Jasper

Jasper is a town of about 5,200 people (2016) in Jasper National Park in the Alberta Rockies region. It is a small tourist town that serves as a base for exploring the park, and for outdoor sports such as skiing, hiking, climbing, canyoning, rafting, canoeing, golfing and fat biking.

History
Jasper House was a North West Company fur trade outpost established in 1813 on the York Factory Express trade route to what was then called "New Caledonia" (now British Columbia), and Fort Vancouver in Columbia District on the lower Columbia River. It was later taken oven by the Hudson's Bay Company.

Jasper National Park was established in 1907. The railway siding at the location of the future townsite was established by Grand Trunk Pacific Railway in 1911 and called named Fitzhugh after a Grand Trunk vice president (along the Grand Trunk's "alphabet" line). The Canadian Northern Railway began service to Fitzhugh in 1912. The townsite was surveyed in 1913 by H. Matheson. It was renamed Jasper after the former fur trade post. An internment camp was set up at Dominion Park in Jasper from February 1916 to August 1916.

By 1931, Jasper was accessible by road from Edmonton, and in 1940 the scenic Icefields Parkway opened, connecting Lake Louise and Jasper.

Climate
Summers in Jasper are pleasant, with daily highs usually around 21 °C (70 °F) and lows around 7 °C (45 °F). Winters are cold, though may be considered mild by Canadian standards, with daily highs around -2 °C (28 °F) and lows around -12 °C (11 °F), with some nights dipping below zero.

Get in
On the eastern slope of the Rocky Mountains, Jasper is the shy cousin to bold, brassy Banff and offers a more serene experience. Approximately four hours north of Banff and four hours west of Edmonton, capital of the province of Alberta. Most people enter the park via Edmonton.

By car
Highway 16 (Yellowhead Highway), connects Jasper to Edmonton (via Hinton and Edson), which has an international airport and is served by many major airlines. It also connects to Kamloops, B.C. and Prince George, B.C. to the west.

Highway 93, the Icefields Parkway, connects north through the Rockies from Lake Louise and Banff.

Drivers will have to pay for a park admission pass as the town of Jasper is in Jasper National Park.

By bus

 * Operates the following routes to Jasper:
 * Daily between Edmonton International Airport and Jasper including stops in downtown Edmonton, Hinton, and Edson. Travel time to Japser from Edson is 1 hr 45 min, from downtown Edmonton is 4 hours, and from Edmonton International Airport is 4 hours and 45 minutes.
 * During the winter between Banff and Jasper including a stop in Lake Louise. Travel time to Jasper from Banff is 4 hr 15 min and from Lake Louise is 3 hours. Same day connecting service between Calgary and Banff is available from Brewster Express.
 * Daily between Edmonton International Airport and Jasper including stops in downtown Edmonton, Hinton, and Edson. Travel time to Japser from Edson is 1 hr 45 min, from downtown Edmonton is 4 hours, and from Edmonton International Airport is 4 hours and 45 minutes.
 * During the winter between Banff and Jasper including a stop in Lake Louise. Travel time to Jasper from Banff is 4 hr 15 min and from Lake Louise is 3 hours. Same day connecting service between Calgary and Banff is available from Brewster Express.

By train

 * . The following train operators stop in Jasper:
 * The Canadian has trips up to three trips per week between Toronto and Vancouver with stops in both directions in medium to large cities and tourist destinations such as Sudbury, Winnipeg, Portage la Prairie, Saskatoon, Edmonton, Jasper, and Kamloops. This route can offer a scenic view of the Canadian Rockies, depending on the train schedule, as the train operates day and night. Travel time to Jasper from Toronto is 3 days, from Sudbury is 2 days 18 hr, from Winnipeg is 1 day 10 hours, from Saskatoon is 19 hr 45 min, from Edmonton is 6½ hours, from Kamloops is 10 hours, and from Vancouver is 19 hours.
 * The route between Jasper and Prince Rupert with stops in McBride, Prince George, Vanderhoof, Burns Lake, Houston, Smithers, New Hazelton, Kitwanga, and Terrace. The train travels during the daytime, taking two days in each direction. There is an overnight stop in Prince George, where passengers will need to book sleeping accommodations. Travel time to Prince George from Prince Rupert is 12½ hours, from Terrace is 10 hours, from Smithers is 6 hours, from Burns Lake is 4 hours, and from Vanderhoof is 2 hours. Travel time to Jasper from Prince George is 7 hr 45 min.
 * The route between Jasper and Prince Rupert with stops in McBride, Prince George, Vanderhoof, Burns Lake, Houston, Smithers, New Hazelton, Kitwanga, and Terrace. The train travels during the daytime, taking two days in each direction. There is an overnight stop in Prince George, where passengers will need to book sleeping accommodations. Travel time to Prince George from Prince Rupert is 12½ hours, from Terrace is 10 hours, from Smithers is 6 hours, from Burns Lake is 4 hours, and from Vanderhoof is 2 hours. Travel time to Jasper from Prince George is 7 hr 45 min.

There is no direct train route between Jasper and Banff.

Park entry fees
All visitors stopping in Jasper Park (even just in the town) require a park permit. If you are driving through non-stop, the pass is not required. Day passes and annual passes are available, see Jasper National Park for details.

Get around
There is no public transit. A few taxis and rental cars are available, and bikes can be rented in the summer.

Hitchhikers report that getting a lift in Jasper is very easy.

The town of Jasper is small enough that most places are easily accessed by foot. The surrounding national park will require a car, or taking a tour. Tour companies offer bus service to most of the major tourist destinations including Maligne Lake, The Columbia Icefields and Miette Hot Springs. The two major companies in town are Brewster and SunDog. Both these companies offer similar tours at the same price. The only difference is the size of the tour group: Brewster uses large buses (seating approx. 50) and SunDog has smaller vehicles (seating approx. 12).

See

 * Many attractions in Jasper National Park are a short drive away.

Do

 * Rent a bike. Plenty of sport shops offer bikes, which are a great way to see the area.
 * Rent a bike. Plenty of sport shops offer bikes, which are a great way to see the area.

Eat
Most of the hotels in or near Jasper have restaurants that will meet or beat your expectations for dining in a small community. Some are higher-toned than others, but across the board food is generally very good and portions tend to be hearty. In addition to the hotel restaurants, the town has several noteworthy dining spots as well as numerous restaurants catering to the hungry but penny-pinching skiers and other visiting outdoors-folk.



Budget
In the summer, there is excellent camping in the campgrounds operated by Parks Canada. Throughout the year, it is possible to stay in private home accommodation - rooms or suites in residents' homes. Prices vary, but standards are high - full details of what is available can be found in the tourist office in town, or at the Stay in Jasper website. Hostelling International runs a series of hostels throughout Jasper National Park. Jasper International is the closest to town (7 km south-west from Jasper on Whistlers Road, and is open all year), and four Wilderness Hostels which cater more towards trekkers and those people who "enjoy getting in touch with nature."



Mid-range
There are numerous motels and inns within the town, as well as in Hinton, just outside the eastern entrance to the park.

Stay safe


Bears looking for food are a potential problem. The city has installed bear-proof garbage cans and business use bear-proof dumpsters.

It is a good solution until the bears learn how to read!

Go next

 * Travel by train to Vancouver or Edmonton, see "By train" above under "Get in."
 * It is also popular to travel down to Columbia Icefield, Banff National Park, Lake Louise and Banff along the very scenic Icefields Parkway, making stops at Athabasca Falls, Peyto Lake, Crowfoot Glacier, and Bow Lake.
 * Mount Robson Provincial Park. The park's namesake peak is the highest in the Canadian Rockies at 3954 metres. Mount Robson Provincial Park is 217,200 hectares of stunning mountains, valleys, and waterways. Forests of spruce, fir, balsam, cedar and alder are home to an abundant array of wildlife including mountain goats, moose, deer, elk, marmot and squirrels and chipmunks. The Rearguard Falls of the Fraser River is the furthest migration point of the Pacific salmon.