Alberta & BC Rockies > Recreation > Travel > In-Town > Attractions >

Travel: In-town Jasper

Jasper National Park is 10,878 square kilometre (4,200 square mile) park, Canada's largest in the Rocky Mountains. The park contains rugged mountain peaks, year-round glaciers, crystal clear lakes, thundering waterfalls, deep canyons, evergreen forests and abundant wildlife. This scenery makes Jasper an international year-round destination with first-class facilities and services.

Take a hike out to the Pyramid Lakes north of town, or drive over the thundering Athabasca River to Maligne Canyon just north of town. You can also golf at the nearby Jasper Park Lodge. For a longer drive, keep driving, up to scenic Maligne Lake, the largest lake in the Rockies.

Drive a half hour south of town, to see the thundering Athabasca Falls. Keep driving south (another half hour) to see the Columbia Icefield, the continent's largest glacier with a mile-deep icecap.

West of town is the Yellowhead Pass, which was the original planned route for the Canadian trans-continental railroad, before the southerly Kicking Horse Pass was discovered. It is named for Pierre Bostonais, a blonde-haired Iroquois who guided for the Hudson's Bay Company in the 1820s. The Yellowhead Pass has an elevation of only 4,071 feet (1,245 m) and is the most gentle crossing of the Continental Divide.

Here are the attractions in and around the town of Jasper (from northeast to southwest). You will need a car to see these, as they are more than a short walk from the town.

Maligne Canyon
This canyon has 23 m (75 ft) high walls of limestone bedrock, created by the Maligne River. This is the longest and deepest limestone canyon in the Canadian Rockies. A self-guiding trail, crossing over six footbridges over the canyon, leads up to a teahouse.

Jasper Park Lodge
The Jasper Park Lodge was built originally in 1922, and rebuilt after a fire in 1952, is the creme-de-la-creme stop for Jasper's tourists. It lies on the shores of Lac Beauvert, has its own 18-hole golf course, offers horseback riding, and has its waiters deliver room service meals on bicycle.

Old Fort Point
This landmark is where the original Henry House Fort was built for the North West Company in 1811. Later, in 1829, it was replaced by Jasper House built on the shores of Brule ("Broo-Lay") Lake, east of the National Park.

Jasper Tram
Just 3 km from town
Box 418, Jasper, T0E 1E0
780-852-3093
Fax: 780-852-5779
Toll Free: 1-866-850-8726
Just 3 km from town, the Tram takes you 937 m (3,063 ft) up The Whistlers. There are several hiking trails from the top to nearby peaks, with snowcovering extending into the middle of summer. The Tram provides great views of the town, the Athabasca River, and pyramid-shaped Mount Robson (Canada's second highest mountain) over 60 kilometres away to the northwest. Mount Robson is so tall it often has its own weather system!

Community Map