Jasper National Park Alberta Canada
Jasper National Park Alberta Canada


Jasper National Park, Alberta, Canada
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Jasper National Park is situated on a plateau in the Athabasca Valley, within the Canadian Rocky Mountains, west of Edmonton, northwest of Calgary and northeast of Vancouver, BC.

Jasper is the largest of the northern Canadian Rocky Mountain National Parks, and is part of a spectacular World Heritage Site. Comprised of delicate and carefully protected ecosystems, Jasper's scenery is non-the-less rugged and mountainous. Established in 1907 on the eastern slopes of the Rockies, Jasper is part of the UNESCO Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks World Heritage Site.

Beautiful mountain scenery near Jasper Alberta, Canada, in Jasper National Park - Photo Credit: Jasper Tourism
At over 10,800 sq. km (4.200 sq.miles), the park is an example of a protected mountain ecosystem that allows for visitors to enjoy solitude, wildlife, outdoor recreation and a wide range of learning opportunities. Within the boundaries of Jasper National Park you will find five National Historic Sites: The Jasper Information Centre, Athabasca Pass (Viewpoint about 25 km south on the Icefields Parkway), Yellowhead Pass, Jasper House (the remains of an 1829 fur trade post), and Henry House (site of an 1811 North West Company post).

Shimmering glaciers, abundant wildlife, crystal clear lakes, thundering waterfalls, deep canyons and evergreen forest surrounded by towering, rugged mountain peaks - are what your eyes have been waiting to see. Jasper is an internationally recognized four-season destination with so much to see and do to suit everyone's tastes. Whatever spectacular time of year you choose to visit - just be sure you plan to stay awhile. You'll want to have enough time to enjoy Jasper's many exceptional offerings, such as the Hot Springs, Cross country skiing, down hill skiing, wildlife viewing, marmot basin, boating at Maligne Lake, Maligne Canyon ice walk and many more.

Beautiful mountain scenery near Jasper Alberta, Canada, in Jasper National Park - Photo Credit: Jasper Tourism

Jasper in Figures
Jasper is a small community of 4700 people.

Many of the mountains rise to elevations above 3000 metres.

Mt. Columbia, the highest peak in Alberta, is 3782 metres.

The lowest point in the park, 985 metres above sea level, lies near the park's east gate.

The Canadian Rockies are known to support 1300 species of plants, 20,000 types of insects and spiders, 40 types of fish, 16 species of amphibians and reptiles, 277 species of birds and 69 different species of mammals.


Arrival
The Trans-Canada Highway #16 (also called the Yellowhead Highway) runs through the park and is the main route to and from Jasper. The Icefields Parkway connects Jasper with the Trans-Canada Highway #1 near Lake Louise and Banff.

If you prefer going by train, Via Rail has regular train service to Jasper via Edmonton and Vancouver.

Individual travellers can take the Greyhound Bus from either Vancouver or Edmonton to Jasper.

Distances:
Edmonton - Jasper National Park   370 km (192 mi)
Calgary - Jasper National Park       404 km (256 mi)
Vancouver - Jasper National Park   805 km (500 mi)


Points of Interest in Jasper

Maligne Lake
Maligne Lake is Jasper's oldest attraction. It is the largest lake in the Canadian Rockies, and was known to the Stoney Indians as Chaba Imne- Great Beaver Lake. A one and a half hour boat cruise will take you past glacier studded mountain peaks to world famous Spirit Island. Unsurpassed for the scenery it affords, this cruise is also known for its interpretive quality. While sailing Maligne's glacial waters you will learn about the natural world of the Canadian Rockies as well as the area's fascinating cultural heritage.

Maligne Lake (Jasper National Park) - Photo Credit: Maligne Tours Ltd.
At world famous Spirit Island passengers disembark for the short walk to the viewpoint. The restaurant and shopping facilities are open spring until fall.

Maligne Canyon
One of the most spectacular gorges in the Canadian Rockies, sheer limestone walls plunge to depths of over 50 metres (165 feet). In summer, an interpretive trail winds its way from a picnic area across six bridges where you can catch the spray from thundering Maligne River, or peer into the mossy depths. Watch out for the birds that breed in the walls.

In wintertime try your hand at a guided Canyon tour across the floor of the frozen canyon. The frozen beauty of waterfalls such as Angel Falls and Queen of Maligne is simply breathtaking. Winter turns their cascades into delicate sculptures beyond any human artisan's skill.

Medicine Lake
This intriguing lake is a place of mystery and Indian legends. Medicine Lake is drained by one of the largest underground river systems in North America. The water level of the lake varies from season to season. Sometimes it even disappears...! Indians once thought that "spirits" were responsible for the dramatic fluctuations in the placid waters. Watch out for the interpretive signs along the trail.

Jasper Miette Hot Springs    At least partly wheelchair accessible. Please contact attraction for further details!
The Canadian Rockies Hot Springs invite you to relax in a spectacular mountain setting and soak in hot mineral waters that have rejuvenated travellers for more than a century. The drive up the wild Fiddle Valley to the hottest mineral springs in the Rockies is truly marvellous. Flowing from the mountain at 54 degree C (129 degree Fahrenheit), the water is cooled to a comfortable temperature of 40 degree C (102 degree Fahrenheit) as it enters the pools. The facility includes two hot pools (one pool is wheel chair accessible), a cool pool and poolside cafe. Nearby hiking trails and picnic sites make Miette Hot Springs a perfect destination. Excellent wildlife viewing opportunities on the way- see bighorn sheep, black bear and deer.

The Jasper Tramway
The Jasper Tramway is the longest and highest aerial tramway into Jasper National Park's alpine tundra. It takes you up Whistler's Mountain to an elevation of 2285 metres (7496 feet). Hiking trails lead you to the summit of the mountain. Unsurpassed views of the Canadian Rockies await you at the top. Overlook six mountain ranges, glacial -fed lakes, rivers and the scenic of Jasper Townsite. On a clear day the white pyramid of Mt. Robson, the highest peak in the Canadian Rocky Mountains, can be seen in nearby British Columbia.

There are also great opportunities to see whistling marmots, bighorn sheep and other alpine inhabitants. A cozy chalet -style restaurant awaits you at the top.
The Jasper Tramway (Jasper National Park) - Photo Credit: Jasper Tramway



Highway 93 (Icefields Parkway)

Athabasca Falls
Among the most breathtaking and powerful falls in the Canadian 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 waters that carry sand and rocks. A bridge and a platform give views of the thundering falls.

Columbia Icefields
The Columbia Icefield is among the largest non- polar accumulations of ice in North America. This huge icefield spawns eight major glaciers; rivers of ice that grind rock into powder and change landscapes as they move. The Columbia Icefield covers nearly 325 square kilometres. Meltwater from the Icefield feeds streams and rivers that pour into three different oceans -north to the Artic, east to the Atlantic and west to the Pacific. These glaciers, wildlife and the plants are very fragile. In these harsh and forbidding surroundings, survival is a daily struggle-this is truly life at the edge!

Aerial Columbia Icefield Chalet, Interpretive Centre, and Athabasca Glacier Jasper National Park  - Photo Credit: Tourism Alberta
Brewster's amazing Snow Coach tour onto the surface of the Athabasca Glacier make it easy for you to experience the incredible beauty of this astonishing environment. Aboard a unique SnowCoach, and in the company of a knowledgeable Driver/guide, you can enjoy the journey in safety and comfort to a world that otherwise be remote and inaccessible. Learn about the glacier's environment, the wildlife and the human history. At the turn-around, below the glacier headwall, you will have the option of stepping out onto ice formed from snow that fell as long as 400 years ago. Be careful- the ice surface may be wet and slippery.

Marmot Basin
Marmot Basin provides 75 named trails on over 1,500 acres of terrain supported by world-class facilities. The mountain offers 3,000 vertical feet of skiing and snowboarding on 100% natural, dry, Rocky Mountain powder.

The ski area's modern lift system carries 11,931 skiers uphill per hour and Marmot Basin is one of the least crowded ski areas of its size in all of North America. From long, gentle, winding novice runs, to steep, high alpine bowls and chutes, skiers and snowboarders of all abilities will find what they are looking for at Marmot Basin. Fabulous views and great skiing will ensure a fantastic day of skiing!


Highway 93A

Mount Edith Cavell
Few summits in the park can match Mount Edith Cavell's craggy beauty. 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 Cavell Meadows. Trails are less crowded mornings or late afternoons.

Jasper Yellowhead Museum
The Jasper Yellowhead Museum collects and preserves exhibition documents and artifacts, which illustrate the history of humans of Jasper National Park and the Yellowhead corridor. The Archives' features 400 books, diaries, literary manuscripts, memoirs and much more. Thousands of negatives, prints, albums and transparencies are kept in the museum. As well it features more than 50 cassette tapes, some of which are significant oral histories.

The Jasper Information Centre
The Jasper Information Centre a truly historic site, was build in 1914, and is located on the main road. It was used to house the park superintendent and the park administration offices, and has always been a focus point for the tourists.

In the past it also housed a fish hatchery and a Library. The house was build out of rocks and local logs to suit the setting, it became a model of rustic design for other national parks.

Jasper Park was named after a fur trading post in the area called Jasper House, which was named after Jasper Hawse, who managed this post in the early 1800s.


This Travel Guide was kindly made available by Elke Vogelpohl of Mica Mountain Lodge in Tete Jaune Cache.

Mica Mountain Lodge - Cozy Log Cabins with all the comforts of home!




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