For explorers, wanderers and those who want to feel the power of the mighty universe, the largest National Park in the Canadian Rockies awaits. Designated a Dark Sky Preserve by Canada’s Royal Astronomical Society, due to the area’s limited light pollution, and part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Jasper National Park boasts over 4,000 square miles of untamed wilderness.
In addition to world-class skiing at Marmot Basin, Jasper is a popular destination for year-round outdoor adventures – from hiking to wildlife viewing. Close proximity to all the best activities makes small town, unpretentious Jasper an ideal base for exploration. The area’s glaciers, turquoise lakes, powerful waterfalls, abundant wildlife, and towering Canadian Rockies with dramatic peaks, ranges and mountainscapes feel like you’ve stepped into a postcard at every turn.
Even after the devastating 2024 fire ravaged parts of Jasper, the landscape still beckons with its dramatic natural beauty. Feel moments of wonder and tranquility in this wildly loveable mountain town, where four mountain ranges and three rivers converge. This place is pure nature porn, only 4 hours’ drive from Edmonton airport.
Thank you to Jasper Tourism for inviting me to attend a trip so I could experience the area firsthand to write this detailed article. Here are my favorite ways to fall for Jasper.
1. Find furry friends to photograph on an animal adventure
Jasper was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in no small part due to the abundant fauna that calls the national park home. Every turn is a photo opportunity.
SunDog Tour Co. whisks guests on a thrilling drive, where in October, we witnessed over 50 elk in the early morning as they grazed on the side of the road right outside of town, several moose frolicking on the sides of the roads and licking the salt off the streets, and big horn sheep herds near a riverbank. Wolves, lynx, and mountain goats are also spotted in the area. This year-round wildlife tour, in a heated mini-coach with oversized windows, is enhanced with a local guide who adds expert knowledge of the area’s wildlife and terrain. Maligne Lake was also a highlight.
While wildfires can be unexpected and disastrous, it’s how Mother Nature rejuvenates the forest. Today, after the 2024 Jasper wildfire, more grazing wildlife come to the forest floor because sunlight (that once couldn’t reach the area) is causing fescue grass to grow. The decay of the trees helps the topsoil. Woodpeckers and owls come to eat the bugs from the burned forest. While most bears are hibernating in October, we learned that in ten years, Jasper will be the bear capital of the world – because grass, wildflowers, and buffalo berries (a bear’s favorite treat) will be accessible in the valley.
2. Follow the path to the falls on one of the most scenic drives in the world
The Icefields Parkway (Highway 93) is considered one of the most scenic drives in the world. From Jasper, drive through the Columbia Icefields to Athabasca Falls, just a half hour south of town, where the pounding waters are known more for their volume and force than their height. The waters originate from a glacier that cut through the rocks to form various falls, framed beneath a towering Mount Kerkeslin. The Athabasca River plunges 79 feet over a hard quartzite layer into a narrow gorge, creating thunderous display of sound and spray. The force of the water has carved intricate features, including deep potholes and a short canyon into the softer limestone rock below. In winter, the frozen falls are just as picturesque. It’s hard to believe that the Athabasca River links the freshwater ice of the Columbia Icefield to the salt water of the Arctic Ocean.
Forty minutes south of Jasper, find Sunwaptu Falls, upper and lower waterfalls fed by the Athabasca Glacier. The 59-foot upper falls are easily accessed from the viewpoint parking lot while a 1.3-mile hike takes you down through a lodgepole pine forest to the lower falls.
Weather dependent, you can gear up to walk on and explore Athabasca Glacier as well as snow and ice caves with an experienced guide from Rockaboo Mountain Adventures.
3. Find Zen with a spa day and meal at Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge
If you are not staying at this mountain retreat, with chic suites and multibedroom cabins, you can book a spa day to warm your bones and soothe your soul – with access to the hotel’s steam room, sauna, and heated outdoor pool and jacuzzi, all in view of the picture-perfect postcard Lac Beauvert and Canadian Rocky Mountains. Soak in the views all day with a seat in the Fairmont’s cozy historic lobby next to the grand stone fireplace. Sip a Ceaser, Canada’s favorite clamato cocktail, with a generous portion of fish and chips. Or stay for a modern Italian dinner at Orso Trattoria to indulge in Lamb Pappardelle, Short Rib Agnolotti, or a juicy steak – while gazing in awe at the surrounding lake shores and dramatic surrounding peaks.
In winter, guests can skate on the nearby lake or blast off through the solar system at the hotel’s interactive 50-seat domed theater Planetarium, with astronomy experts. The Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge will be undergoing a multi-million dollar-renovation running from fall 2025 to spring 2026, to elevate guest experiences while preserving the lodge’s iconic heritage. The project features refreshed guest accommodations, a redesigned main lodge, expanded patio dining, and revitalized key wellness and recreation amenities.
4. Feed on Jasper’s best bites and sips
Make your own culinary adventure in downtown Jasper, or book a walking food tour with Jasper Food Tours, to experience four local restaurants with four generous dishes paired with an alcoholic beverage, all while listening to Jasper’s top tales along the way. Try elk meatloaf with candied bacon, paired with stellar suds like Blueberry Vanilla Ale at Jasper Brewing Co.; elk tacos at Su Casa Mexican Lounge; braised Alberta beef rib with poutine and red wine at De’d Dog Bar (where dead dogs and humans are honored); and maple pecan cheesecake paired with maple whiskey at Fiddle River Restaurant’s scenic mountain view location.
One stop for breakfast at newcomer Otto’s Cache and you might find yourself returning every morning for freshly baked pastries, expertly made coffees, healthy smoothie blends, scrumptious sandwiches with fresh bread, and brunch bites like Turkish eggs or crispy potato hash. With savory scones and pies, Basque cheesecake, and soft fresh cookie medleys like brown butter chocolate, it’s easy to want to take a few treats for later. The hip spot also sells camping knick-knacks, gourmet products, and household goods.
Seeking to celebrate Canadian whisky culture? Step into sexy Maligne Range for a whisky flight or whisky cocktail at Jasper’s first distillery, opened last summer, that uses local grains and glacier-fed water.
5. Feel small under the second-largest Dark Sky Preserve in the world
Deeply connect to the universe with a two-hour outdoor stargazing experience. Jasper Star Trails provides space talks and private telescope tours to make the night sky come alive – bringing forth the Milky Way, a comet, double stars, nebulas, planets, galaxies, whizzing satellites, and more with advanced digital and optical telescope equipment. Powerful lightweight binoculars allowed me to see the craters on the moon, as earth’s natural satellite inched out of the mountains and clouds, shining on Lake Annette. In the summer, days grow longer and the sun sets around 10 or 11 PM. During this time, specialized equipment allows guests to solar gaze, viewing the surface of the sun.
Visit in October for the annual Jasper Dark Sky Festival, filled with celestial moments like a sunset helicopter cruise, dark sky treasure hunt, or animals of the night hike. This year, special events included a Drone Light Show and speakers like astronaut Robert Thirsk, who spent a six-month mission aboard the International Space Station. At Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge, discover the dark skies at their interactive planetarium and if you’re lucky, witness the Aurora Borealis.
6. Fly high above Jasper on the SkyTram or Old Fort Point hike
Get a whole new viewpoint high above the national park. The Jasper SkyTram makes it easy to feel like a bird on the 7-minute flight, atop 7,424-ft Whistler Mountain. From the peak, hike, snowshoe, shop, explore the barrier boardwalk, or stargaze, where on select days in the fall, after dark, a 3-course dinner at the Summit Restaurant pairs with telescope viewings and astronomy experts.
Old Fort Point Hike careens up above town, in view of unbelievable scenery in every direction – from a prominent peak with shimmery lakes down below, a turquoise river, poking forest land, and 360-degree views of snowcapped mountain peaks and stunning vistas for miles – while moody skies shapeshift around you. The 2.5-mile hike can also be booked with Jasper Food Tours to learn more about the roles and benefits of a wildfire, with a guide sharing history, geology, forestry, and wildlife information, culminating with a hot lunch.
7. Feel moved with a stay at Pyramid Lake Lodge
Book a second-floor guest room with fireplace in this 62-room chalet-style Alpine resort atop Pyramid Lake, for idyllic views of the surrounding skyscraping snowcapped Canadian Rocky peaks. Open year round, obtain a front row seat of the crystal-clear lake over breakfast at Aalto, or get into nature in winter with snowshoe, ice skating, cross country skiing, or fat biking, all steps from your private cabin. Hike around the lake or nearby trails to spot wildlife.
In summer, try the electric family cruiser boat for up to seven people; or rent a kayak, canoe, paddle boat, or mountain bike onsite at the lodge. Sit on your balcony and absorb the scenery. It’s easy to become one with nature’s magnificence at Pyramid Lake.
