Jasper

The municipality of Jasper, following the contours of the Athabasca River, is located within the national park. With a population of just under 5’000, this small village with a lively center is the ideal location to visit the par.k The Maligne Valley and the iconic Icefields Parkway are just a short drive away.

The atmosphere in Jasper is pleasant, the village is full of small stores, restaurants, cafes and gelaterias. The attraction is so great that even black bears, finding in particular this year very few berries in the wild because of the drought, flock to the village to steal apples and berries from the inhabitants’ gardens. While people inform us of the situation and invite us to be vigilant, Monique and Michel find themselves already the next day face to face with a mother bear and her two cubs while leaving their accommodation. The wildlife of the park being very dense, it is not uncommon to encounter bears, deer, elk and eagles during our stay.

Jasper is surrounded by many lakes that we did not miss to visit. To the south, Beauvert, Edith and Annette lakes invite to swim. To the north, we particularly appreciate a short walk at Pyramid Lake. We are enchanted by the surrounding mountainous landscape, the clear water and the beautiful little Pyramid Island.

Maligne Valley

The Maligne Valley is one of the most beautiful parts of Jasper National Park. The entrance to the valley is a few kilometers from Jasper, after crossing the Athabasca River. The road, just over 40 kilometers long, takes us through the Maligne Valley to Maligne Lake via Maligne Canyon and Medicine Lake.

Medicine Lake is a mandatory stop. In 2019, we were lucky enough to see an eagle and her young in a nest perched atop a tree trunk, as well as bighorn sheep. This time can admire the reflections on Medicine Lake and were lucky to see a black bear at the side of the road.

In 2019, we are undertaking the Bald Hills hike overlooking Maligne Lake. The heavy snowfall of the winter and the early spring left their mark. The higher we get, the deeper the snow. We went to the first viewpoint and decided not to go any further as the path was still closed because of the still very present snow.

In 2022, we went to Moose Lake in the hope of seeing moose taking a bath. Unfortunately, we were not lucky enough to see them. However, we enjoyed this nice walk in the forest and added a stroll along the shore of Maligne Lake..

Icefields Parkway

The scenic Icefields Parkway stretches 232 kilometers from Jasper to Lake Louise and connects Jasper and Banff National Parks. Located in the center of the Canadian Rockies, between mountains, glaciers, lakes and waterfalls, this route is considered one of the most beautiful roads in the world.

This time we start the route from Jasper. Along the first 108 km belonging to this park, we did not miss a few short stops to admire the famous Athabasca Falls (km 30) and Sunwapta Falls (km 54), as well as the view from the Goats & Glaciers Lookout (km 37). On the advice of our host, we drive to the viewpoint on the north face of Edith Cavell Mountain (km 6). A winding road leads us through a valley to a short walk taking us to a small mountain lake and the Angel Glacier. During our stay a few years ago, we also hiked the Valley of the Five Lakes (km 9) at the beginning of Icefields Parkway, featuring five beautiful small lakes with captivating colors, emerald green or turquoise blue.

At the Athabasca Glacier (km 103), we make a short stop at the Icefield Center from where it is possible to observe the glacier. On our 2019 trip, we also head to Wilcox Pass (km 106), a hike that rises somewhat above the valley to see the Athabasca Glacier from a different perspective. As we drive through the Sunwapta Pass (km 108), Jasper National Park ends and Banff National Park begins..