People have been in what’s now known as Jasper for over 10,000 years, this area showcases the beauty of mother nature. It’s also rich in Indigenous history: we met some Indigenous people who shared traditions with us, they showed Mountain Sage and their usage as medicine, it was a very special moment.
Jasper was affected by wildfires exactly a year ago, we were honestly a bit worried about camping there, but it turned out to be my favourite campground of the whole roadtrip. The Whistlers Campground is located in a burned forest, which gives it a very calm and different feeling compared to other campgrounds. It’s much easier to see animals and the stars at night. The campground is huge, with 781 spots, and its facilities are top notch – who doesn’t love a hot shower after a long day of hiking?
Jasper is also one of the largest dark sky preserves in the world, so it’s a great place to see the stars. We had a great time stargazing 🌠 – Next time I’ll bring better camera gear.
We took The Jasper Skytram, which is next to the campground, a bit pricey but the views are definitely worth the money. There are great hikes up there, there’s a restaurant, and you can see the whole Jasper valley from above. Up there we saw whistling marmots! I managed to get a quick video, but no whistling in it unfortunately. We did hear it though, it caught me by surprise!
Jasper is conveniently located along the Icefields Parkway, which is claimed to be one of the most scenic drives in the world. We stopped at several viewpoints along the way, including the Athabasca River, where we saw some amazing views of the mountains and the river. A good example is the starting point of the Morro Slabs hike.
The town itself is still recovering, with many lots waiting reconstruction, showcasing the devastation of the wildfires. However, the community is resilient and the town is still a great place to visit. There’s still plenty of amazing restaurants and shops open, the atmosphere is friendly and welcoming.
View from up the Jasper Skytram
The cut down forest after the wildfires gives a very calm and different feeling compared to other campgrounds, it's much easier to see animals and the stars at night.
With the burned forest, it's much easier to see animals.
We slept next to this water stream.
Whistlers Campground is in the middle, with Jasper town to the left.
From The Morro Slabs
