Jasper National Park Highlights: Summer and Winter

I hope you’re not sick of mountains and bright blue lakes because there’s still a couple more to come! Whilst it’s mostly Banff that’s famous for its bright blue lakes, there are a few in Jasper National Park as well. This park is located just North of Banff but has some quite different landscapes. I spent a lot less time in Jasper National Park than Banff, but I still managed to visit twice over my six-month exchange. Once in summer with the Moose Bus tour, and once in winter with the university’s outdoors club. Here are my Jasper National Park Highlights from both seasons, including where to stay and what to do.

Missed my summer guide to Banff National Park? You can read it by clicking here.

Where to stay

The tour I went on (Moose Pacific Tour) stayed one night in Jasper in the HI Rampant Creek, a wilderness hostel in the National Park. This was actually one of the highlights of Jasper National Park for me because it was quite a unique experience. We were completely off-the-grid so we spent our time going for walks around the local area, playing card games, cooking dinner together and roasting marshmallows over the fire!

However, this was the only place we stayed in Jasper and I wish we had spent more time in the town. The good news is that the Moose Pacific Tour has changed in the last four years and now spends one night at the wilderness hostel and then a night in Jasper town. This accommodation replaces the HI Lake Louise. I think this is a great change because it’ll allow more time in Jasper to really enjoy the town and admire the different mountain scenery!

If you’re looking for accommodation a little closer to the town of Jasper, I recommend the HI Jasper. I stayed there in winter and had a great time. It’s only a short drive from town, which is much more convenient than the HI Rampant Creek, and the facilities were really nice. I remember spending a lot of time in the large kitchen and dining area where we could all have dinner together and play card games. It’s also beautiful in winter; with the evergreens and a blanket of snow it really looks like a winter wonderland!

What to do in Summer

Columbia Icefield and the Athabasca Glacier

Ever wanted to stand on a glacier? This is where to do it! This is one of the most unique things I did on my trip to Canada so it definitely deserves its place in my highlights of Jasper National Park post. The Columbia Icefield Adventure is an easy and safe way to get up close and personal with the Athabasca Glacier. You will travel up to the Athabasca Glacier in a HUGE all-terrain vehicle before having time to wander around and explore the glacier. It’s said that if you drink the water from the glacier, you’ll become five years younger! As if I need that, I look about 5 years younger than I am as it is! But I filled up my water bottle with the fresh, cold water anyway.

Worried about sustainability and the impact that this kind of tourism has on the environment? Pursuit, the company that runs the Columbia Icefield Adventure, is heavily involved in research in the area and actively takes steps to be more ecologically friendly. You can read about exactly what they’re doing by clicking here.

Horseshoe Lake

I couldn’t write a “highlights of Jasper National Park” post without including a bright blue lake! Horseshoe Lake is a really beautiful place to stop and have some lunch. Most of my tour group will also testify it as a great place to go for a swim. I’m a total wimp so it was much too cold for me; I decided to stay dry and chat to a friend on the shore instead!

The thing I really loved about Horseshoe Lake was how still it was. As you can see, we saw an almost perfect reflection of the surrounding trees and mountains, and even the clouds! It might not be the same shade of bright blue as the lakes in Banff, but it was still absolutely stunning.

Speaking of bright blue lakes, we actually visited another in Jasper. My tour guide called it “secret lake” because supposedly no one else knew it was there. I couldn’t tell you how to get there, but the picture I have is so beautiful that I can’t help but include it!

What to do in winter

Maligne Canyon

Any fans of the Chronicles of Narnia here? If so, you absolutely must add Maligne Canyon to your Jasper winter hit list. It seriously looks like Narnia! I recommend taking a hike from the carpark through to the canyon. Having done a bit of research, I see there are two carparks. I’m not sure what one I started from but given that it’s a loop, either should be fine. If you take one of the high paths, you should also get a good view of the surrounding mountains, at least on a clear day. When I visited, we just stuck to the walking trails. However, I hear you can also do an ice walk along the bottom of the canyon. I think that’d be a super cool way to explore the area and you might spot more frozen waterfalls than I did.

If you’re planning to hike anywhere in the Rockies in winter, I recommend you get proper snow boots with a good tread. That or hire some crampons or snowshoes. I had snowshoes with me which I hired from the university outdoor club, but in the end there wasn’t enough snow to use them! So I hiked in my cheap, kids-sized snow boots. It was a DISASTER!!! I fell over about 100 times. Bruised my tailbone. Cried with relief when we got back to the car. Was extremely embarrassed by te whole thing. It was not a good time. Learn from my mistakes. Get proper snow boots.

Ski at Marmot Basin

Skiing in the Rockies was one of the highlights of my entire Canada trip, as well as my time in Jasper National Park. If you like downhill skiing or snowboarding, you should definitely head to Marmot Basin. I found that there was a good range of runs, from green and blue runs which I could ski comfortably, to black runs that I wouldn’t go anywhere near! The other, more experienced skiers/snowboarders on my trip thought the black runs were great, though.

Great places to visit in both summer and winter!

Aside from Marmot Basin, I suspect any of the aforementioned activities would be doable in winter OR in summer. Maligne Canyon, in particular, would be one of the highlights of Jasper National Park in either season. But below are the places I personally visited in summer and winter, so I can testify that they’re great in both!

Athabasca Falls

Athabasca Falls is definitely one of the highlights of Jasper National Park, whether you visit in summer or winter. As you can see below, it’s absolutely stunning in both seasons! In summer, the water flows are extremely high and if the sun hits the spray right, you might be able to spot a stunning rainbow. It’s quite a popular spot, so be prepared for crowds (not as crazy as Peyto Lake or Moraine Lake in Banff, though).

In winter, the area is a winter wonderland and we had it basically to ourselves. The water appears to be a bright ice blue colour and you can see so much more of the surrounding rock due to the lack of water. In both seasons, be sure to look up as well – on a clear day, you should get a stunning mountain backdrop.

The lack of water in winter that I mentioned above probably seems obvious to those of you who live in a cold climate. Of course I realised that water froze in winter. But I didn’t really comprehend how much of a difference it would make to a place like Athabasca Falls! I just found it really interesting.

Explore Jasper town

This is something I wish I had gotten to do in summer. And whilst I did visit the town in winter, I didn’t get a good chance to wander around and explore all the little shops. What I did see was such a cute winter wonderland! The buildings were all lit up with lights and covered in a light dusting of snow… It was absolutely beautiful! Next time I’ll definitely be spending more time in Jasper town.

BONUS: Wildlife of the Rockies

I realised as I was writing my post about Banff that I haven’t talked about wildlife for a while! However, the only wildlife I saw in Banff during summer was a ground squirrel. Cute, but doesn’t warrant a whole paragraph! You can see him below. I did see a bit more wildlife in Jasper National Park, both in summer and winter. So here’s a bit of a summary of what wildlife you might get to see (with a focus on large mammals).

Lions and Tigers and Bears, oh my!

Okay, there’s no lions or tigers here but there’s definitely plenty of bears! No doubt if you’re heading to the Rockies in summer, you’ll be hoping to see one. There are two types of bears that you might spot in the park: Black Bears and Grizzly Bears. I only managed to spot one Black Bear, who crossed the highway well in front of our bus. It wasn’t possible to get a photo at all!

Did you know, that Black Bears can also be coloured brown or white? The white ones are called Kermode or spirit bears and are prominent in local indigenous culture. You probably won’t see one in the Rockies, though, as they’re mostly found on three islands in British Columbia. With this fun fact in mind, the best way to tell a Black Bear from a Grizzly is its size!

As you’re exploring the Rockies, it’s important to remember that bears are large animals and can be dangerous. Always make sure you make noise when walking and travel in groups where possible to reduce the chance of an encounter. Parks Canada has a really great page all about bear safety and what to do if you encounter a bear. I highly recommend you give it a read! You can find it here.

Ungulates (mammals with hooves)

There are also a few ungulate species around the parks. Ungulates are hooved animals, for anyone who didn’t know (I’m sharing so many fun facts today!). Some species you might spot include deer, elk, big-horned sheep, and if you’re really lucky, bison or moose. In the winter months, I had a couple of encounters with big-horned sheep and elk by the side of the road. The sheep even crossed the highway right in front of a giant truck! So shout-out to that truck driver for stopping in time, even on the icy road. Moral of the story is, if you’re driving, make sure you keep an eye out for wildlife and slow down!

Other animals you might spot and the best places to view wildlife

Of course there are small mammals like squirrels and the aforementioned ground squirrels as well. Plus all the birds, reptiles, amphibians and invertebrates! Aside from a butterfly and a grouse or ptarmigan bird near “secret lake”, I didn’t see much other wildlife in the Rockies. I suspect I just wasn’t in the right place at the right time. Plus being on a tour, we stuck to the touristy spots. If you’re wanting to see wildlife in the Rockies, check out this post for tips on where to see a variety of animal species!

Jasper National Park is such a beautiful place, whether you visit in summer or winter, and was definitely one of the highlights of my trip! I hope that you found this post helpful and that you might visit some of these awesome places. Next week, I have one more summer guide for you (Whistler, BC) before we head back to Banff for my winter guide!

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