Jasper National Park is often overshadowed by Banff National Park, but when visiting Alberta, Canada this incredible Rocky Mountain destination should be at the top of your list. There are so many things to do in Jasper you’ll understand why it is one of Canada’s most beautiful national parks. Nestled in the heart of the Canadian Rockies, (A designated UNESCO World Heritage Site) Jasper National Park spans more than 11,000 square kilometers of pristine wilderness. This protected area is home to an incredible array of wildlife, from grizzly bears and elk to bald eagles and bighorn sheep. And we saw them all!
The Best Things to do in Jasper, Canada
There are so many places to visit in Jasper, you will want to spend at least 3 days in the area. If you have a week, it’s even better! We are going to highlight some of the best things to do in Jasper National Park, downtown Jasper, and along the Icefields Parkway.
Where is Jasper National Park?
The town of Jasper is located inside Jasper National Park in the Canadian Rockies. It is halfway between Edmonton, Alberta, and Calgary Alberta. The closest international airport to Jasper is Edmonton but you can also easily fly into Calgary. The best way to get to Jasper from one of the cities is to rent a car, but there are buses and tour operators that can take you as well. We highly suggest renting a car as you will definitely want wheels as this drive is beautiful and you’ll want to stop at all the scenic lookouts.
Jasper National Park is surprisingly accessible from quite a few places within Alberta. Jasper town is located just 4 hours (365 km / 226 miles) from Edmonton, 2 1/2 hours (288 km / 330 miles) from Banff, and 404 kilometers (251 miles) northwest of Calgary.
You will need to purchase a Parks Pass from Parks Canada here. It is $10 per person per day.
If you are going to stay longer, or visit Banff we suggest purchasing a Parks Canada Discovery Pass that costs $139 for a family or $69 per person. This gives unlimited access to Canada’s national parks from coast to coast to coast for 12 months! You can purchase this online here
Make a base in Jasper town and then get ready to explore all the things to do in Jasper National Park and beyond. Are you ready to explore the Canadian Rockies? Let’s go!
1. Maligne Canyon
Maligne Canyon is our favorite place to see in Jasper. It’s located just 15 minutes from downtown Jasper along the 46 km (miles) Maligne Lake Drive. This stop is one of the most popular places to visit in Jasper and for good reason. It is the deepest canyon in Jasper National Park.
The Maligne River winds through a 50-meter (154 feet) high gorge creating breathtaking scenery. A walking trail follows the gorge for 3.3 km (2.1 miles) offering gorgeous views as you snake along a path hugging the canyon walls.
If you aren’t driving, you can book this tour that will pick you up from your hotel. A Malign Canyon a guided hiking tour is a great way to explore the deepest canyon in Jasper National Park. This small group tour starts at Bridge 1 and finishes at Bridge 5. What’s awesome is that a shuttle will take you back so you don’t need to hike back up. It includes hotel pick up so you don’t even need a car. Details here.
It can get very busy, so go early in the morning to beat the crowds. There are five bridges that cross the canyon showing waterfalls, rapids, and spectacular views. Read more: 14 Best Hikes in Jasper National Park – Alberta Canada
2. Maligne Canyon Ice Walk
Jasper National Park is a year-round playground and you can visit the canyon in the winter to enjoy the frozen waterfalls on the Maligne Canyon ice walk. Just like the Johnston Canyon Icewalk in Banff, the Maligne Canyon ice walk takes you to the bottom of the deepest canyon in Jasper. On your tour, you’ll explore ice caves, frozen waterfalls and impressive ice formations. It is about a three-hour tour, so make sure to dress for the cold weather. Read our tips 5 Winter Layering Tips to Dress for Extreme Cold Weather
Book this highly-rated Maligne Canyon Ice Walk Tour with an experienced guide to the bottom of the most accessible canyon in Jasper National Park to see its frozen waterfalls, Ice formations, and ice caves.
3. Canyoning
Canyoning, also known as canyoneering, is an exhilarating outdoor adventure activity that involves descending into and navigating narrow, steep-walled canyons or gorges, often with the aid of ropes, harnesses, and other specialized equipment.
The park offers a variety of canyoning opportunities for all skill levels, ranging from gentle introductory routes to more advanced, technical descents. Canyoning adventures in Jasper may involve rappelling down waterfalls, jumping into crystal-clear pools, sliding down natural water slides, and swimming through narrow rock channels.
Canyoning in Jasper National Park is an adventure of a lifetime, offering a unique opportunity to explore and experience the park’s rugged natural beauty up close and personal.
4. Maligne Lake
After a stop at Maligne Canyon, hop in your car and drive another 35 minutes farther along the 46k km Maligne Lake Drive. It takes you to the end of the road at Maligne Lake which must not be missed when visiting Jasper. Maligne Lake is the longest natural lake in the Canadian Rockies. The lake stretches for over 22 kilometers and is surrounded by towering mountains, glacier-fed streams, and dense forests.
Spend the day here and take a boat cruise out to Spirit Island for one of the best photo opportunities in Alberta. Get here early to stay ahead of the crowds and save the scenic stops for the way back to Jasper Town.
Things to do at Maligne Lake
Maligne Lake Boat Cruise – One of the best ways to see Maligne Lake is to take a Maligne Lake Cruise. The Maligne Lake Cruise typically lasts around 90 minutes and takes visitors to some of the lake’s most picturesque spots, including Spirit Island, which is one of the park’s most iconic landmarks. Along the way, knowledgeable guides provide commentary on the area’s history, geology, and wildlife, including the elusive loons that call the lake home.
Spirit Island – The highlight of the cruise is undoubtedly Spirit Island, a small, tree-covered island that sits at the junction of Maligne Lake’s three glaciers. Visitors can disembark and explore the island, take photos, or simply take in the breathtaking views of the surrounding mountains and glaciers.
5. Medicine Lake
On our way back from Maligne Lake, a beautiful stop on the road is Medicine Lake. Located along Maligne Lake Drive, Medicine Lake is located 20 km (12 mi) from Jasper town center. It is an incredible scene in the autumn as the lake disappears as the water sinks into sinkholes creating a beautiful pattern of water and sand.
6. Helicopter Tour to Abraham Lake Ice Bubbles
Abraham Lake is famous for its ice bubbles and this helicopter tour takes you over the Canadian Rockies to see its frozen lakes and glaciers. The helicopter tour flies over 6 glaciers followed by a landing at Landslide Lake. You’ll then take a guided snowshoe tour to see views of the Rocky Mountains. Its then back on the helicopter to the next stop, Abraham Lake. Get ready to strap on crampons to walk to see the bubbles of Abraham Lake. The bubbles are formed by methane gas being trapped in the ice creating amazing photo opportunities that have graced social media for years.
Take a Helicopter tour of the Rocky Mountains. See the famous bubbles of Abraham Lake and take a walking tour on this bucket list trip in the Rockies. Details here.
7. Dark Sky Preserve
Jasper is known for its dark skies and each year it hosts the dark sky festival in October. It has the second-largest dark sky preserve in the entire world, and heading out to the lakes at night, is one of the best things to do in Jasper. While the Dark Sky Festival is an annual event, you can appreciate the night sky in Jasper any time of year. The dark sky preserve is so good because it is free from light pollution and the crisp mountain air makes for crystal clear skies.
The winter months are certainly the best time to enjoy the Jasper Dark Sky preserve due to the long nights. Make your way to one of the surrounding mountain lakes to enjoy the beauty of a night sky free from light pollution. It’s amazing because you can appreciate the night sky as early as 5pm.
What I love about going in October during the festival, is that not only does the night sky last for 15 hours, the weather isn’t freezing yet, so you aren’t dealing with a polar vortex. It is still cold, but not frigid. We found that getting up before sunrise was a great time to see the stars and Aurora Borealis as well. See more details about events and activities here.
8. Northern Lights
Since we just touched on the Dark Sky Preserve, we must talk a bit about dancing lights at night. Alberta is known for its vast skies that are free of light pollution, and as we said, Jasper is known for its dark sky festival. While staying at Jasper Park Lodge, we woke at 3 am to see the night skies and the milky way at Lake Edith.
We were surprised and delighted to see Northern Lights instead. But in fact, the Northern Lights are common to see in Jasper. You don’t need to go all the way to Iceland to see the aurora borealis, just fly into Edmonton and make your way to Jasper National Park for some of the best auroras on the planet.
9. Jasper Planetarium
If you really want to delve into the dark sky preserve, book a tour with the Jasper Planetarium. It operates all around Jasper National Park offering different experiences from an outdoor telescope experience to a dinner and stargazing package. Or spend an evening inside the Planetarium Dome to see and learn more about the Auroras, hear Indigenous stories and their constellations, and watch the starry skies over the Canadian Rockies. Jasper Planetarium is located at the main Lodge at Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge.
10. Sidecar Motorcycle Tour
One of our favourite things to do in Jasper was to take a sidecar motorcycle. It’s one of the most unique activities as you tour the Rocky Mountains and Banff National Park on a Harley Davidson. Get geared up in full leather Harley Gear and enjoy the views as you take a tour of all the top Jasper attractions with Jasper Motorcycle Tours.
There are different durations and destinations from going to the Icefields Parkway, Marmot Basin, the Miette Hot Springs, or Maligne Lake, Medicine Lake, and Maligne Canyon. The possibilities are endless. Choose your motorcycle tour of Jasper here.
You can create your own motorcycle tour to see anything from Maligne Lake to Athabasca Falls with 1, 2 or, 3-hour ride options. You can even create shorter tours to get a feel for the open road in a side car to explore the turquoise lakes and viewpoints close to Jasper town center. Drivers are professional and know the area well. Book it here
11. Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge
Staying at the Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge is an attraction unto itself. The rustic setting of luxurious and chic log cabins is set on the shores of Lac Beauvert with options to stay in log cabins, huge lake houses, and main building hotel rooms. There are elk and whitetail deer walking through the grounds and you feel as if you are in the middle of the wilderness while enjoying pure luxury. Check rates and availability here.
Even if you are not staying at Jasper Park Lodge, it is worth stopping to see this historic site. You can dine on its terrace, play a round of golf at its award-winning golf course or simply marvel at its 700 acres of sprawling property along the lake.
12. Athabasca Falls
Jasper has some beautiful waterfalls to explore, and Athabasca Falls is an impressive flow of water over a 23-meter (75 feet) waterfall. The narrow gorge forces the Athabasca River creating a huge volume of water cascading over the falls. There is a hiking trail to various lookouts and a bridge for a better view of the falls.
13. Explore the Icefields Parkway
No trip to Jasper would be complete without driving the Icefield Parkway. This 293 km (182 miles) road trip stretches from Jasper National Park to Banff National Park with amazing stops along the way. The Icefields Parkway is considered one of the most beautiful road trips in the world and it starts right in Jasper. You can explore a portion or the entire drive that weaves through the most stunning scenery of the Canadian Rockies.
It can easily be done in a few hours, but we suggested a couple of days to see all of its attractions. So, let’s take a look at some of the places not to be missed on Icefield’s Parkway. Highlights include: Read our full post about the Icefields Parkway drive here.
One Way Icefields Parkway Tour
Book this tour to Banff – If you flew into Edmonton and took the bus to Jasper, you can travel to Banff on this tour. Get picked up from your hotel to enjoy a full day tour to Banff to see its top attractions such as Athabasca Falls, Bow Lake and the Weeping Wall. You can enjoy the Athabasca Glacier on a guided tour or choose the Glacier Skywalk at the Columbia Icefields Centre. This is a great highlight tour for those without a car. Details here.
14. Columbia Icefield Discovery Center
Located at the halfway point between Banff and Jasper the Columbia Icefield Discovery Center is a must-stop. From here you can book tours to see the Athabasca Glacier and the Columbia Icefield Skywalk. Even if you don’t venture out on these adventures, there are great views from the terrace of the discovery center. There is a museum and two restaurants
15. Columbia Icefield Skywalk
We highly suggest doing some of the activities at the Discovery Centre though. The Columbia Icefield Skywalk is an incredible glass-floor skywalk that juts out into the Sunwapta Valley. Dangling 280m (918 feet) above the valley floor visitors can walk over the abyss for extraordinary views of the mountains.
16. Athabasca Glacier
The Athabasca Glacier is the most visited glacier in all of North America and it is spectacular. This massive glacier is one of six toes of the Columbia Icefield which is the largest nonpolar ice field in the world. So, do not miss getting a chance to see the Athabasca Glacier up close. It is when you are out on a snowcat or guided tour that you really feel how massive it is. Tours are offered on the Athabasca Glacier taking you out on an Arctic Cat to walk on the glacier admiring its deep crevasses and ice caves. Read more here.
17. Sunwapta Falls
Located on the Icefields Parkway Sunwapta Falls consists of Lower Sunwapta and Upper falls. Upper Sunwapta Falls is located close to the parking area, and the lower falls is a 2 km hike across the bridge. The upper falls are the best views of the falls, so you really don’t have to hike further than the bridge, but if you are looking for a nice day in nature, keep following the path to the lower Sunwapta Falls.
18. Sunwapta Whitewater Rafting Tour
When visiting the Canadian Rockies, you must get the adrenaline pumping with a whitewater rafting tour. One of the best places to do that in Alberta is along the Sunwapta River. The Sunwapta River takes you through a narrow canyon of class 3 rapids with gorgeous views of the Rocky Mountains.
This glacial fed river makes for a great day trip where you’ll practice your paddling techniques before hitting the rapids. As long as the weather stays good, the tours keep going giving everyone the soaker they are looking for on a hot summer’s day.
Once the rapids start it is still important to look at the 360-degree mountain views. The river follows the jagged ridge of the Endless Chain. Book this highly-rated tour here.
19. Whitewater Rafting the Athabasca River
Jasper Raft Tours is a popular rafting company that offers rafting tours along the Athabasca River. Rafting the Athabasca River is great for the whole family as the rapids are a class two offering a gentle run while still offering amazing views of the Canadian Rocky Mountains.
You can choose from a scenic Athabasca River Rafting experience, The Athabasca River Mile 5 run or the Athabasca Canyon run that starts at Jasper’s Athabasca Falls and goes through Class 2+ rapids along a 12km stretch of the Athabasca River.
Here are places to book your own Athabasca River Rafting Experience
Athabasca Falls Run – The Athabasca Falls run is a moderate run in an 8 person raft down the Athabasca River Canyon..
20. Ski Marmot Basin
Alberta is blessed with amazing ski hills and Marmot Basin has a longer ski season than most resorts, it has the highest ski elevation in all of Canada. With 914 meters (3000) feet of vertical terrain spanning 1720 acres, Marmot is an amazing day on the ski hill for all levels. Plus Marmot Basin was voted the most affordable ski resort in North America. There are shuttles from downtown Jasper with the hill only 20 minutes away.
21. Sunrise Pyramid Lake
One of our favorite places in Jasper for sunrise is Pyramid Lake. Pyramid Lake is a stunning lake with a pyramid-shaped mountain, aptly names Pyramid Mountain, reflecting in the still waters. Take a hike around the lake, and be sure to walk across the bridge to Pyramid Island. Pyramid Lake is one of the most photographed and picturesque lakes in Jasper National Park and the best time to visit is at sunrise.
In the summertime, you can hike up Pyramid Mountain.
22. Lake Annette and Lake Edith
Lake Annette and Lake Edith are near Jasper Park Lodge and are beautiful morning strolls or places to photograph postcard-perfect views of the Rocky Mountains and night skies. There are hiking and biking trails, canoeing and kayaking with some sandy beaches and picnic areas.
23. Sunset at Patricia Lake
Another beautiful lake in Jasper Canada is Patricia Lake. Patricia Lake is located near Pyramid Lake and is another photo stop on your trip to Jasper Canada.
24. Hike the Valley of the Five Lakes
As the name suggests, the Valley Of The Five Lakes trail leads you to five different alpine lakes. The five lakes trail starts at Icefields Parkway and takes you through a lush forest before crossing over the Wabasso Creek Bridge. Most hikers follow this route in a clockwise direction following the path to the five lakes. There are some steep uphills along the hiking route.
The great thing about this route is the fact you can swim, so remember to bring your bathing suit along for a quick dip. (but be warned, the water is cold and is at your own risk!) Nothing beats witnessing the crystal clear deep jade and blue lakes of Jasper.
25. Jasper Sky Tram
Located just 10 minutes from downtown Jasper, the Jasper Sky tram is a gondola that takes you 2,263 meters (7,425 feet) to a series of boardwalks and wooden platforms offering the best panoramic views in Jasper. You can hike up to the Marmot Summit just a little higher to the viewpoint and Whistlers Mountain summit at 2463 meters (8077 feet). There’s the Summit Restaurant at Upper Station where you can grab some lunch too!
Whistlers Mountain
With an elevation of 2,463 meters (8,081 feet), Whistlers Mountain is the highest peak in the vicinity of the town of Jasper and offers visitors panoramic views of the surrounding mountain ranges, including the Columbia Icefield to the south and the Athabasca River valley to the east.
Besides riding the scenic gondola from the base of the mountain to the summit, you can hike to the summit. The most popular hiking trail is the Whistlers Summit Trail, which is approximately 7.6 kilometers (4.7 miles) round trip and offers hikers spectacular views of the park’s rugged landscape.