In a nutshell
- This guide covers all the top things to do in Jasper National Park — from iconic lakes and dramatic canyons to the best spots for stargazing and wildlife.
- Maligne Lake, Maligne Canyon, and the Icefields Parkway waterfalls are absolute must-sees. They completely blew us away!
- The best part: most of the highlights are right near the town of Jasper and can easily be combined into one trip.
- We’ve also got practical pointers on getting there, where to stay, and the best spots for moose sightings, the Milky Way, and — if you’re lucky — the Northern Lights.
Getting to Jasper National Park and Onward Travel
The best way to reach Jasper is by rental car — and once you’re there, you’ll absolutely need one to explore all the highlights.
Our tip: To find the best price on a rental car, we always use Discovercars to compare rental car deals.
South of Jasper lies Banff National Park, which you can reach via the 288-kilometer Icefields Parkway.
The pure driving time between Jasper and Banff is just under four hours without any stops.
Heading east, Highway No. 16 takes you to Edmonton. The 365-kilometer drive takes about four hours.
On our road trip, we came from Banff and continued on to Edmonton after our stay in Jasper.
Our Hotel Recommendations: Accommodations in Jasper National Park
The number of places to stay in Jasper isn’t quite as large as in Banff. Especially during peak season, it’s definitely a good idea to book in advance.
Most hotels are located right in the town of Jasper. That said, there are also some wonderfully idyllic options directly on certain lakes — where you’re completely surrounded by nature.
Sights in Jasper National Park
Although Jasper National Park is significantly larger than neighboring Banff National Park, we actually found it easier to get our bearings here.
Most of the things to do in Jasper National Park are not far from the small town of Jasper, where most of the accommodation is also located.
We visited in mid-October and ran straight into an early onset of winter. So our photos are very heavy on snow — which has its own charm, of course, but we’d love to come back in summer.
If you want to experience a proper white winter landscape, a trip in December is a great idea. It’s definitely going to snow in Jasper then.
Jasper itself is a small tourist town with fewer than 4,000 residents. You’ll find plenty of hotels, restaurants, and shops with everything you need for outdoor adventures.
Other than that, there isn’t much to do in town itself — but it’s a fantastic base for exploring all the best things to do in Jasper National Park.
Maligne Lake and Medicine Lake
Maligne Lake is by far the most famous attraction in Jasper National Park. From Jasper, it’s about an hour’s drive along the scenic Maligne Lake Road, passing Medicine Lake before you reach Maligne Lake.
Right at the visitor parking lot is the iconic red boathouse with the “Maligne Lake” lettering on the roof. When we visited, it was completely covered in snow.
Another stunning sight is Spirit Island, a small island in the middle of Maligne Lake. The island can only be reached on a 90-minute boat tour — unfortunately, boat service is suspended between October and May.
Medicine Lake is absolutely worth a stop too. The road to Maligne Lake runs right past it, so you really can’t miss it anyway.
Medicine Lake has a highly variable water level, which peaks in spring and summer. During our October visit, the lake was barely visible in some spots — there was so little water left in it.
The explanation for the fluctuating water levels is genuinely fascinating. Medicine Lake is part of the Maligne River, which gets naturally dammed at the end of the lake and drains through one of the largest underground river systems in the world. Since the lake is primarily fed by glacial meltwater, it’s at its fullest in summer.
Since Maligne Lake is one of the top Jasper National Park attractions, plenty of tour groups pass through here. Getting up early and visiting at sunrise is really worth it — both for the light and the crowds.
An early start also gives you the best chance of spotting some of the moose that live in the area. We saw a ton of these magnificent creatures during our visit. A female moose was drinking from Maligne Lake right next to the boathouse while we were taking photos, and at Medicine Lake we watched two moose taking a swim. That was a real highlight!
Maligne Canyon
Halfway between Jasper and Maligne Lake you’ll find Maligne Canyon — and it’s seriously impressive.
It’s incredible how water has carved its way through the rock over thousands of years. Very cool to see up close!
From the visitor parking lot, it’s just a short walk to the gorge and the first of six bridges in Maligne Canyon.
There’s a four-kilometer loop trail that passes all six bridges.
The path is easy to walk and not very demanding. With photo stops, the full route takes about two hours.
If you don’t want to walk the whole way, bridges 5 and 6 can also be reached by car. The parking lots are well signposted along Maligne Lake Road.
Pyramid Lake and Patricia Lake
Just under fifteen minutes from Jasper, you’ll find Patricia Lake and Pyramid Lake. Patricia Lake comes first and makes for a great photography spot thanks to its beautiful reflections.
Even more impressive is Pyramid Lake. With its small island accessible via a wooden bridge, it’s a seriously photogenic subject — and one of our favorite spots in the park.
Beauvert Lake, Edith Lake, and Annette Lake
Also just under fifteen minutes from Jasper, there are three more lovely lakes. Edith Lake and Annette Lake sit right next to each other and are perfect for swimming in summer. We even spotted two brave souls who jumped in during October in below-freezing temperatures.
Beauvert Lake is a few minutes further, situated on the grounds of the upscale Fairmont hotel. You can still easily drive there and take a walk around the lake.
Our tip: Between Annette Lake and Beauvert Lake there are several small lakes. The smallest one caught our eye from the road through the trees — it sits very sheltered among the forest and has the most beautiful, crystal-clear reflections. Here’s the exact location on Google Maps.
Mount Edith Cavell and Cavell Lake
Mount Edith Cavell and Cavell Lake are among the most beautiful sights in Jasper National Park and shouldn’t be missed on any visit.
Unfortunately, the access road is closed to traffic from October onward, so we weren’t able to see these two highlights ourselves. We were genuinely disappointed — the photos from there look absolutely stunning, and they’re high on our list for a return trip.
Jasper Sky Tram
The Jasper Sky Tram is a gondola that takes you up Whistlers Mountain to an elevation of 2,263 meters in just nine minutes. Once at the top, you’re rewarded with sweeping panoramas of the Rocky Mountains.
The ride costs 45 CAD (approx. 30 euros) round trip. You can also hike up if you prefer.
Info on departure times and tickets: Jasper Sky Tram
Miette Hot Springs
Jasper National Park also has the famous hot springs you’ll find throughout the Canadian Rockies. The Miette Hot Springs, located about a half-hour drive from Jasper, are a wonderful way to unwind after a big day of exploring.
Info on opening hours and tickets: Miette Hot Springs.
Sights Along the Icefields Parkway
Some of the most spectacular Jasper National Park highlights are found along the breathtaking Icefields Parkway, which connects Jasper with Banff National Park and is, in our opinion, one of the most beautiful places in the world.
Not far from Jasper, you’ll find Athabasca Falls and Sunwapta Falls — definitely two of the most impressive waterfalls in the Rocky Mountains.
We’ve written a detailed article about everything to see along the route: Icefields Parkway Attractions.
The Starry Sky Above Jasper National Park
One of our absolute highlights in Jasper National Park was the night sky. We saw the Milky Way with the naked eye and were even lucky enough to catch the Northern Lights. An absolutely incredible experience!
Dark Sky Preserve
It’s no coincidence that the night sky in Jasper is so spectacular. The national park has minimal light pollution — it’s genuinely, properly dark at night.
For several years now, Jasper has been an official Dark Sky Preserve. As part of this designation, all the streetlights in town were replaced. Regular streetlights shine in all directions and send a large portion of their light upward into the sky, causing light pollution. Jasper’s new streetlights only shine downward, keeping the night sky truly dark.
Viewing the Milky Way and Northern Lights in Jasper National Park
Even with the new streetlights, it’s worth driving a little way out of town for stargazing. A great spot to photograph the stars is Pyramid Lake — it’s really dark there, and the bridge and island make a beautiful foreground for star photos.
The darker the sky, the better the Milky Way shows up. If you want to photograph the stars in Jasper National Park, try to plan your stay around a new moon. Around the full moon, the sky is usually too bright for a good view of the Milky Way.
You can, in principle, see the Northern Lights in Jasper year-round — there have even been sightings on June 20th, the longest day of the year. You can check the current chances on the Aurora Watch website.
Jasper Dark Sky Festival
Jasper is so proud of its incredible night sky that since 2013 they’ve been celebrating it with their own festival. The Dark Sky Festival takes place over two weekends every October.
During this time, there are numerous events centered around the night sky — stargazing sessions with telescopes, lectures, and live musical performances.
We attended two events ourselves: a stargazing session at the summit of the Jasper Sky Tram and a concert by the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra under the stars.
Our Restaurant Recommendations in Jasper
Since our accommodation was a bit outside the center, we often ate at the hotel. That said, we did try out a few restaurants in town:
Patricia Street Deli – This little spot is perfect for a delicious lunch. They serve freshly made wraps and bagels — super tasty and very affordable! Patricia Street Deli is open daily from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM and is tucked away in a passage at 610 Patricia Street, Jasper’s main street.
SnowDome Coffee Bar – SnowDome is a laundromat with an attached café, and they serve the best coffee in Jasper along with delicious pastries. Yes, you can do your laundry there too — there are even showers! You’ll find it at 607 Patricia Street in the basement.
Famoso Neapolitan Pizzeria – Right above the laundromat café is Famoso, which claims to serve pizza made according to Neapolitan recipes. Folks in Naples would probably get a good laugh out of that — but by North American standards, the pizza is actually quite decent.
Evil Dave’s Grill – At 622 Patricia Street you’ll find Evil Dave’s Grill, which serves Canadian-Asian fusion cuisine. It sounds a little unusual at first, but it’s genuinely delicious. We had the Diabolical Tenderloin and the Karma Curry — both were fantastic!
De’d Dog Bar and Grill – We stumbled into this cozy pub at 404 Connaught Drive completely by accident while looking for a midday snack. The locals were already getting into the drinks by noon, but the food was really tasty.
Your trust matters to us: We were supported on our trip to Canada by Travel Alberta. Travel Alberta covered our flights, some of our hotels, and our rental car. A big thank you also to Jasper Tourism for the invitation to the Dark Sky Festival. Our opinions are, of course, always our own.
