do: hot spring, water sports, star glazing (Jasper is a dark sky preserve area). We stayed in a hotel, so I cannot comment on the camping aspect of the park.

Maurine S.

Drove from Edmonton to Jasper during our major road trip. The views are awesome and as beautiful as everyone claims. I am a bit spoiled about national parks and waterfalls but in the US you definitely don't get that same clear blue you see here from the rock silt. The only thing I would point out is that I thought the ice fields was thing looooonnnnggg area you drive by but it's really just this small part. We stayed here for 3 days and 2 nights so we had plenty of time to take in the sights without rushing. We found that a lot of the popular places were empty with lots of parking spots later in the day (the advantage of just being 2 people without having to force your kids to come along)! Come and enjoy the views of you can!

Niki B.

Inexplicably gorgeous. No words, yet so many words!!! We drove to the ice field for the glacier tour and loved the gorgeous drive. We barely grazed the surface of exploring the park, but what we saw was incredible. We did The Colombia Ice Field adventure and it was one of our favorite parts of the trip. Tickets aren't cheap, but it's definitely a once-in-a-lifetime-type experience. A bus takes you to a GIANT ice vehicle that has the ability to drive down steep inclines and over the massive ice field. Such a blast! We'll be back, Jasper!

Boon C.

Jasper National Park of Canada is the most beautiful park I have been to in Canada. It is the northern part of the Canadian Rockies. You can spend a night at Lake Louise or Jasper. The Columbia Ice Field Road is the connecting road to all the point of interests. Start from the south to north of Ice Field Road with easy access point of interests count the mile marker from Lake Louise at the highway. It begin with the Crowfoot Glacier which the ice river fall shape like an animal foot. It is very close to Bow Lake and Create the reflection in the lake at Kilometer (KM) 37. The Bow Glacier is at KM 40 is look like icing on top of the mountain. it is beautifully presented. The next stop is the Peyto Lake. When you reach there, there is two way to get to the lake. One by hiking and the other at the bus terminal and walk there and the lake is there. The Peyto Lake is like a marble blue. It is beautiful and now you are at KM 43. Along the way of KM 109, The Bridal Veil and Weeping Wall falls can be spot on the right of highway. The so many falls on the rock like a weep rock. My favorite stop is at the Icefield Center when Columbia Icefield is once the have the glacier river at the foot hill of the center. You can book a tour to the glacier river and skywalk overlook. This is the tour you don't want to miss in this trip. Now you are at KM 130. The next two fall is Sunwapta Falls at KM 179 and Athabasca Fall at 203 should not be miss. This two falls is easy access and spectacular. The last thing of this trip is at Jasper Junction and have lunch and gas before turn back.

Shawnna P.

Even when it's raining, you can find something to do. Hikes, boats, tram, birding, animal watching, shopping, partying. There is something about the air. We are lucky to live so near the Rocky Mountains. The lakes and waterfalls are beautiful. This year, the park entrance is free. This will save us a ton of money!

Anu M.

Jasper deserves more credit (and much needed hype) than it is currently given. Because of its close proximity to Calgary, Banff is much more popular than the far, yet utterly beautiful and peaceful Jasper. We spent a day in Jasper and here's what we did: 1) Grab Java and breakfast at Bear Paws Cafe - http://www.yelp.com/biz/bears-paw-bakery-jasper?hrid=g-MbmLZAV3RNkH-Kr-kQ0g&page_src=shared_via_messages_or_emails 2) Take the Jasper Skytram to the crest of Whistlers Mountain If you are an avid hiker, walk from the base to the summit of Whistlers Mountain and it takes 6 hours!!! We boarded the sky tram and in less than 10 minutes climbed over 1000 metres to reach the summit! Pretty neat, wasn' it? And the views - incredible Utterly gorgeous panoramic views from the top! From Mt. Robson, the tallest peak in the Canadian Rockies to several other rolling glacier covered mountains, to the gorgeous Jasper town (in the shape of the letter "J"), to the turquoise blue glacier fed lakes, one can never get enough of it. Be on the lookout for ground squirrels and beavers hidden underneath the rocks. The tour guide said that the Mt. Robson peak wasn't visible until the day before, so I guess we picked a good day to come here! 3) Buy a sandwich from Patricia's Café - http://www.yelp.com/biz/patricia-street-deli-jasper?hrid=vlA38U49pgz5ZzhdUIKxjg&page_src=shared_via_messages_or_emails 4) Hike along the Maligne Canyon After hiking the Maligne Canyon, you'll know why it was named so. The Maligne River steadily flows between deep gorges, looks scary at times and mind blowing at other times. The hike from the parking lot was very enjoyable; the trail is downhill and along the canyon. Peek in at viewpoints to capture the beauty of the river gushing through the narrow and deep canyons and swirling around at certain places, forming ink pots. The view from the 3rd bridge is my personal favorite. Here's the spot where you can feel the spray; much needed on a sweltering day. We hiked for about 30 minutes one-way and returned. The trail back to the lot is not so cool - It is mostly uphill. 5) Picnic by the Maligne River While driving from Maligne Canyon to Medicine Lake, we came across a lovely picnic spot by the Maligne River and stopped there. The clouds alternatively hid the sun for a bit and paved the way for the sunlight to pierce through, gleaming the river. 6) See the lovely Medicine Lake that disappears during winter From the Maligne Canyon, we drove on a narrow road bordering the beautiful Athabasca River. Keep your eyes peeled out for wildlife along the way - A bear crossed the road right in front of our car. A turn around the mountain suddenly unfolds a lovely view of a large, deep green color lake, which often disappears during winter. It is the Medicine Lake! The lake was untouched, calm and clear. Occasionally, you see swarms of geese fluttering in the lake. Of course, it is intriguing that such a big lake can disappear during winter, but the mystery has been uncovered. During winter, the water from the south drains into the sinkholes before reaching the Medicine Lake. During summer, when the glaciers melt, the water swells over the sink holes and flows into the Medicine Lake. 7) Visit the Maligne Lake and take the boat tour to Spirit Island This lake should be renamed. Something so beautiful should never be named as "malign". This lake is one of the safer places for novice paddlers and kayakers. We booked a boat tour to the Spirit Island, one of the most photographed locations in the Canadian Rockies. During the 30 minutes boat ride to the Spirit Island, we saw the Maligne Glaciers. Only 10% is seen from one side of the mountain and it is massive as it is. Leaves you wondering how colossal the unseen 90% is. Another glacier, though smaller compared to the other glaciers in the Canadian Rockies is the biggest that is visible from the boat tour. We even saw a waterfalls flowing down the tall mountain cliffs from the melting glaciers. As we gaped at the tall mountain peaks hugging the lake and the massive glaciers, our boat turned towards the Spirit Island. The beauty of this part of the lake, is not just the Spirit Island itself, but the turquoise blue waters surrounding it and the Coronet glacier immaculately serving as its backdrop. The water color changes from green to blue, depending on the amount and density of glacier silts in the water. Since we visited during summer, most of the glacier silts were probably deposited and the others were evenly spread out, absorbing all but the blue color of the sunlight. Mary Schaffer, who found this lake said that if God's ever do come down to Earth, here's where they would meet. And I couldn't agree more! 8) End the day by eating dinner at Downstream - http://www.yelp.com/biz/downstream-jasper?hrid=2j3aiLPGIjOOs0sBJUz_6Q&page_src=shared_via_messages_or_emails

Vivian W.

My friends and I visited Jasper National Park last month and it was beautiful. Located above Banff National Park, it is one of the best places to see the Northern Lights and wildlife. Unfortunately when my friends and I was there, it was cloudy and we couldn't see the Northern Lights. FYI, you have to go pretty up north like near Edmonton to see them. It was still wintertime when we visited so everything was covered in snow and the lakes were mostly frozen. Fees (in CAD): Adult $ 9.80 Senior $ 8.30 Youth $ 4.90 Family/Group $ 19.60 Commercial Group, per person $ 8.30 School Groups, per student $ 3.90 The daily fee allows you to go into 8 national parks (wow!): Banff, Jasper, Kootenay, Yoho, Mount Revelstoke, Glacier, Waterton Lakes and Elk Island national parks Time Zone: Mountain Daylight Time Here is where we traveled to: Columbia Icefield Parkway Athabasca Falls: http://www.yelp.com/biz/athabasca-falls-jasper?hrid=rgh1P3RVMzzqFvReX3Y3Kw Athabasca Glacier: http://www.yelp.com/biz/athabasca-glacier-jasper?hrid=3EZqbcZ2tDVdHZ-JXmP8XA Sunwapta Falls: http://www.yelp.com/biz/sunwapta-falls-jasper?hrid=EIeMT_1SMtqHZ7DzkUIxyg Maligne Lake: http://www.yelp.com/biz/maligne-lake-jasper?hrid=RIKT0Pey9-iol6L3GClkrg Medicine Lake: http://www.yelp.com/biz/medicine-lake-jasper?hrid=YrMRLn8mEEl13TU4gJBIrQ The weather was about in the high 30s and low 40s during the day and high 10s and low 20s at night. The roads weren't too icy where you needed chains but if you have them, I would bring them just in case. There were some parts on the road where it was slightly icy and I would've felt safer if we had the chains. Some of the roads were snowed in so we definitely did not attempt to drive through that. Also layer up to help with the weather change throughout the day! Downtown Jasper was not has poppin' as downtown Banff. Majority of the places closed by 5pm and there weren't many stores, just a couple hotels, restaurants and gift shops. It definitely gives the whole small town feel.

Julie L.

Must visit places in or near jasper -maligne canyon -maligne lake -athabasca falls -sunwapta falls - valley of the 5 lakes trail loop Between jasper and banff -icefields drive highway 93 - peyto lake - lake Louise - moraine lake

Carrie P.

Jasper National Park is my favorite, favorite place on earth. Not only for Jasper itself, but for the scenic drive along highway 93. I do numerous trips a year up to Jasper, even though from Calgary, it is a long haul up there. The reality is, the fact that it is a long, scenic drive is its beauty. When I first moved to Calgary, I was in absolute awe of the Rocky Mountains. It took me a number of years living here to make it to Jasper, and I was astounded that the mountains actually got "bigger" and more impressive! It is not uncommon in Jasper National Park, or even in the town of Jasper for that matter, to find wildlife. My last trip, I have pictures of a bear, moose, elk, sheep and even a squirrel. The attractions in the park, such as Athabasca Falls, Miette Hot Springs, Maligne Canyon and simply the rockies themselves are world class. We are so lucky to have all of this in our backyard, and it astounds me how many Albertans don't even consider it. I am heading west (and north) every chance I get. Mount Robson Provincial Park borders Jasper National Park, which is another must-see. Don't miss this local attraction. Hop in your vehicle and hit highway 93!

Adonis V.

Jasper National Park is one of the most amazing highlights of the Canadian Rockies. The drive on the Icefields Parkway alone is worth the price of admission alone. It is also home to the famous Spirit Island in Maligne Lake, which certainly enjoys worldwide reputation and this landmark is one of the most famous views of the Canadian Rockies. The Canadian Rockies doesn't boast the highest mountain range in Northern America, my Eastern Sierras is home to much more taller mountains, however, the mountains here effectively jaunt from sea level to towering heights - the effect is staggering. Beautiful in every sense and definitely worth a visit.