Jasper National Park: How to Make the Most of 1 week in Jasper

Jasper is one of Canada’s most beautiful areas in the Canadian Rockies and Alberta. It’s very popular with visitors driving from Banff and Lake Louise on the Icefields Parkway as part of a scenic road trip. Whilst most people only stay in Jasper for a day or so (we did exactly this 2 years ago), it’s easy to fill a week of fun and varied adventures in Jasper National Park. With epic hikes, relaxing hot springs and one of the most iconic views in Canada all to savour. This Travel Guide will cover the planning and a detailed itinerary of a Jasper Trip.

Jasper National Park Itinerary

Jasper National Park: The Canadian Rockies Wildlife Centre

Located in Alberta and in the heart of the Canadian Rockies, Jasper is a mountain town surrounded by incredible landscapes and wildlife. Jasper National Park is Alberta’s largest national park and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is known for the rugged mountains, turquoise lakes and abundant wildlife (great for bear and moose sightings). Compared to Banff, Jasper is much quieter and laid back, which is welcomed after the busy crowds down south. There is a wide range of hiking trails, from easy family walks to challenging day hikes to mountain summits. Some of the most popular activities around Maligne Lake are canoeing or kayaking on the 27km lake or taking a cruise boat to the famous Spirit Island. Mount Edith Cavell and Pyramid Mountain dominate the valley, with Athabasca Glacier worth seeing on the drive along Icefields Parkway. Jaspas offers adventure and peacefulness for all visitors!

In 2024, there was a devastating wildfire which destroyed a third of the town and much of the surrounding forests. This has forced popular trails near Edith Cavell and Valley of the 5 Lakes with several campsites to be shut. It will take years for the burnt trees to recover and for local businesses and families to make up their losses. The Jasper community can feel the hardship still, so be kind and considerate when talking about the wildfires.

Jasper National Park Planning

In 2023, Roisin and I spent 2 incredible weeks hiking and driving through the Canadian Rockies, British Columbia, Vancouver Island and Vancouver itself (full post here). We fell in love with Banff and Lake Louise at first, but we were unfortunate with 2 days of rain when we passed through Jasper National Park. So after moving to Vancouver and looking for a summer trip, we decided to give Jasper a chance for redemption. Last year, for my birthday, we visited Zermatt in Switzerland, where we enjoyed some truly epic hikes, so the bar was set high! The plan was for a 6-night trip in Jasper National Park, staying at Whistlers Campground in Jasper in July. We would fly to Calgary, where we would rent a Car from Avis and drive via Canmore, Banff, Lake Louise, along Icefields Parkway to Jasper (400km).

Flights

The 2 closest airports to Jasper National Park are Edmonton and Calgary. Whilst Edmonton is a 4-hour (365km) drive, Calgary offers a drive along one of the best roads in the world. The 5-hour (413km) drive passes through Canmore, Banff, Lake Louise and various stunning sights along the route to Jasper. Alternatively, it’s possible to fly into Prince George (BC) and drive to Jasper National Park via Mount Robson; however, there are fewer flights to Prince George compared to the others.

Car Rental

Whilst it is possible to get a train or bus to Jasper, it’s going to make it difficult to appreciate all Jasper has to offer without a car. Especially when flying into an airport, it’s easy to pick up a Rental Car with Avis, Enterprise, Hertz or local companies for reasonable prices. We used Avis and paid (with a full tank returned and our own insurance protection) £300 (approx $600CAD) for the 7 days, which worked out about £43 a day. We used 2 full tanks of petrol for our excursions in the Hyundai Kona, which cost £200 in total (Gas is very cheap!).

Accommodation

Jasper has plenty of hotels, as it’s a key destination on the classic Canadian Rockies Road Trip. The first time we visited Jasper, we stayed in the Caribou Lodge in the town. However, this time we decided to keep costs low by camping. After my backpacking in Patagonia, I had my Big Agnes Tent, and we were lucky to get a reservation for 6 nights at Whistler’s Campground, a few kilometres outside of town. The campsite can accommodate 781 pitches with modern facilities, electric hook-ups, and plenty of space for RVs and tents.

Food Shopping & Supplies

As enjoyable as dining out is, it’s much cheaper to self-cater and cook at the campsite. Jasper has an IGA and Circle K supermarket to pick up groceries, with a couple of petrol stations conveniently in the town. However, if you’re passing through Canmore, then there is a large Safeway Supermarket which has a great range of food to stock up on for camping. And whilst in Canmore, there is a Valhalla Outfitters, which is ideal to buy gas canisters for stoves and bear spray, as these items are not permitted on flights. It’s possible to get Bear Spray in Jasper as well, along with basic camping supplies. However, the grocery options are more limited than in Canmore or Calgary.

Jasper National Park Activities

Jasper National Park offers a wide range of activities to easily fill a week of adventure. The most popular day trips are to Maligne Lake and to see Spirit Island (as popular as Moraine Lake and Lake Louise, but harder to get to). It’s more expensive to rent at the official boat house (Banff Jasper Collective), so we booked a Kayak with Pure Outdoors over Wild Current Outfitters as it was cheaper, with better flexibility and gave us great advice picking up the equipment the day before. The advantage was that we started kayaking at 7 am to maximise the day on Maligne Lake and had the waters to ourselves before the tour boats began. Miette Hot Springs is a must-see and one of the most picturesque hot spring spots, with a great moderate hike up Sulphur Skyline next to it! Sunwapta and Athabasca Falls are impressive waterfalls to visit, not far from the town.

Back in Jasper itself, the popular Pyramid Lake is sitting underneath the magnificent Pyramid Mountain. This is a very challenging hike, but it can be made easier by renting bikes to cycle up the 10km fire road before hiking up the steep rocky trail to the summit. Jasper SkyTram transports you quickly up to Whistler’s Peak at 2,263 metres (7,425 feet) for great panoramic views. There is a fun scramble nearby up to Indian Ridge for the avid hikers. In the town, there are plenty of outdoor clothing shops, souvenir shops and places to grab some food or drinks! The famous Rocky Mountaineer Train stops in Jasper and connects to Banff on an unbelievable train journey along the Icefields Parkway.

Wildlife Safety

Jasper National Park has an abundance of wildlife, and on our first visit, we saw a black bear strolling around the residential streets. It’s best to be prepared if you’re heading into backcountry areas where bears or moose might be nearby. We bought Bear Spray in Canmore to not risk leaving it until Jasper. It’s worth reading up on how to use bear spray to not surprised in an emergency. When camping, keeping food safe and secure will avoid unwanted guests such as deer, rodents, bears or moose. The campsite was strict on keeping food locked away in cars or lockers. It wasn’t necessary to use a Bear Vault or Bear Caches this time around, unlike backcountry backpacking.

Tip – We managed to dispose of the unused Bear Spray at the Tourist Information Centre.

Packing List & Weather

For this camping trip, we used the Camping Packing List as a base, but since moving to Canada, we have invested in new sleeping bags, a whole sleeping system for Roisin as well. Then we would be trying out our new camping cooking equipment, including a Soto Windmaster Stove, Sea to Summit collapsible cookset and a Tooks titanium pot. We had a car for safe storage of clothes, food and items when we were away or in the tent. We planned on hiking for 4 days, so we used the tried and tested Hiking Packing List with new additions.

To easily transport all the camping and hiking gear to Jasper National Park, we used a North Face XL Duffel Bag and paid for it as hold luggage. Jasper is at 600m elevation with cold evenings and unpredictable weather. We had multiple thunderstorms, heavy rain, snow and sunny weather on our camping trip. I was very happy with the Big Agnes Copper Spur tent in the heavy downpours. But I wished I had an even warmer down jacket for the cold evenings.

Budget

This Jasper National Park Trip was a budget camping trip with a mix of hiking, kayaking and other activities. We were lucky that the Canadian Discovery Pass was scrapped in the Summer of 2025, which saved us a chunk of money, and we got refunded 30% off the campsites. The flights from Vancouver to Calgary were $500CAD return with an extra bag in the hold for 2 adults. All the prices shown below are for 2 adults; therefore, in the end, we paid just over £500 each. That is great value for money, considering the car rental, flights, and campsites can add up quickly!

Day 1- Icefields Parkway

Canmore

A 7 am flight meant we were up early and getting an Uber to the airport for 5 am. After quickly repacking the checked bag to be underweight (lots of camping and hiking gear), we flew through security and were on our way to Calgary. We pre-booked a rental car from Avis and were delighted to get a modern Hyundai Kona compact SUV. Roisin has the joy of driving first out of the airport towards the mountains in torrential rain. It’s not too difficult to navigate out of Calgary International and get on the highway towards Canmore and Banff.

We stopped in Canmore to do a food shop and pick up last-minute supplies such as Bear Spray and Stove Fuel (not allowed on planes). Canmore has a western style and is nowadays nicer than Banff, with fewer tourists and pedestrianised zones. Then, I drove us past Banff over towards Lake Louise, where we saw the famous Moraine Lake Mountains and Lake Louise in the distance from the highway. We passed by Bow Lake and Peyto before turning onto Icefields Parkway. It’s my favourite drive, and to see more about these stops, check out The Canadian Rockies Blog Post.

Jasper Campsite

We arrived in Jasper late and had the fun of setting up my 2-person Big Agnes Tent on rock-solid gravel. After some adjustments using rocks and a bench, the tent was securely pitched. However, it was getting darker, and I was hungry, the perfect time to use a gas stove for the first time. We managed to cook everything with the limited equipment and enjoyed a Gnocchi dish at camp. We took an evening stroll at golden hour around camp to explore before retiring into the tent before the rain began. 

Day 2- Old Man Mountain

On Monday, we planned an easier hike to warm us up. We chose an unofficial trail known as Old Man Trail via Roche Bonhomme Route. This was near Maligne Canyon, which was severely damaged by the wildfires in 2024. We parked by the side of the road and started our pathfinding through the burnt forest. The trail was unforgiving and offered little inspiration as we fought the steep gradients. The path was poorly trodden and barely marked. We gained some nicer views above the treeline, but the rain was starting, and the peak was too far off. We called it a day after climbing 1000m and grabbed a quick lunch before a careful descent.

The shortened hike did give us time to walk into Jasper from the campsite (40mins) and check out the shops and the Jasper Brewing Company. Jasper is a compact town with most shops, restaurants and places within a few blocks. There is paid parking close by and free on-street parking a short 10-minute walk at Centennial Park. The Jasper Brewing Company is a large establishment that serves locally inspired beers and great food! In the centre, there is a Tourist Information near the old Firehall where maps and advice can be received.

Day 3 – Pyramid Mountain

Pyramid Mountain Ascent

That evening, heavy rain poured throughout the night, which would add spiciness to Tuesday’s hike. The Tent performed exceptionally well in the thunderstorms with no water let in! We planned to hike up Pyramid Mountain, the looming backdrop of Jasper. The summit peaked at 2750m, and that rain was certainly snow. We parked at Pyramid Lake and started at 7:30 am to give us enough time. The first 12K was easy and fast along the fire-track. After the alpine meadows, the path rose to a steep slope to the ridge. We scrambled over boulders until we reached a ridge, now in cloud. There was another hiker on the mountain we spotted whilst hiking along the snow-covered path. Slowly, we ascended in the treacherous conditions, making decisions every few metres about the best way to navigate the rocky winter landscape.

Pyramid Mountain Descent

My Garmin InReach Mini2 helped us map the route up the rocky spine, and we worked with our new hiking friend to safely reach the summit. Unfortunately, there was no view at the top, but we were tired from the significant effort, so we devoured our lunch. I was more worried about the descent, given the slippery rocks and melting snow. We carefully lowered ourselves down the mountain with precise footsteps until we safely reached the ridge. We were welcomed by clear views of the surrounding mountains and distant rivers. These views were worth it, and the rest of the hike back, the gravel track flew by under the beaming sun.

Back at the lake, we got great views of the epic mountain we had scaled. The total hike was 26km and over 1900m of climbing from the lake to the peak! It was later than expected, so we decided to enjoy a pizza at Famoso in Jasper as a reward. I was more impressed by Famoso Pizza than the Jasper Pizza place! We also popped into a chemist’s to pick up some aftersun as we had unexpectedly gotten sunburnt at the altitude in the clouds. Finally, we returned to Whistler’s Campsite exhausted and ready for sleep.

Day 4 – Miette Hot Springs & Hike

Sulphur Skyline Hike

For my 28th birthday, I had a busy day planned to make the most of it! 2 years ago, the Miette area was closed, so I was eager to go hike the Sulphur Skyline this time. The hike is only 8 km with 700m of climbing, so compared to Pyramid, it was easy. We left the campsite early for the 1-hour drive along the narrow, twisty roads and parked up outside Miette Hot Springs. The fatigue from the previous day was heavy in the legs to start, but after 2K, we hit the steeper switchbacks and quickly passed several other groups of hikers. The day looked like a mix of clouds and rain, so we rushed up the scree to unlock an incredible view. I quickly reached for my Fujifilm camera and went about capturing the various views.

The views were incredible and had such a moody look with the inbound weather. The summit was quiet, with only 1 other couple already soaking up the views. It was good that we got up early, as we could see rain approaching from the next valley. After 15 minutes at Sulphur Skyline, we put on our waterproofs and quickly descended. We saw many other hiking groups working their way towards the objective. It wasn’t a difficult hike, but the 360-degree views from the summit were stunning! And now we got back to the car park in time for a quick bite before the Hot Springs.

Miette Hot Springs

The Miette Hot Springs cost us $17CAD each for entry and had no time limit. It’s recommended to go for a few hours and alternate between the pool and stay hydrated due to the heat. There are large changing rooms with lockers and a reminder to shower before entering the pools. The outdoor pools have varying temperatures, with 10°C being the coldest and 40°C the hottest. This was ideal to allow the body to recover after 3 hikes, even if we were slightly sunburnt from Pyramid. It was rejuvenating to stay 20 minutes in the hot spring, then a few minutes in the cold plunge pool. 1 to 2 hours is plenty at the Miette Hot Springs, and it will be busy most of the time.

The Raven Bistro

Next, we drove back to Jasper, where we filled up with petrol and did a quick food shop. Before we had some downtime back at camp to call parents and prepare for the meal out. We visited Pure Outdoors to collect our kayaking equipment for the next day and were given a briefing. We had just enough time to drop it back in the car before arriving at our reservation at The Raven Bistro. It was our 2nd time visiting, and even more special this time around. The quality of food is exceptional, and it’s recommended to book in advance, as many people were turned away! If you fancy an ice cream afterwards, then check out the Scoops & Loops next door. 

Day 5 – Maligne Lake & Spirit Island

Lake Maligne

One of the main attractions to Jasper is the famous Spirit Island on Maligne Lake. Instead of booking a cruise, which would give us only 15 minutes to see the island and take photos, we chose the harder option. We rented a tandem Sea-Kayak from Pure Outdoors and started at 7:30 (once geared up) to try to reach Spirit Island in a day. Maligne Lake is a 50-minute drive from Jasper, so we set off at 6 am to start as early as possible. It also gave us some time before the first tour boats started at 9 am. I hadn’t kayaked in years, and Roisin had little watersports experience, so it would be a good test of our relationship. After a tricky start to set off, we were on our way and figuring out the pace and rhythm to paddle. 

Kayaking There

The first 90 minutes were peaceful as we learnt the technique and had Maligne Lake to ourselves. Roisin was in front and set the tempo, whilst I copied and steered the rudder. We’re both pretty athletic, but this was a different test of strength compared to running and hiking. The first test was when the bow waves from the boats started coming, making us adjust our course and ride them out. It was hard work, especially when we checked the distance, and it was 14K to Spirit Island instead of 7K… making it a 28K round trip! A large task for our first time kayaking together. 

Spirit Island

We made good progress and took in the stunning mountain views surrounding the lake. It was cool on the lake, but the effort was making us overheat in our layers. We stopped for several snack breaks and to give our arms a rest. It took us just over 3 hours to arrive there after fighting some headwinds and strong bow waves in the last 4K. The shore with moored boats was busy with groups, and we were the only ones crazy enough to Kayak or Canoe there. I was glad we chose the Kayak over a Canoe, as it could have taken 5-6hours using a Canoe instead (almost 12-hour round trip).

First, we needed to stretch our legs after being stationary for so long and escape the immediate business. The boats arrived every 15 minutes, and people rushed to the popular spots. On the other hand, we had no rush. We took photos with the Fujifilm and phones, then went for more walks around the short shoreline track. We spent over 1.5hours there, so we got our money’s worth for the Kayak ($160CAD for the day for 2 people). Unlike most people, we could relax and take in the view with no time limit. We enjoyed our lunch in the sun and chatted to a few people, asking how hard the Kayaking was (very). 

Kayaking Back

After some last pics and some time with just us, before the next wave hits. We got life jackets on and set off back towards Maligne Lake Boathouse. Now, we were refuelled and ready to make speed before the afternoon winds picked up too much. What didn’t help were multiple tour boats passing too close and fast, causing large waves that threatened to capsize us. Instinctively, we turned into the waves and hoped it wouldn’t roll us over. After the close call, we had to fight a nasty headwind for an hour, which was hard work and demoralising.

We saw many other Kayakers and Canoes in the afternoon, most likely camping at one of the spots along the shore. The last hour was much easier as we had a tailwind, so we were much faster as we saw our destination. After 6hours of kayaking, we successfully landed, locked the Kayak back and put the gear in the car. I was aching with cuts and blisters on my hands, which made the drive home even more painful. On the way back, we parked up in Jasper and walked the rental equipment back to Pure Outdoors to drop it off. After a long day kayaking, we relaxed at camp with a surprisingly good Stove-cooked Pad Thai and leftover wine from the Raven. 

Day 6 – Whistler Mountain

Jasper SkyTram

Our last full day in Jasper was uncertain thanks to the thunderstorms and heavy rain the night before. Initially, we had planned to do a huge 2000m+ ascent hike up Whistlers to Indian Ridge, but this route was closed due to the wildfire damage caused in 2024. Instead, we rode the SkyTram up ($80CAD each return) and would hike the 8K route from the top cable car. The cable car was a short 10-minute ride with some interesting facts given by the operator. But at over 2000m up, the weather was very windy and rainy compared to the valley. We prepared with waterproofs and layers before beginning our hike. Luckily, things improved by the time we reached Whistler’s Summit and got great views of Pyramid Mountain and Jasper. 

Indian Ridge Hike

Unlike most people on the mountain, we continued off the summit towards Indian Ridge. It was fast and easy for most until we started the climb on soft slate. We were prepared with hiking poles and good footwear, so we made good progress despite the uncertain weather. The path was exposed with sharp, loose slopes on either side, so there was no room for error. We were onto the final push, which was a technical scramble. Carefully, we picked a safe line up through the rocks and reached the summit. We were rewarded with epic views of Mount Edith and the mountains over towards BC. An ideal lunch spot before a delicate descent off the tricky terrain. It didn’t take long to get back to the cable car and off the mountain before the next clouds of rain approached. 

We walked back along the road to the campsite and started to get stuff organised and packed up. The clothes were rearranged in the Duffel, and anything not needed to cook dinner was sorted to save time in the morning. As we planned to stop in Banff on the last day, we wanted to leave Jasper early to drive the 4 hours there. After an early dinner, we drove back into town to treat ourselves to an ice cream for dessert. We returned just in time before the heavy rain started, and we slept in the tent for one last time.

Day 7 – Drive to Banff

It was the final day of our trip, where we had a long day’s drive back to Calgary. First, we walked into Jasper to have a pastry and coffee at the Bear’s Paw Bakery (popular for a reason). And then packed up the damp tent and dry stuff into the car before the next wave of rain hit us in the morning. We left camp around 10 am, and I had the pleasure of the first stint along Icefields Parkway to Athabasca Glacier, where we swapped drivers. We decided not to stop for any of the attractions as the roads were busy on the Saturday and low cloud was covering the usually amazing views. Finally, we drove into Banff and parked in the residential area to save on parking. The town was even busier than we remembered, even in the rain. We popped into several outdoor clothing shops to escape the cold rain. It’s a shame that the centre of Banff is not pedestrianised anymore, as the pavements are chaotic! We went to Magpie and Stump for happy hour tacos as a late lunch, and we were highly impressed!

Calgary

We still had to drive to Calgary airport (90mins drive), but the rain had turned torrential for my last drive. The quality of driving on the roads in Alberta was questionable and almost dangerous in places! We safely made it back to the city and filled up on cheap petrol before returning the vehicles to Avis at the Airport. It was simple to drop off the Hydunai, and we weren’t charged for any damages! The duffel bag was underweight this time around, and we were quick through security, which meant we had 3 hours to kill. We walked to each terminal, grabbed a Subway to keep us going and then a cheap drink at Chilis. Finally, we were boarding the pretty empty flight to Vancouver. ur trip to Jasper was now done, and it had been an awesome adventure.

Highlights

• Pyramid Mountain – A challenging full-day hike to the crown of Jasper
• Spirit Island and Maligne Lake Kayaking – A picture postcard view and a fun day kayaking on the lake
• Sulphur Skyline & Miette Hot Springs -Moderate but rewarding hike with a hot spring to relax at afterwards
• Indian Ridge Summit Views – A tricky scramble with incredible 360-degree views
• The Raven Bistro Restaurant – The Best Restaurant in Jasper
• Icefields Parkway Drive – The Best Drive in the World