Trips in and Around Jasper in the Canadian Rockies

Itineraries: Detailed trip itineraries in Canada (free)

Around Jasper, there are several attractions including beautiful lakes, a glacier, rivers, a deep canyon, and a high cable car.

It is recommended to start your day with a visit to the Jasper Visitor Centre. You can get recommendations for nearby trips, maps, and also information on which sites are open and which are not.

Recommended Hotels in Jasper and Vicinity

Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge

A quality 4-star hotel with family rooms and suites. 8 restaurants onsite. Spa, Jacuzzi, gym, and more. Free parking.

Sawridge Inn & Conference Centre Jasper
A 3-star hotel in the center of Jasper town. The hotel features an indoor pool, Jacuzzi, gym, spa, and three restaurants. Each room has a refrigerator. Free internet.

Bear Cub Lodging
A suite with an equipped kitchen a short drive south of Jasper town in the heart of Jasper National Park. Barbecue facilities in the yard. Free internet.

Jasper Downtown Hostel

A 3-star hostel with a variety of private or shared rooms. Centrally located in Jasper.

Trip to Mount Edith Cavell

At Mount Edith Cavell, named after a World War I heroine, you will find the Angel Glacier.
It is best to leave early towards the Angel Glacier because it is recommended to arrive at the site before 10:00 AM since the place is popular and it is hard to find parking later. The glacier is about a half-hour drive from Jasper on a winding road that is not recommended for RVs, although you can see RVs (the smaller models) driving up the narrow and winding path.

On the way to the glacier, there is a stop for a viewpoint of a magnificent valley landscape between snowy mountains.

View of a magnificent valley landscape between snowy mountains

From the parking lot at the foot of the glacier, there is a 1.6 km loop trail that climbs towards the base of the glacier, where there is a small lake filled with chunks of ice that have broken off from the glacier.

From the middle of the loop trail, there is a longer trail, about six km, which climbs to a higher viewpoint of the glacier and the lake at its foot. The long trail is not always open. Sometimes it is open partially, as the route has snow and is wet and dangerous for walking.

The trip takes about two hours and is about 4.5 km in total. In any case, you should keep in mind that both trails involve a moderately difficult climb.

♦ Recommended guided tours in Jasper (from Viator):

Ride on the Jasper Skytram to Whistlers Mountain

This cable car, built in 1964, has only one passenger cabin in each direction holding up to 30 passengers and an operator. Because the site is popular, the cabin is usually completely full. It is recommended to arrive early so as not to wait in line. The cable car climbs a vertical height of almost 1000 meters in seven minutes.

The view from the top of the mountain is breathtaking. You can see Jasper and all the surrounding lakes, rivers, and snowy mountains. From the top cable car station, a steep and difficult hiking trail leads to the summit of the mountain, another two hundred meters higher, to a viewpoint overlooking additional sides of the mountain. This trail is about 1.5 km long.

view from Whistlers Mountain Jasper from the cable car viewpoint

Keep in mind that the temperature on the mountain is about 10 degrees lower than at the bottom of the cable car and there may be cold winds and rapid changes in weather, so you should dress accordingly.

The duration of this trip, including the trail at the top of the mountain, is 1.5-2 hours net (not including waiting in line to board the cabin).

♦ River cruise trips of various levels from Jasper (to book from Viator):

Trip to Maligne Lake and River

This area, besides its natural scenery, is also abundant with wildlife that can be seen along the roads: bears, elk, mountain goats. The chance to see the animals is greater in the evening hours. Be careful not to drive faster than permitted as you risk hitting wildlife that suddenly crosses the road.

Wildlife in the Canadian Rockies:

Maligne Canyon

After driving about 11 km north of Jasper (first on Highway 16 and then on Maligne Road) you reach Maligne Canyon. Here you can see how the powerful water currents of the Maligne River have carved a narrow, deep, and winding canyon.

Maligne Canyon:

From the parking lot, you set out on a hiking trail along the river over which 5 bridges were built, allowing travelers to cross over the canyon and view it from various directions. The length of the route to the fifth bridge is a little over two kilometers each way. Note that the trail is easy on the way downhill, but you also have to climb back up and that is much harder. You can settle for walking up to the third bridge only to appreciate the beauty of the canyon.

Medicine Lake

From Maligne Canyon, continue further on the same road for another 15 km to reach Medicine Lake. This is a beautiful turquoise lake into which the Maligne River flows , but you do not see the river exiting it because the river flows underground and emerges after a few kilometers.

The lake is narrow and long, and the road runs right along the edge of the lake (note - without a guardrail).

At beautiful scenic viewpoints, the road has been widened so that you can stop safely.

Maligne Lake

After Medicine Lake, you reach Maligne Lake, located 48 km from Jasper. This lake is the longest lake in Jasper National Park, measuring 22 km long. It is also the deepest, reaching a depth of 97 m. Around the lake are many hiking trails. Near the parking lot is a floating dock that you can walk onto and photograph the beautiful scenery.

It is recommended to take a guided boat cruise on the lake that lasts about an hour and a half. There are also rowboats for rent. There is no option for overnight camping or hotel parking at the site.

The duration of a trip to Maligne Lake (excluding the cruise) is about four hours.

Trip to the Lakes Surrounding Jasper

East of Jasper and right next to Highway 16 flows the Athabasca River, and right next to it to the east are five lakes of various sizes:

Lac Beauvert, Lake Annette, and Lake Edith. From the cable car viewpoint, you can clearly see these turquoise-colored lakes.

In addition to these lakes, there are two more lakes located about a five-minute drive north of Jasper: Patricia Lake and Pyramid Lake.

Patricia Lake

From Jasper, drive about five minutes north on a road called Pyramid Road, and you will first reach Patricia Lake. Next to this lake is a lodge and entry is permitted only to hotel guests. Near the main road at the edge of the lake, there is a parking lot and you can walk along the lake and view it and the surrounding mountains.

Lake Pyramid

Continue further down the road for a few hundred meters to reach Pyramid Lake. The parking lot is located close to the edge of the lake and adjacent to a resort called Pyramid Lake Resort. There is a floating dock with benches facing the lake so you can sit on them and enjoy the beauty of the lake.

For those interested, you can also rent a rowboat and sail on the lake. Not far from there in the middle of the lake is a small island connected to the mainland by a bridge where you can take a short walk and see the view from it. Early in the morning, the place is very quiet and the surrounding mountains return a triple echo when you make a loud call towards the mountains. Try it and enjoy.

The total visit to both lakes takes about an hour.

Beauvert Lac

Right as you exit Jasper heading north on Highway 16, there is a right turn onto Lodge Road towards the nearby Beauvert Lake. Parking is located near the luxurious Fairmont Jasper Park Hotel, which sits on the shore of the lake. It is worth going inside to see the luxurious lobby and also go down a floor to the shopping level below, where there is a shop with very nice (and expensive!) art pieces. Of course, both of these floors also have excellent restrooms (unlike the suffocating chemical toilets in the other lakes...).

Around the lake, there are walking paths along its shore. In front of the hotel, there are rowboats and bicycles for rent. It is worthwhile to rent a bicycle and tour around this lake and the other two nearby lakes: Annette and Edith.

Lake Annette

Lake Annette is located slightly north of Beauvert Lake. It is a beautiful lake with walking paths along its shores, and there is also a swimming beach for those who dare to enter the cold water.

Lake Edith

Adjacent to Lake Annette is Lake Edith, which also has a swimming beach and walking paths around it. In both lakes, you can see a beautiful reflection of the landscape when the lakes are calm and smooth. A visit to all three of these lakes can take 1.5 - 2 hours.