VIEWPOINT: Jasper National Park
The Canadian Rockies in all their glory.
Many national parks are overshadowed by their more-famous neighbors (Yellowstone over Grand Teton, Zion and Bryce Canyon over Capitol Reef, for example). In almost every case, these parks are underrated and worth a visit, even if they don’t quite measure up to their grand counterparts.
Jasper National Park, however, is rare in that it’s arguably more impressive than its attention-stealing neighbor. Banff National Park to the south has no shortage of incredible sights, but visitors who forgo the scenic drive north are missing out on a whole lot more.
NATURE: INCROYABLE!
The Mountainest Mountains That Ever Mountained
The best mountains (tired of that word yet?) are more than just snowy peaks. While Jasper has plenty of those, it’s got a bit of everything else too: lakes, rivers, canyons, waterfalls, and—perhaps most exceptional—glaciers.
Columbia Icefield feeds a number of glaciers here, including Athabasca Glacier, which melts into the Athabasca River and eventually drops over Athabasca Falls. And the glacial waters of Maligne Lake eventually make their way into the Maligne River and its dramatically steep Maligne Canyon.
This park is also more remote than much of Banff, which in our experience resulted in more abundant wildlife. We got a brief visit from a grizzly bear during one of our hikes here. Fortunately, it kept its distance and opted to roll around in a large puddle instead of investigating us and our bear spray.
EXPERIENCE: INCROYABLE!
The Best of Both Worlds
Jasper has a great mix of convenience and wilderness. It’s less developed than Banff but still has a fully functioning town at the center, complete with gas stations, grocery stores, and many restaurants. Like Banff, it also has a golf course. But Jasper’s footprint is comparatively small, and as a result, it’s much easier to escape into the natural surroundings.
The diverse landscape produces a multitude of unique trails for visitors to sample. We spent three days here and did a fraction of the hikes we were interested in. And if hiking isn’t your thing, simply driving Icefields Parkway is an easy way to experience the park.
VISITING: EASY
A Longish Drive is All It Takes
Jasper doesn’t have the Trans-Canada Highway bisecting it like Banff does, but Icefields Parkway is not far off. It’s a less-busy artery to the park and provides easy access to almost every major stop. Included among those stops is Athabasca Glacier, which sees more visitors than any other glacier in North America thanks to its proximity to the highway. As with any park, the best spots can only be accessed on foot, but Icefields Parkway makes those trails easy to get to.
STUPIDITY INDEX
The Stupid May Get Hurt
It’s the mountains—complete with freezing temperatures, deadly drops, and wild animals. But the town of Jasper provides a convenient safety net if the stupid meet the consequences of their shenanigans.
CATSBY’S TAKE
It Was Decent
We were supposed to have neighbors close by, but they never showed up. I would have enjoyed watching them, but I do like some peace and quite every once in a while.