Jasper Overview

A mountain resort with fine bars, restaurants, hotels, and ski slopes. But the real star here is the huge, surrounding national park, with its spectacular canyons, peaks, glaciers, and wildlife, and seemingly limitless opportunities for outdoor adventure.

Districts

Jasper National Park forms the northernmost component of the Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks system, and is the largest, wildest, and most forbidding of all the parks. With spectacularly jagged mountains, unusual geological formations, and a history of adventure and conflict, it is the wild sister of its sibling, Banff. While Banff has been recognized as an international luxury destination for over a century, Jasper has been known for its harsh terrain, strange landforms, and abundant wildlife.

The townsite of Jasper, in a valley carved by the Athabasca River, is located at the junction of the Icefield Parkway and Yellowhead Highway, and huddles against the eastern face of the Princess Lakes Bench and Pyramid Mountain. Only about 1,000 people call this town home all year long, but during the winter ski season and in the summer the population swells to 10 or 15 times its normal size, with visitors from around the world. Most of them come seeking the isolation and spectacular scenery that has made Jasper famous, as well as the exceptional wildlife viewing opportunities.

Skiing, hiking, and climbing are popular activities year-round, due to the high altitude glaciers and wide diversity of terrain. In the summer, whitewater rafting, horseback riding, and mountain biking are excellent ways to see the backcountry. If you are planning on coming to Jasper, don’t forget your camera, as the snow-capped mountains and unique quality of light in the area make for very impressive photographs.

Most Jasper businesses are located along Connaught Drive and Patricia Street, which run parallel to the railway tracks that stretch alongside the Athabasca River. Between the main shopping district and the mountain lie the homes of the locals, as well as the aquatic center, museum, and library. Bars and restaurants are scattered along Patricia Street and can also be found on Connaught Drive. The Jasper Park Information Centre is located right in the center of town, where Miette Avenue meets Patricia Street. The Information Centre is the best place to find information about the hundreds of activities and attractions found within the park.

Many of the hotels can be found at the north end of town on Connaught Drive, as well as near the Pyramid Lakes Road. A unique feature of Jasper is the Approved Accommodations: private homes that have suites available for rent to tourists. They are sanctioned by the Chamber of Commerce and are usually cheaper than hotels. This can be a real lifesaver when all the other rooms in town are booked.

When visiting Jasper, it is important to know about the town’s permanent residents: the elk and bears. Excellent wildlife photography opportunities abound in and around town, and a few simple rules will ensure that both you and the animals have an enjoyable experience. When taking pictures, use a telephoto lens and keep at least 50 meters (150 feet) away. Never feed or attempt to get close to any wildlife, and make sure that you consult Parks Canada about proper wildlife safety precautions before heading off into the woods. Elk are often seen in town, wandering through backyards and even down the main streets of downtown. But remember that these animals are not tame, and that they may attack if provoked. You don’t have to panic if you see one; just keep a respectful distance and avoid disturbing them.

The town of Jasper is dwarfed by the vastness of the park stretching out on all sides and makes an excellent base for exploring the park’s many attractions. Major roads run east, west, and south of the town, and a drive along any of the parkways or highways will open up boundless outdoor opportunities.

To the northeast of the Jasper townsite, the Athabasca River runs down the center of a valley and separates the town from the Maligne Lake Valley to the east, as well as Maligne Canyon and the Jasper Park Lodge. The trails around the lodge and Maligne Lake are excellent for hiking in the summer and for skiing in the winter.

Following the Yellowhead Highway north from town will take you out of the park, through the town of Hinton, and eventually to Edmonton. Some of the most unusual landscape in the park can be found along this stretch of highway. A half-hour drive to the north lies Jasper Lake and the surreal Jasper Sand Dunes, as well as the Miette Hotsprings. The shore of Jasper Lake offers some exceptional wildlife viewing opportunities, as bighorn sheep and mountain goats enjoy feeding and sunning themselves on the cliffs alongside the Yellowhead Highway. For a refreshing dip, stop by the Miette Hot Springs, located just off of the Yellowhead highway before Hinton. The 104-degree Fahrenheit water will soon chase the chill of the mountains away.

To the west of Jasper lie the Monashee Mountains, a rugged and isolated range. The mountains are home to some of the best heli-ski operations in the world. There are also whitewater rafting opportunities, and the chance to see Mount Robson, an imposing block of granite that is the highest mountain in the Canadian Rockies.

To the south of town, you will find the Whistlers Gondola, Jasper International Hostel, and Marmot Basin Ski Area. Further south is the Icefields Parkway, one of the most spectacular drives in North America: a 300 kilometer stretch of highway winding toward Banff beneath soaring peaks and massive glaciers.

Halfway between Jasper and Banff is the Icefield Centre, where you will find a Parks Canada Information Centre and the Athabasca Glacier SnoCoach Tours.

Historical Background

The town of Jasper lies in a narrow valley nestled beneath the jagged Rampart mountain range. As it is the only range removed from the flat grasslands of the Canadian Prairie, and one of the few that passes through the sheer ramparts of the Eastern Rockies, this valley has been inhabited for over 10,000 years.

The first people to settle here were Native Americans, who wandered into the valley at the end of the last Ice Age. Hunting bighorn sheep, deer, and elk, they found that the sheltered mountain valleys had a slightly milder climate than the dry and windswept prairies. As they moved farther into the mountains, they discovered that the Jasper Valley was situated at the beginning of a number of mountain passes that allowed them to travel and settle through the heart of what is now British Columbia, to the west of the Rockies.

The Sarcee tribe became well established in the Jasper Valley, and for several thousand years was influential in controlling trade between the plains nations and the mountain tribes. With the arrival of Europeans in North America, however, came a smallpox epidemic that devastated the indigenous people, killing almost 50 percent of the population. In addition, displaced natives, particularly the Iroquois from eastern Canada, moved west ahead of the white settlers, and began to take over the Sarcee's territory. The Iroquois had horses and guns acquired from white traders, and soon wrested control of the eastern Rockies from the existing native tribes.

In the late 18th and early 19th centuries, the North West Company and Hudson's Bay Company began exploring the region in search of new fur trapping and trading areas. Around 1800, the first trading post in the area was established at Rocky Mountain House, 200 kilometers southeast of Jasper. Missionaries soon followed, setting up churches throughout the western prairies and eastern Rockies.

The first European known to have visited the present Jasper townsite was David Thompson, one of Canada's most famous explorers. Thompson passed through in 1810 on an historic mapping expedition for the North West Company that would take him all the way to the Pacific. A post would be established near here in 1824, an offshoot of Rocky Mountain House, which, in 1817, had been dubbed Jasper House after the trader in charge at the time, one Jasper Hawes.

Jasper National Park was created in 1886, just after Banff National Park (some 290 kilometers to the south) had been recognized as Canada’s first. Visitors began to trickle in, but Jasper National Park never saw the flood of tourists that inundated Banff, which saw the railroad come through in 1883, two decades before it reached Jasper. Also, Jasper had slightly different attractions than Banff, and instead of aristocrats, daredevil climbers, and skiers, it drew big game hunters, glacier trekkers, and naturalists.

In 1911, the Pocahontas coal mine, near the present-day townsite of Jasper, went into production. A small community of miners and their families sprung up and flourished briefly before the mine was closed in 1921 due to low coal prices.

In 1913, a rail line was finally constructed from Edmonton to the Jasper townsite. The construction superintendent, one Lt. Col. S. Maynard Rogers, built the town's first substantial building the same year, which is now home to the Jasper Information Centre. The community thrived on railway traffic for a time, but most of the tracks were torn up and shipped to Europe as part of the war effort in 1917. The railway was eventually rebuilt, but was never a huge commercial success.

During the Second World War, Patricia Lake, a small lake in the mountains above Jasper, became the site for a top-secret research project of the British Navy. An "unsinkable" destroyer made of ice was constructed in the winter of 1943. The project foundered, and the ship was scuttled in the spring. Even today, however, scuba divers brave the icy water in the summer to swim amongst the wreckage of one of the strangest warships in history.

The city of Edmonton, which is only a four hour drive from Jasper, became a major oil center in the 1970s and Jasper began to see more local tourist traffic as weekend travelers came to ski and hike in the mountains and swim in the Miette Hotsprings.

Marmot Basin Ski Area was built in 1966, and soon became popular for its huge, uncrowded alpine bowls and short lift lines. International travelers began to choose Jasper over Banff because of its less formal atmosphere and easily accessible wilderness. While Banff may appear more spectacular, with dark, foreboding forests and sheer mountainsides, Jasper offers open parkland, airy pine forests, and huge but accessible mountains.

Today Jasper is an internationally renowned tourist destination, which still retains its rough and ready small-town character. More remote than Banff and less commercial, it is a treasure that is often overlooked.

Entertainment

Most people who live in Jasper do so in order to take advantage of the incredible scenery and abundant outdoor recreational opportunities. As a result, everybody tries to spend as much time as possible outside, which makes for a do-it-yourself approach to entertainment. Besides the local cinema, there are very few venues where you sit and are entertained by somebody else. Be prepared for a little bit of adventure in whatever you choose to do, and enjoy your sojourn to its fullest.

Outdoor activities abound in and around Jasper. In the summer you can hike the trails around town, or rent a mountain bike to explore some of the longer trails. If you want to get a little farther from civilization, horse pack trips can take you to chalets dozens of kilometers back into the mountains. In the winter you can downhill ski or snowboard at the Marmot Basin Ski Area, or strap on a pair of cross country skis and go gliding through the forested trails around Pyramid Lake.

For a bird’s eye view of the town and most of the park, take the Jasper Tramway to the top of Whistlers Mountain. Once you reach the summit, you can wander around and take in the spectacular mountain vista, or partake in meal at Treeline Restaurant. The Treeline claims to be one of the highest altitude restaurants in Canada, and has a menu to match.

Shopping is one area where Jasper reigns supreme. Whether you are looking for an original mountainscape watercolour, elk antler chandelier, or new set of downhill skis, chances are you will find it somewhere in downtown Jasper. There are about a hundred small shops squeezed into a tiny area between Patricia Street and Connaught Drive. Most of the touristy souvenir shops and art galleries are found on Connaught Drive, while the ski, bike, and sunglasses boutiques are on Patricia Street.

A thriving nightlife exists in Jasper during the summer and from December to April, while the ski hill is in operation. Finding a lively bar or nightclub is quite easy. Simply walk along Patricia Street and listen for music blaring out of the open club doors. Select the style of music that most appeals to you and wander on in.

The clear mountain air makes for great photographs, but it can also build up a powerful hunger. As anyone who spends much time in the mountains knows, even the most mundane meal tastes incredible after a day in the hills, and a gourmet dinner can be almost overpowering. Fortunately, there is a wide selection of restaurants lining Jasper’s avenues, serving food from all over the world. A quick jaunt down Patricia Street reveals dozens of restaurants and lounges, although fine dining can also be found elsewhere in the town.

If you don’t want to venture out of doors but still want to get a little exercise, the Jasper Aquatic Center has a full-sized pool, sauna, and a hot tub for relaxing stiff muscles. If the hot tub is not quite warm enough for you, then a visit to the Miette Hotsprings might be in order. These natural springs, which are located a 40-minute drive northeast of Jasper, claim to be the hottest in the Canadian Rocky Mountains, with temperatures reaching 110 degrees Fahrenheit.

If you want to get a sense the area’s history and inhabitants before you head out, the Jasper-Yellowhead Museum has an excellent collection of artifacts and displays detailing the history of the valley since the last Ice Age. For a close look at some of the wild inhabitants of the park, drop by The Den, a natural museum complete with stuffed representatives of most of the park’s large mammals. This is a great way to see what a grizzly bear looks like up close without ending up as its supper.

Wildlife viewing is popular in the summer and winter in many parts of the park. Along the Yellowhead Highway to the east of Jasper, there is a set of limestone cliffs that almost always has a herd of bighorn sheep grazing upon it. Elk can be seen almost everywhere in the park, with one herd living around, and frequently inside, the town itself. Other wildlife, such as moose, bears, wolves, and mountain goats are less frequently seen, but will still sometimes venture within camera range. As close encounters between people and wildlife almost never end favorably for either party, it is best to keep your distance and use a telephoto lens on your camera.

Whatever you choose to do while visiting Jasper, you can be assured that your stay will be eventful and memorable. Whether you decide to go climb a mountain, eat until you burst, shop until you drop, or just lounge around in front of a roaring fireplace, your stay is sure to be memorable.

Dining and Drinking

Jasper is well known as an international resort destination offering cuisine from around the globe. The boisterous ski town serves legions of thirsty skiers with ferocious appetites for food and drink. The town is relatively quiet during the daylight hours, which gives food connoisseurs the opportunity to sample Jasper's finest fare in peace. Things get busier when the ski lifts close for the night and the bars open their doors. Most of the independent restaurants can be found on Patricia Street or Connaught Drive in the heart of downtown.

Any self-respecting Alberta restaurant has steak on its menu. Albertans are very proud of their beef and manage to integrate it into almost every meal and dish. While steak is the backbone of most menus, you can usually find some more exotic dishes as well. Buffalo, caribou, and elk are often featured and provide a flavorful alternative to beefsteak. Other common entrees include British Columbian salmon, halibut, and shrimp, along with locally raised duck and goose.

Jasper has managed to keep almost all of the large chain fast-food restaurants out of town, so the selection of greasy burgers and fries is quite limited. On the plus side, there is a constantly-changing assortment of small restaurants which, for a dollar or two more, will serve you all your favorite short-order foods with far superior ingredients. There are no “greasy spoon" diners in town either; wherever you go, you can be assured of a fine dining experience.

If your tastes are a little more international, most restaurant genres are well represented. Superb Greek food can be found on Patricia Street, and fans of Italian can get their pizza and pasta fix as well. If you just can’t be kept away from your e-mail responsibilities for a few days, there are several Internet cafes, including the Soft Rock Internet Cafe and The Tuning Point. If a steaming bowl of noodles and prawns is more your style, the Denjiro Japanese Restaurant lends a zesty Eastern spice to the mountain air. For those with a persistent sweet tooth, The Fudgery churns out great vats of sweet, sticky delight on Caunnaght Drive, near the railway tracks.

One advantage to being such a small town is that everything is very close together, and all of the bars are within walking distance of the downtown hotels. This rules out the need for a taxi ride after a night of celebration. The Jasper nightlife is not as consistent as that in Banff, and some nights the bars are virtually deserted. On other nights, particularly after a unusually large snowfall at the Marmot Basin Ski Area, it is tough to find room in any of the more popular establishments. The D’ed Dog Cafe, Atha-B Tavern and Peter’s Place are the three most boisterous nightclubs; they keep many an exhausted skier on their feet and dancing long into the morning hours. For a more relaxed lounge atmosphere, the Whistle Stop Pub, conveniently located on the main floor of the Whistle Stop Inn on Main Street has all the dark oaken decor and even darker Irish beer you can handle. This pub is frequently visited by film crews and extreme skiers, and it is not unusual to see world-class daredevils pounding back ale after spending a long day defying death on the slopes.

There are very few martini lounges and other more refined drinking establishments in Jasper. If you are in the mood for a relaxed evening, most hotels have guests-only lounges, which serve vintage wines and scotches and occasionally, micro-brewed beers.

While drinking in Jasper, it is a good idea to get to know a few of the locals. Every bar or lounge in town has a particular night of the week when you can expect to find more action than any other. Ask around at the ski shops or in the cafes to find out the most recent scoop on the nightlife. The locals are quite proud of the rough and ready nature of their town and quickly convert many tourists. Enjoy your stay, but mind the local wildlife!

Where To Stay

Jasper is a tiny town with a disproportionately large number of hotels. Every second building seems to host accommodations of some type, and you should have no problem finding a room to suit your taste and budget. However, keep in mind that the town is often booked solid during summer, long weekends, and the winter holiday season. Advance reservations are a necessity.

Because Jasper is a seasonal town, room availability and rates fluctuate. Prices often double during Christmas vacation. During the winter ski season hotels are packed with rowdy skiers and snowboarders who come to enjoy the deep powder of Marmot Basin during the day, and the wild nightlife of downtown after dark. If you are planning on a quiet family or romantic getaway, it is best to avoid the university spring break season in early February, as well as the first two weekends in January. During these times, the town takes on a festive atmosphere, and the drunken carolling of vacationing university students can last through the night.

Jasper is one of the nicest small towns you could ever hope to visit. Hotels can be found on the main streets, in the residential areas, at the ski hill, and even alongside lakes in the middle of the wilderness. Jasper National Park, which surrounds the town, has a number of hostels for the more adventurous traveller, and for the truly rustic, the park has cabins with no running water or electricity. The Jasper International Hostel at the base of the Whistlers Mountain Tramway is a great place for planning and staging hiking or climbing trips, and the Maligne Canyon Hostels offer a bare-bones shelter with only the most minimal modern luxuries and distractions. Should you feel like getting even closer to nature, there are government and privately operated campgrounds surrounding the town and scattered throughout the park. If you are planning on camping, visit the Park Information Centre and inquire about the current campground conditions before you set off.

If you would like to have all the amenities of a big hotel without the impersonal feel, then you might be interested in staying at a bed-and-breakfast or approved accommodations. Approved accommodations are private homes with attached suites for rent to tourists. They are generally cheaper than hotel rooms and offer much more local character. All approved accommodations must meet Jasper Chamber of Commerce standards. Most are located in historical buildings within a few blocks of the downtown core and feature kitchens, one or two bedrooms, and well-appointed living rooms. Often the approved accommodation hosts will share secrets on the best restaurants and activities.

The majority of the larger hotels and motels share the north end of town, sandwiched between the Pyramid Lakes Road and the Athabasca River. Set in shady spruce groves below the bluffs that define the western boundary of town, they boast spectacular views of the mountains surrounding Maligne Lake to the east. At these hotels you can experience nature, and still be close to the action. In fact, a five-minute walk will take you right to the heart of downtown.

A few historical hotels are located right in the middle of downtown along Patricia Street. The Athabasca Hotel and the Whistle Stop Inn have been around almost as long as the town itself. They are well known local landmarks, as well as hosts to two of the town’s more famous drinking establishments: the Atha-B saloon and Whistle Stop Pub. Both hotels are excellent for those intent on catching a little local culture, as they are right in the middle of the bar and club strip.

The undisputed star of the Jasper hotel scene is the luxurious Jasper Park Lodge, built in 1922. Located across the Athabasca River from Jasper and nestled among a chain of small lakes, it is famous for its winter ice-skating and elaborate network of hiking and cross-country ski trails. Although it is only a ten-minute drive from downtown Jasper, the deep silence of the forest makes you feel like you are thousands of miles from civilization.

You wont find many major hotel chains in Jasper and its vicinity, and most lodgings are independently operated. Most every establishment boasts individual character and charm.

Jasper by the Numbers

Elevation: 3480 feet
Average Annual Rainfall: 13.1 inches
Average January Temperature: 12 degrees F
Average July Temperature: 59 degrees F

Population: 2,167 (full time)
Ethnic Mix: 91.74% Caucasian, 4.38% African American, 3.23% Hispanic, 0.74% Asian
Major Industries: tourism
Major Tourist Destinations: Jasper National Park

Province: Alberta
Time Zone: GMT-5
Country Dialing Code: 1
Area Code: 780

Did You Know?

Jasper National Park is Canada's largest national park, consisting of 10,878 square km of breathtaking beauty in the Rocky Mountains.

Orientation/Geography

Located in the Rocky Mountains in Alberta Canada, Jasper is southwest of Edmonton and near British Columbia. From the United States, Jasper is north of the states of Washington, Idaho, and Montana.


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