Situated on the western edge of the province of Alberta, Jasper is a town in the Rockies about 4 hours by car from both Banff and Edmonton. Equally as stunning in terms of scenery as its nearby neighbors, Jasper is more conspicuous. The town lies in Jasper National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site and a protected area that recently celebrated its centenary year.
Much smaller and quieter than the nearby mountain resort town of Banff, Jasper is similarly a place for winter sports including skiing and snowboarding. Some of the scenery around the town is spectacular. Close by is Mount Robson, the highest peak in the Rockies at nearly 4,000 meters high. Even closer are the Athabasca Falls, where the river rushes through a drop in the dramatically carved gorge.
The area in and around Jasper is famous for its numerous lakes, including Pyramid Lake with its adjacent mountain and Lake Beauvert with its upscale lodge just 10 minutes drive out of town. Like Banff, Jasper has natural hot springs at Miette.
Highlights
Maligne Canyon: a rushing canyon between Medicine and Maligne lakes with great vantage points.
Miette Hot Springs: a mineral rich series of hot springs in the stunning Fiddle Valley featuring open-air pools with snowy mountain views.****
Jasper Tramway: takes visitors on a breathtaking cable car trip high up Whistler Mountain reaching 2,277 meters above sea level at its disembarkation point.
Athabasca Falls: the Athabasca River flows along a gorge and is followed by a drop off, creating these remarkable falls.
Columbia Icefield: situated on the border between Jasper and Banff national parks, this huge expanse of ice and snow feeds eight large glaciers which can all be viewed from here.