Best of Jasper, Alberta
Visiting Jasper Alberta
Every Canadian Provence has its jewel. Alberta has Jasper and it’s a magical place. Jasper keeps pace with its neighbors Whistler and Banff with glacier lakes, outdoor sports and abundant wildlife but what makes it distinct is its small town vibe.
The walkable town oozes with charm and history that goes beyond storefronts and can be felt in the interactions with locals, time relaxing on the town lawn and anticipation that fills the air with the arrival of the train.
If you arrive by RV there is room for you too! You will find 2-hour parking along the main drive of town and just beyond that, there is all day parking. We have a 37-foot trailer with a full sized truck and arrived during the peak summer season. Even then, we successfully found parking on multiple occasions.
Jasper is a destination town in the Summer and Winter. If you are coming through, in the summer, on your way to Alaska be sure to leave some time in your schedule to stay a while. It just might be one of your favorite spots!
Below are some suggestions from three-day day trip to create your own itinerary.
RV Accommodations In Jasper
The Canadian Park Service has a quite a few campgrounds that you can find online including Wabasso, Snaring River and Wapiti. We stayed at Whistlers for $30 (Canadian) a night with FULL hookups! It’s right off the Ice Field Highway, close to downtown and neighbored the Skytram. From Whistlers Campground we saw a mother elk with her two calves as well as other elk eating grass right in front of our rig!
Tip: There is a laundromat in town called Coin Clean Laundry. It’s located just below Famosos restaurant and it has a coffee bar inside. People inside were doing their laundry and working on computers while having a great coffee…how cool is that?!?
Where to Eat
Amazing oven fired pizza! You can always tell if a pizza place is good if they have a solid Margarita Pizza. Famoso didn’t disappoint! Have anyone that’s gluten-free? Caleb, our son, gave the gluten-free crust two thumbs up. We finished with fresh sorbet that was bursting with summer flavor…yum.
Need a good breakfast, lunch or picnic to go? Head to Cocos. Every local will nod in agreement.
Looking for an afternoon snack or pick-me-up latte? The Bear’s Paw Bakery has awesome sticky buns and a coffee bar. We grabbed an egg salad sandwich to go too.
The Raven stood out as a favorite on our food tour. They like to say their cuisine is Mediterranean fusion with local flair. We said it was packed with flavor and complemented by wonderful drinks!
Activities
You only need one stop to plan your Jasper exploration and that is Rockaboo Adventures. We were blown away by the friendly and extremely knowledgeable staff. Our guide for rock climbing was Alejandro; and Jesse for the Athabasca Glacier hike. Both guides were well versed in their skill and their excitement to share made for an exceptional experience.
Patricia and Pyramid Lakes (FREE) Looking for an area to swim or have a picnic. Head up to Patricia and Pyramid lake to take time to enjoy the outdoors because that is why you came to Jasper!
The food tour was a personal favorite. Not only is it run by a local that loves her town but you will get so much more than just a few tastes of the local fair. You will walk away with an understanding of how Jasper started and where it has come to make a place for itself on JasperFoodTour
The food tour is a highlight in many ways. First, you will come to understand the history of Jasper then the layout of the town and finally the flavors that make the restaurants on display so special.
Skytram Want to feel as tall as the Canadian Rockies? The Jasper Skytram will bring you there in seven minutes! The view is spectacular and you can grab a bite to eat if you’re in the mood too. Whatever you do…don’t leave without pictures.
Horseback riding is a fan favorite. If someone in your group has been begging to do this – now is the perfect time to give in! There are two locations. One by the Fairmont and the one we visited just below Pyramid mountain. Both are amazing with the key difference being perspective. The Fairmont location is on the valley floor whereas the original location brings you by the ridge looking down. Either location will be filled with memories.
Stop by the Community Garden with the food tour or on your own. We hope that one of the gardeners is there so you can get the scoop on all the different plants that are in season and how the beautiful town of Jasper comes together to harvest.
If you’ve heard about Spirit Island or the pictures on Instagram have tugged at your wanderlust tendencies then this cruise is for you. Head to Maligne (May-leen) Lake where the drive is part of the beauty and get ready for an epic-sizedglacier lake. The narrative cruise will bring you back to Spirit Island where you can get off the boat to take pictures.
Tip: If the cruise isn’t in the budget then pack a lunch and go for the drive. You can also rent a paddle boat to get out on the water.
Comments