Travel Dates: August 2023
Things to do in Jasper:
Maligne Lake Cruise: Don’t miss the 1.5-hour Maligne Lake Cruise, with a stop at Spirit Island (only accessible by the boat tour or renting a kayak/canoe and paddling 5+ hours one way). The Classic Cruise option is a popular choice so book well in advance, especially during peak seasons; tickets were $63/person but prices vary throughout the year. The boat accommodates 50 passengers and is a calm 35-minute ride each way to Spirit Island (there were a few bumpy moments when we went over another tour boat’s wake). While your time on Spirit island is limited to 15 minutes, the breathtaking views make it worthwhile. There is a small, easy loop path but what takes time is everyone stoping at the same spots for pictures. Consider the 2-hour Premium Cruise option for more leisurely exploration.
One tip at Maligne Lake is if you want indoor plumbing bathrooms, use the restrooms at the gift shop (although lines can be long). Otherwise, the outdoor bathrooms at the far end parking lot do have toilets that flush but there are no sinks.
Jasper Evening Wildlife Tour with Maligne Adventures: A 3-hour journey that takes you throughout Jasper National Park to find animals. Within the first 30 minutes, we spotted a deer, marmot and elk along Maligne Lake Road. Because we couldn’t find more animals near the end of the tour, our tour guide drove us back to downtown Jasper to try our luck around the outskirts of town. To our surprise, we saw two elks locking antlers in preparation for rutting season (breeding season where elks fight for dominance to attract female deers). And also behind them in the distance was a mother bear with three cubs! Unfortunately, we were too far to get clear pictures of the bears but what a sight.
If you want to guarantee animal sightings in Jasper, I recommend doing this tour because the guides truly know where to look for animals. Otherwise, feel free to drive around Jasper by yourself to spot animals. They tend to be more active around dawn or dusk, but we did see a marmat and a mama bear with her cubs during the day.
Medicine Lake: Scenic stop on the way to Maligne Lake where we were able to see an eagle near its nest on the left side of the lake (bring binoculars!).
Tangle Creek Falls: Another picturesque waterfall along the Icefields Parkway driving from Calgary to Jasper. If you’re feeling adventurous, you can climb up the hill to the upper half of the falls–there’s no actual path so proceed with caution, especially with wet rocks.
There are several hikes we did in Jasper:
- Toe of the Athabasca Glacier Trailhead: A 30-minute slightly steep hike offering views of Athabasca Glacier. Reaching the actual glacier requires a guided tour, but some adventurers take the risk and hop over ropes (proceed with caution due to hidden crevasses). It’s an additional 20 minutes to get to the glaciers and be mindful the path isn’t too clear. If you’ve been on a glacier hike before, there’s really nothing different about this one. The good thing about the trailhead is that it’s across the street from the Jasper Visitor Center if you need to stop for food and drinks, or to use the indoor plumbing bathroom.
- Athabasca Falls: Highly recommended stop as it’s an easier, shorter walk that allows you to explore the beautiful waterfall and canyon scenery. We spent about 45 minutes leisurely here.
- Maligne Canyon: While not as impressive as Athabasca Falls, it’s still worth a visit. To save time, hike bridges 1- 4 (~36 minutes roundtrip) and consider driving to the remaining bridges 5 and 6, otherwise hiking the entire canyon will take several hours. Although the path isn’t bad as it’s relatively paved, there are some slightly steep moments. Skip the Maligne Canyon Overlook unless you seek forest and mountain views. If you need an indoor plumbing bathroom, stop by the gift shop/restaurant at Maligne Canyon.
Where to eat:
Jasper Pizza Place – A few minutes from The Crimson hotel and one of the few places that stays open later into the evening. Although we didn’t get pizza, their chicken fingers with poutine (there’s a few dollar up-charge from regular fries) and the KAB salad (roasted vegetables with lemon garlic aioli) were delicious.
Where to stay:
The Crimson – The hotel is situated in downtown Jasper, conveniently located next door to a grocery store, gas station, and near restaurants and gift shops. It has free parking and is a great bang for your buck. There is also a restaurant on premise, and like most hotels in Alberta, breakfast is not covered and is à la carte styled.
What you need to know/Other tips for visiting Jasper:
To enter Jasper, prepare to pay $21 Canadian Dollars per car each day (a receipt will be taped to the windshield for the duration of your time in the park). You can settle this entry fee either at Banff (if driving up from Calgary) or upon arrival in Jasper. Bypassing payment at Banff saves you time since lines there are longer, but that means you won’t be able to do a rest stop or food break in Banff.
Globe Trotter 