Jasper is the wilder, quieter sibling of Banff — the northern half of the Canadian Rockies’ great pair of national parks, larger, less polished, and emptier. Where Banff is a busy resort town, Jasper is a small mountain settlement in a vast park where the wildlife outnumbers the visitors and the night skies are among the darkest you will ever see. It is the place to come for glaciers, remote lakes, and a sense of genuine wilderness within reach of a road. It is also a town that has been through a great deal recently: a major wildfire tore through in 2024, and Jasper is in the middle of its recovery — open and welcoming, but changed.
We visited Jasper some years ago and took a ride in the explorer vehicle in the Columbia Icefield. We had planned to return a couple of years ago as part of a road trip from Vancouver to Calgary but wildfires in the Jasper area knocked out electricity supplies to the town and the hotels were closed – we diverted to Banff.
A Little Background
The valleys of what is now Jasper National Park were travelled and used by Indigenous peoples for thousands of years — among them the Stoney Nakoda, Cree, Secwépemc, Métis, and other nations — who moved through the mountains along established routes and traded across the passes. The fur trade brought European traders through the Athabasca Pass in the early nineteenth century, and a North West Company post named for one Jasper Hawes gave the place its name.
The park was established in 1907, soon after Banff, as the railway pushed west and the same impulse to protect and profit from the mountains took hold. The Canadian National Railway and later the road network opened it to visitors, and it grew into the second of the Rockies’ great parks. In July 2024, a wildfire complex swept through the park and the townsite, forcing one of the largest evacuations in Canadian national-park history and destroying a significant portion of the town. The fire was declared out in 2025, and the town and park have been rebuilding and reopening since — a process still under way, and one that any visitor should check on before travelling.
What to See and Do
The Columbia Icefield, on the spectacular Icefields Parkway between Jasper and Lake Louise, is the headline experience and was untouched by the fire. You can ride a specialised “Ice Explorer” vehicle out onto the Athabasca Glacier, or walk the glass-floored Skywalk cantilevered over the valley. The Icefields Parkway itself — the 230-kilometre mountain road linking Jasper and Lake Louise — is regularly called one of the most beautiful drives on earth, and the journey is as much the point as any single stop.
Maligne Lake, the largest in the park, has reopened, and a boat cruise to the famous Spirit Island is the classic Jasper outing. (Note that as of the 2026 season Maligne Canyon and Cavell Road to Mount Edith Cavell were scheduled to remain closed for rehabilitation after the fire — confirm current status before you go.) Miette Hot Springs, the hottest in the Rockies, and Pyramid Lake near the town have reopened, and the Valley of the Five Lakes is slated to reopen in 2026 with rebuilt trails.
Jasper SkyTram is the longest and highest guided aerial tramway in Canada. Its just 7km South of the town and is open from March to October.
Jasper’s quieter glory is the sky. The park is one of the largest dark-sky preserves in the world, and on a clear night the stargazing — and, with luck, the northern lights — is extraordinary, best from autumn into winter. Wildlife is genuinely abundant throughout: elk, bighorn sheep, and bears are common sights, so drive carefully and keep your distance.
Getting There
The usual gateway is Edmonton, about four hours east by road, or Calgary (roughly five hours, via Banff and the Icefields Parkway, which is the far more scenic approach). A hire car is the practical way to do Jasper and to make the most of the parkway and the outlying sights. VIA Rail’s Canadian transcontinental train also stops at Jasper, and the journey through the mountains is a destination in itself. Within the park, distances are large and a vehicle is close to essential.
Weather
Jasper has a mountain climate with a short, glorious summer and a long, cold winter. July and August are warm, with the trails clear and everything open — the busiest and best months for hiking and lakes. September is quieter and often lovely. Winter (December–March) is cold and snowy, with skiing at Marmot Basin and the finest dark-sky viewing. Snow can linger on the high trails into June and return in October. For lakes and hiking, aim for late June to September; for stargazing and snow, the colder months.
The Bottom Line
Jasper is somewhat more affordable than Banff, though still a resort-town premium: mid-range hotels run roughly CAD$200–380 a night in summer, and accommodation is tighter than usual while the town rebuilds, so book well ahead. Allow three or four days, more if you are driving the full Icefields Parkway from Banff. Jasper is the Rockies at their wildest and least crowded — and visiting now also means supporting a community working hard to recover.