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.
Looks like you had a wonderful time in Jasper Alberta.
Sure did! Glad you’re on the journey with us.
You have made me add Jasper to my bucket List! Your best video yet. What an informative Piece of work. Thanks guys! Stay safe.
Awesome! We know you will have a great time.
the url for the food tour should be plural: jasperfoodtours
Thanks Bob! It was updated.
So Awesome can’t wait, planing for 2019 Alaska trip.
Sweet!
your food tour link is not valid. I found the info but google intervened.
Updated. Thanks!
We are planning for our 50th wedding anniversary next year. One of the options we were thinking about was a family get-a=way to Banff. But after seeing your video of Jasper I am thinking that Jasper would be a more fun experience. Any thoughts or recommendations?
We are devoted watchers of you videos. Our family loves to camp as much as we can and since we live in Colorado we have so many opportunities close at hand!
It was absolutely lovely to have you in Jasper and on the tour. Jasper loves you!
May Our Dear Lord Bless The Safety Of Your Travels!!
Tricia and Marc,
Thank you so much for the tip about Estelle’s Jasper Food Tours. We loved it! We had a trip planned to Jasper, but didn’t know about the food tour until I saw it on your YouTube channel. Estelle has a wonderful palate and selected terrific food and of course the drink pairings. The stories she shared of Jasper and the community made the time fly by for us. After the tour we both felt like we need more than five days here so we will be back! Thank you again, and safe travels!
Perian
That is sure fun to read! We’re thrilled you liked it. Estelle was fun to be with and we enjoyed it too. It’s always reassuring that people enjoy the things we find. Happy trails!
I’ve been binge watching season 4 and 5. Canada as well as Alaska is on my bucket list. I need to go back to season 3 and see the Banff episode as that place is very much on my list as well. My question is with the weather changes. What clothing did you bring up? Heavy jackets ? Rain gear? Types of boots etc.
I was a tour bus driver/guide in the Banf/Jasper area. Do both towns! Banff is a bit more touristy/commercial and Jasper is just small town fantastic! If I could, I would retire there! The Icefields Parkway between Banff and Jasper is by FAR the most scenic road I have ever been on. There are so many places to stop and see along the way. If you have a keen eye there is an abundance of wildlife. Bears, mountain goats, Bighorn sheep, moose, elk, etc, etc. Banff to jasper along the Icefields Parkway should be on everyone’s bucket list of places to see!
Thank you for some of the inspiration to one day full time in our trailer. We have a goal for the summer of 2023 to begin our adventure after the last child graduates. We live in Alberta and are spoiled with the Banff and Jasper National Parks. I hope everyone can enjoy them.
PS – It is Province not Provence for the spelling.
As a Canadian, A) I love to watch/hear others discover just how beautiful it is here and B) have to say that Jasper is my all time favorite place! We’ve camped at the Whistlers campground, hiked up the mountain instead of the tram car, Mount Edith Cavell, Miette Hot Springs, fishing in Horseshoe Lake, canoeing on Pyramid Mountain and the list goes on!! So glad you enjoyed it. Would love to show you some of our favorite places sometime.
Thanks for the informations! surely helped my day!
I just found your you tube channel…we are heading to Alaska this summer and this info on Jasper is great. We are in the process of watching all your Alaska you tube videos. Thanks for all you do and helping make our trip great!