Jasper National Park
Been Here Life List

Patricia Lake in Jasper National Park, Alberta

A three-hour drive north of Banff but embracing a similar enormous chunk of the Canadian Rockies, Jasper is the largest national park in Canada, and the most northerly. Compared to Banff, it's a less traveled collection of salt-and-pepper cathedral peaks and large animals. Rare mammals such as grizzly bears, mountain lions, caribou, and wolverines live in (relatively) large numbers amid the 4,200-square-mile wilderness. Here you'll find emerald lakes, shimmering glaciers, deep canyons, thundering waterfalls, and hot springs. Read More »

Jasper National Park Highlights

As big as Jasper is, be sure to explore other parks in the area too. Along with nearby Banff, Yoho, and Kootenay national parks, Jasper is part of the Rocky Mountain World Heritage site, which is Canada's largest wildlife preserve.
Be sure to pull safely off the road when stopping to view wildlife, and remain in your vehicle. Bighorn sheep are the most common mammal sightings. Stopping to watch a bear on the roadside may be tempting, but park rangers advise against it.
Bring your spin-casting or fly-fishing rods. Jasper is a fishing paradise. You can fight rainbow, brook, cutthroat, lake, and bull trout in the park's rivers, streams, and lakes. Anglers routinely catch fish between two and four pounds, and Jasper National Park was home Alberta's record rainbow trout, a whopping 20.4 pounds.
Friends of Jasper National Park offers a variety of interpretive programs, including historical walking tours, late-night hikes under the full moon, and early-morning bird-watching.
For a topside view of Jasper's stunning landscape, take a helicopter sightseeing tour. They range from 15 minutes to full days and fly over the Columbia Icefields, Maligne Lake, and Mount Robson.

By Travel Expert: Sue Lebrecht