Anne-Charlotte PasseraIf you travel to Jasper after experiencing Banff and Lake Louise, you’ll notice how the vibe is different. Yes, there are tourists, but they are more of the laid-back kind.
We took this trip as part of an 8 day road-trip through the Canadian Rockies.
In Jasper National Park, you’ll be able to spot a lot more wildlife than in Banff National Park.
How to get there
It’s a long ride from Calgary to travel to Jasper, a good 5 hours. That doesn’t include traffic because there is a moose on the loose, or stopping to look at wildlife.
To get to Jasper, you’ll have to pass the town of Banff and drive on the Icefields Parkway. It would be a shame to skip these places.
The best way to travel to Jasper is by car, but you can look at other options with Rome2Rio.
Just remember before you travel to Jasper that the last gas station before getting on the Icefields Parkway is located at Lake Louise. Also, there is barely any cell reception on that stretch.
Where to sleep
Once again, we slept outside the national park, in order to save some money but not on driving. You need to book way in advance when you want to sleep in Jasper National Park of Banff National Park.
The months of July and August are the peak months.
Camping is available but we didn’t have any gear with us as we flew into Calgary from Montreal. Read our Guide to the Canadian Rockies for our travel tips.
Old Entrance B&B Cabins
We found lodging, about 50 minutes away from Jasper in Hinton. We booked a teepee at Old Entrance B&B Cabins. If you read my article on Kananaskis Country, you’ll know that it wasn’t our first time during our road trip through the Canadian Rockies that we had stayed in one.
This time, we slept by the river, surrounded by mountains and horses. Literally surrounded by horses. Like up close and personal, in your face kind of experience.
One horse wanted some of our carrots and possibly beer. The house dog chilled with us for quite some time.
As the horses roam free at the end of the day, mind your steps around your sleeping quarters or you just might step into some horsy doodie. The owner might be rough around the edges but honestly who cares. She is very busy taking care of the whole lot and gives the whole experience an extra honest and natural touch.
The cost
One night in a teepee costs 85$ for a couple and 15$ for a child plus 20$ extra for the bedding per stay. Since Blondie Bear had his own sleeping bag, we saved on bedding for him. Dogs are allowed on site as well at a cost of 10$ per night. Breakfast is available in the main house for 10$ per person.
A propane bbq is provided along with some initial firewood. There are warm and FREE showers and the bathrooms are clean.
It’s absolutely worth staying there, even with the extra 50 minute drive.
Where to eat
We didn’t spend much time in the town of Jasper.
We took a little stroll there where we had some ice cream at Grandma’s Place. Then, we had an early dinner at Smitty’s Pancake House which seems to be a popular hangout for Mormons.
The reason why we ate twice is because it started to rain so we needed a place to lay low until it passed.
Places to visit in Jasper
When we went to the town of Jasper it rained, hard.
We had thought about going for a walk at Beaver Lake but the weather decided otherwise. Apparently, Beaver Lake is a great spot to see beavers (hence the name) at the end of the day. Needless to say, we didn’t see any aside from one crossing the street.
Maligne Lake
Named after the river that flows from it that is wicked and cunning, Maligne Lake is the 2nd largest glacier-fed lake in the world.
Mary Schaffer, a Victorian-era female explorer, picked her way there in 1908. After that, Fred Brewster made it accessible to everyone by leading the first guided trips there and built the Maligne Lake Chalet which still stands to this day.
How to get there
We drove there in our car rental.
Maligne Lake is about a 1-hour drive from Jasper if you don’t stop.
Upon our entering the park we saw a herd of mountain goats on the other side of the road. We couldn’t stop but it was our first spotting of them and of the day.
By the time we got to Maligne Lake, around 11 am, the place was crowded.
There are however lots of different things to do there to escape the crowds.
Where to eat at Maligne Lake
Instead of splurging on a cruise, we treated ourselves to a healthy buffet lunch at the Maligne Lake Chalet.
From what I remember, and my memory and experience differ on that part with Big Boss‘s, the food was really good. It’s one of the best meals we had on our road-trip through the Rockies.
If you get there early, it’s easy to get seating. However, I’m guessing that it must get crowded easily at lunch time especially with groups. So a reservation might be required.
There is another eating option on shore in a cafeteria setting. Otherwise, bring a packed lunch which usually seems not be an option for us while we are traveling. I’m just not that type of organized mother and Big Boss is so picky, he doesn’t really do sandwiches. Therefore, we’d still have to stop somewhere for him to eat (meat, bacon, grilled chicken…that type of thing).
Activities to do at Maligne Lake
You can rent a canoe or kayak and just paddle off on the Lake. Explore it at your own pace or budget and rent by the hour, half day or full day.
Take a cruise on the lake
Another pricy option is taking the Spirit Island Cruise. We strongly suggest booking in advance unless you have time to spare. I had almost booked an excursion while I was planning our trip. However, I decided against it as it is quite expensive: $72 for adult and $36 for children.
So you do the math for the three of us.
One benefit on taking this cruise, however, is that you won’t have to break a sweat to navigate on the Lake. Also, you get to see Spirit Island and save time.
We almost went on it but the next available tickets were for 3:30 pm.
As we had other things to see that day, we decided against it.
Moose Lake
After our healthy and energizing lunch at the Maligne Lake Chalet, we set out for a walk.
Our feet took us to Moose Lake, a short little walk off the main trail. It is an easy walk, pretty flat for the most part, and relatively ok with a stroller but a baby carrier would still be a better option.
You need to be very quiet if you want to spot some moose and arrive very early in the morning or more at the end of the day, which is actually the general rule of thumb for spotting animals in any case.
I stick to my story as Blondie Bear and Big Boss didn’t believe me (probably because I’ve been eating my carrots and hence I have better eyesight) but I spotted one but from very far. Maybe you can spot it on the pictures below.
You can’t walk around Moose Lake for preservation purposes and protecting the wildlife. So we went to the furthest point we were allowed to go to and just stood there waiting and waiting and not talking.
It was actually funny as I travel with 2 chatterboxes so it was a nice break for me!
Walk around the lake
After Moose Lake, we went and walked along Maligne Lake shores which makes for a great place to picnic away from the crowds. Just make sure to leave with your trash and dispose of it in the appropriate trash cans that can be found near the parking lots.
I wanted to see if by walking along the shore we could spot Spirit Island but I guess it’s too far of a walk in a short amount of time and we didn’t want to venture out too much.
We found a little pebble beach and decided to take a short nap. I was woken up by a deer who had come out to say hi while we rested.
Medicine Lake
On our way down from Maligne Lake we stopped a minute at Medicine Lake. There wasn’t much to see and we really wanted to see Maligne Canyon before heading back to our base camp so we didn’t stick around.
A fun fact about it is that it’s a place of mystery and Indian legend.
‘Due to a unique underground drainage system, the water level of the lake varies from season to season … sometimes it actually disappears! Early Indians once thought that “spirits” were responsible for the dramatic fluctuations in the placid waters. Interpretive exhibits explain the phenomenon but nobody knows for sure where all of the water goes.’
We made another little pit stop on our way to Maligne Canyon as we saw a herd of people just standing there on the side of the road. So we did what we shouldn’t do. We stopped as well, got out of the car, crossed the road, and right there was a mama bear and her cubs.
I was really close to one but another tourist was blocking my view. At least, she made a good shield for me. This scene could have gone so terribly wrong and we could have gotten charged by the mama bear.
We did see a bear charge twice during our road-trip. Luckily we were in our truck for that. It can happen very quickly but usually, they do that as a warning and stop just short of you. This is why you should always stay in your car or at a safe distance to have time to get back into your car.
If you want to take that golden picture, make sure to have a great lens-zoom and the best way to spot them is by the berry bushes which are a bit everywhere. Boy, do they love those berries!
Maligne Canyon
There is nothing to end a long day like a moderately difficult hike. What was I thinking walking down 3.4km of trail and then back up!
There is a parking lot at the fifth or sixth bridge which, had we known that, would have been a better option to start off with.
From there, you can take the really steep trail because you are adventurous. It is more off the beaten path and it takes you through the forest.
This trail will take you all the way up to the starting point of Maligne Canyon where there is a cafe. You can rest up, pat yourself on the back because you pulled through, and then go down at your own pace and admire the canyon views.
At Maligne Canyon there are a lot of bridges, waterfalls, potholes, and if you are lucky enough you might get to spot some wildlife. This place is absolutely gorgeous. From what I recall there is a smaller loop you can do which makes it fairly accessible to strollers.
Activities to do in Jasper
When you travel to Jasper, there are plenty of activities that you can do. These are the ones we had fun doing.
Hot Springs
Finish your day of exploring and hiking at Miette Hot Springs which is opened until late evening during the summer.
It was a little crowded when we got there (around 6 pm) but then it quieted down. It is not what I had expected it to be but we had a nice time.
If you have time to spare it’s a nice place to go to with the kids. The springs are located amidst mountains. The drive up is not bad either.
Horseback riding
Start off the day with some horseback riding in Hinton, at Old Entrance BnB . Since we were actually sleeping there, this was perfect as we didn’t have to drive.
We took the 2hr Athabasca River Loop trail ride which cost $75 per person. It was quite beautiful and peaceful.
We did a little bit of jogging with the horses which always give me a scare to the enjoyment of Big Boss and Blondie Bear.
Walk on water
Stop by the lake on the side of the main road from Jasper to Hinton inside the park. We passed it a few times seeing people walk on it like Jesus so we too wanted to try out the experience.
Let me tell you this, it was FREEZING and Blondie Bear was just hilarious about it. But it was fun. We’re glad we tried it out.
Some spots are warmer than others and I don’t know how some people could make it so far out.
Travel to Jasper, the heart of the Canadian Rockies. Everything is so beautiful there that you’ll want to see it all. If you can, plan to stay there for 3 days.
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