This Canadian Mountain Town Sits Inside a National Park—With Glaciers, a Dark Sky Preserve, and One of the Country’s Most Photographed Lakes

In the late afternoon sun, the turquoise surface of Maligne Lake shimmers like an alpine mirage. The surrounding limestone peaks of the Canadian Rockies scrape the sky, tempered in their reach by glaciers capping their lofty ambitions. It’s a sight that moved American-Canadian explorer Mary Schäffer Warren to reportedly declare: “If Lake Louise is a pearl, Maligne is the entire pearl necklace.”

This is just one stunning vista in Jasper National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and Dark Sky Preserve filled with peaks, valleys, forests, and glacier-fed lakes. It covers a staggering 4,200 square miles along the Continental Divide in Alberta, abutting Banff National Park. The scale and remoteness of its wilderness are why travelers visit.

“It’s wonderful by nature—the mountains and the water and the flora all feed my spirit,” says Matricia Bauer, a Jasper resident and member of the Sturgeon Lake Cree Nation. “That’s really what makes Jasper a jewel.”

The park is anchored by the town of Jasper, a tight-knit community of just under 5,000. Some families have lived in Jasper for generations, and many of the businesses are family-owned.

“People still feel the small-town charm of Jasper. They appreciate the pace of the town and its laid-back atmosphere,” says Paul Hardy, vice president of the Jasper Park Chamber of Commerce and owner of SunDog Transportation and Tour Co.. “Even during the busiest time of summer, you can be out of town in 10 minutes and feel like you’ve got the park to yourself.”

Communing alone with nature lends a sense of discovery to every park outing, whether you’re canoeing on Beauvert Lake or picnicking at Old Fort Point. Here’s how to make the most of a trip to Jasper.

Best Hotels & Resorts

Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge

Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge, set on 700 acres on the shore of Beauvert Lake, has elevated the wilderness experience in Jasper National Park for more than a century. The historic timber-frame main lodge and surrounding cozy cabins feel like a posh summer camp, with families returning year after year to horseback ride, swim in the outdoor pool, and tee off on the 18-hole Stanley Thompson-designed golf course. Between activities, guests luxuriate in comfortable rooms or spacious cabins kitted out with robes, plush bedding, and woodsy decor touches.

Forest Park Hotel

Walk to downtown shops and restaurants from Forest Park Hotel, which adds a modern sensibility to rooms with mountain and forest views. Check into the hotel’s Alpine wing for spacious suites that include kitchenettes and sitting areas. An on-site spa, an indoor pool, and a hot tub work out the kinks after the day’s adventures.

Bear Hill Lodge

Bear Hill Lodge marries a great location with rustic yet luxurious log cabins, chalets, and cottages that nod to Canadiana—think plaid throw blankets, pine ceilings and floors, wood-burning or gas fireplaces, and art featuring mountain scenes and wildlife. “I love Bear Hill Lodge,” says Hardy. “It’s a little bungalow property that’s right in town. Places like that are totally unique to Jasper.”

Glacier View Lodge

Break up the drive from Banff to Jasper with a stay at Glacier View Lodge, a boutique hotel in Jasper National Park with views of the Columbia Icefield’s massive glaciers. Guests can add glacier experiences to their stay, including a guided ice walk on Athabasca Glacier or a visit to the Columbia Icefield Skywalk.

Best Things to Do

Visit Maligne Lake.

Aquamarine Maligne Lake, and specifically Spirit Island—a pretty alpine isle that’s sacred to the Stoney Nakoda First Nation—is one of the most photographed spots in the Canadian Rockies. Take a scenic boat tour down Maligne’s length to the Spirit Island viewpoint with tour company Pursuit between May and October. Canoe, kayak, and pedal boat rentals are also available seasonally from the Maligne Lake Boat House.

Experience Jasper on two wheels.

Most travelers explore Jasper on two feet along some of its famous hiking trails, but locals swear that seeing the scenery on two wheels—and thus covering a greater distance—is the way to go. Hardy recommends the Pyramid Bench for classic, flowy, single-track mountain biking trails, while Bauer loves the mostly flat loop that passes Edith, Annette, and Beauvert lakes as it encircles the valley. Numerous outfitters in town rent bicycles, including e-bikes.

Look for iconic Canadian wildlife.

Join a morning or evening wildlife tour for the best chance of spotting large mammals like grizzly bears, moose, bull elk, and mountain sheep. “The diversity of wildlife you’re going to see here, and the regularity, is probably better than anywhere in western Canada,” says Hardy. “Sometimes in May and June, we’ll see 10 bears on a tour.”

Learn about the night sky from an Indigenous perspective.

During the summer, Bauer, who founded Warrior Women as a platform for sharing Indigenous culture, leads weekly stargazing experiences that impart her connection to the stars through stories, drumming, and songs. “Hearing Indigenous stories helps people understand Indigenous culture,” she says. The Jasper Planetarium also shares Indigenous constellation stories, and every October, the town hosts the Jasper Dark Sky Festival, which incorporates Indigenous programming.

Drive the Icefields Parkway.

The Icefields Parkway (Highway 93) is a 141-mile road between Jasper and Lake Louise that parallels the Athabasca River as it winds past some of the Canadian Rockies’ most spectacular scenery. Plan to spend an entire day along the route, as there are multiple viewpoints to pull off and see glaciers, lakes, and waterfalls, or go for hikes.

Best Restaurants

Otto’s Cache

Sandwiches, salads, and savory pies are on the menu at this cafe and gourmet market that’s open for breakfast and lunch. “I have this love affair going on with Otto’s Cache,” says Bauer. “The pies there are great, and they have some interesting coffees and smoothies.”

The Maligne Range

Featuring flights of Canadian whisky paired with smoked meats, the town’s first distillery is also a restaurant that specializes in Alberta beef dishes like brisket, short ribs, and rib eye. If whisky neat with meat isn’t your thing, try the Spirit Island cocktail (Canadian rye with sloe gin, maraschino cherry liqueur, and orange juice) with the West Coast salmon.

The Emerald Lounge

With a mounted bison head keeping watch above the stone fireplace—and mountain views galore—the lobby lounge at the Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge is a relaxing space for après-hike (or après-ski) drinks and elevated appetizers like baked Camembert and crispy chicken poutine.

Aalto

Renowned for stellar views of Pyramid Lake and dishes that highlight regional cheeses, vegetables, meat, and fish, Aalto expertly balances alpine ambience with Rocky Mountain cuisine. “It’s got the log cabin charm with first-class dining,” says Hardy.

Best Nightlife

Jasper Royal Canadian Legion

Many small Canadian towns have legions—places where locals gather for a drink (and sometimes a party), and Jasper is no exception. “Every Friday, we have the best jam at our local legion,” says Bauer. “We’ll often get a traveling musician that comes through and knocks our socks off.”

Athabasca Hotel

The lounge at this historic hotel, lovingly called the “Atha-B” by locals, turns into a lively pub and nightclub after hours. It’s also a great spot to watch a hockey game over pizza and a pint.

Best Time to Visit

Jasper’s main tourist season lasts from May to early October, but locals agree the best month to visit is September, when the days are still warm, the aspen leaves turn golden, the trails are less busy, and clear skies with longer nights make for good stargazing. There’s also a good chance of seeing wildlife like bears and bull elk in early fall. “It’s just a beautiful time in Jasper,” says Bauer.

Though Jasper shines in summer and fall, it’s a four-season resort town. When the snow flies, there’s downhill skiing at Marmot Basin, cross-country skiing on the golf course, and snowshoeing on valley trails.

How to Get There

The town of Jasper is about a four-hour drive west of Edmonton, or a five-hour drive northwest of Calgary. Both Edmonton International Airport (YEG) and Calgary International Airport (YYC) have direct flights from major U.S., Canadian, and European cities. Travelers can also get to Jasper by train—both Via Rail and Rocky Mountaineer passenger trains pass through town—or by daily shuttle from Edmonton or Calgary.

How to Get Around

Distances between attractions in Jasper National Park are great, and renting a car will give you the most flexibility. Visitors to Jasper National Park will also need to purchase a Parks Canada national parks pass.