Jasper Travel Guide: Travel and tourist information, things to do and see in Jasper

Jasper townsite is located 362 km west of Edmonton in beautiful and rugged Jasper National Park, the largest preserved wilderness area in the Canadian Rocky Mountains. As with a lot of Canadian skiing, accommodation and entertainment are to be found in the major town of the area, Jasper, while the skiing is offered by a local domain, Marmot Basin.

Marmot Basin has over 1000 acres of slopes, is great value and provides good skiing for all abilities. It is particularly suitable for better intermediates, who will enjoy the several black pistes that the resort has to offer. The ski school, based in Jasper, has a great reputation, as well as offering snowboard clinics for those who want to spend less time on their bums. The scenery is wonderful and the skiing is typically North American - stress-free and user-friendly. Boarders have a particular soft spot for the place.

Jasper, which is 30 minutes from the skiing, is a world-famous resort in its own right, with great access to some of the best scenery and mountain terrain in Canada. It has plenty of quality accommodation for all budgets, while the many restaurants serve the big portions that dominate North American cuisine.

The nightlife is reasonable, although some boarders seem to disagree. Because of its location, access to a car is invaluable. Then if you don't feel like skiing or travelling to other ski domains (for example Panorama), you can hit the open road and explore this stunning area. There is also the Jasper in January festival, which often has cheap deals on lift passes.

Overall, Jasper/Marmot basin is a wonderful place to experience Canadian mountain life and scenery, with plenty of great skiing - if you're into that sort of thing.

Ski Information:

Highest lift:2601m (8533ft), Lowest lift: 1704m (5590ft), Vertical drop: 897m (2943ft), Number of lifts: 8, Uplift capacity: 100080 p/hr, Number of slopes: 74, Beginner: 35%, Intermediate: 35%, Expert: 30%, Cross country: 120km

Shopping here is mostly limited to sporting or Western (cowboy-style) attire and shops selling ski-, hiking or climbing equipment. A selection of local handicraft stores offer some variety. Shopping areas are predominantly on the main road opposite the railway station, but you will also find a fair selection one row back.

During the daytime besides downhill skiing, there's cross-country skiing, ice-skating and snow-shoeing , there is the aquatic and activity centres provide a host of amenities. There is also an indoor pool and water slide, American pool, billiards, children's entertainment and summer tennis courts;

For the more cultural types there is the Yellowhead Museum catalogues Jasper's history from its fur-trading beginnings to the present day, art gallery and a cinema.

The nightlife here is generally low key with most nightlife restricted to eating out at a handful of downtown restaurants or hotels; however, there is an increasing number of bars are popping up, often with live music.

Eating out here mainly centres on what's available in hotels and motels plus a handful of unsophisticated restaurants and diners beside the main road in downtown. However, wander just slightly off the beaten track and you'll find an increasing number of more adventurous options, including Chinese, Japanese and Greek, all in hearty portions. Well-known fast-food outlets have managed to get a foothold, but are cleverly located in attractive arcade areas, blending into their surroundings.

Suggest a change to the Jasper Things to do section (click to dropdown)

Population: 32.805.000
Languages: English 59.3%, French 23.2% (both official); other
Currency: Canadian dollar
Currency code: CAD
Local Times:
Canada - Ontario - Toronto

Canada - British Columbia - Vancouver

Canada - Quebec - Montreal

Canada - Alberta - Calgary

Canada - Yukon Territory - Whitehorse

Country Dialling Code: +1
Voltage: 120V 60Hz
Electrical plugs:
2 parallel flat prongs

2 Parallel flat prongs with an earth connector

The second largest country on earth (only the Russian Federation is bigger), it stretches over 3,400 miles from Atlantic to Pacific coast, spans six of the world's 24 time zones and could fit most of Europe within its borders.

Yet 90 per cent of the population lives within 100 miles of the US border, leaving huge tracts of unspoilt wilderness elsewhere.

It's the edginess between Canada's indigenous, French and British traditions that gives the nation its complex three-dimensional character. Add to this a constant infusion of US culture and a plethora of traditions brought by migrants, and you have a thriving multicultural society.

With its history, people, landscape and natural beauty, Canada offers an abundance of well-known cities, attractions, parks and regions that make for wonderful destinations whether you're looking for a trip that's educational, inspiring or just plain fun. But don't pass up a chance to explore the less-travelled areas, too - at the fringes of the inhabited world, great challenges, eye-opening experiences and hospitable people await.

From its large cosmopolitan cities to its frozen northern tundra; its snowy mountain peaks to its rugged coastlines; and its rich farmlands to its pioneering outposts, Canada offers something to suit the taste of every traveller. Canada is bound in the west by the Pacific Ocean and Alaska, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the north by the polar ice-cap, and in the south by the United States of America.

Jasper Travel Guide

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