Hoary marmots are cool. Literally. They live all year round in the cool weather of the Canadian Rockies, hibernating over half the year during the colder months.
With a little luck, you may see them in various places in Jasper National Park and the Canadian Rockies.
They’re sometimes seen on mountain sides amongst the rocks or nibbling on grasses and plants. They’ll even eat ice for water.
In Jasper National Park, keep a look out on Whistlers Mountain after getting dropped of at the top terminal and hiking up the Jasper Tramway. Throughout the Canadian Rockies, hikers have seen hoary marmots on trails like the Skyline Trail that provide the right habitat for the furry animal.
Here’s a few videos from YouTube from travelers who have seen hoary marmots in Jasper National Park and Banff National Park.
Marmots are also called “whistlers” because of the sounds they make. Listen to this.
Jasper National Park has several good places to get a night’s sleep within the borders of Canada’s largest national park.
Conveniently located Bear Hill Lodge in Jasper National Park falls into the category of mid-priced hotels in Jasper National Park with the hotel’s price per night in the $200 range during the peak months and a little more reasonable before mid-June and after mid-September.
Want to go camping in Jasper National Park in 2010?
Tent camping or RV camping. Jasper offers both.
If you like planning early to ensure you get to stay at the campground you want, you can use the campground reservation system from Parks Canada. The camping registration system officially starts taking reservations on April 1 for Jasper National Parks campgrounds:
Pocohantas campground
Wabasso campground
Wapiti campground
Whisters campground
The reservations for campgrounds in Jasper National Park are done through the online reservation system here.
While the campgrounds disallow registering for a specific campsite within a campground, registering early ensures you’ll at least have a spot available to you upon arrival. This is good piece of mind as some of the campgrounds can get full during the peak season of July and August.
The Columbia Icefield Snowcoach ride, or, as Brewster’s brochure calls it, the “Columbia Icefield Glacier Experience”, is a 90-minute ride on the biggest super-bus you’ve ever seen to one of the most easy-to-get-to glaciers in the world.
It is amongst the most popular activities in Jasper National Park – and many Banff National Park visitors drive up for the Columbia Icefield Glacier Experience too.
The bus is called a “Snocoach”. Only a handful of them are in existence. These monster buses tread delicately over the snow while the driver tells you the story of the Athabasca Glacier on the Columbia Icefield.
The views are awe-inspiring.
The tour starts with a shuttle bus driving from the Icefield Centre to the edge of the Athabasca Glacier where you do a quick transfer to a Snocoach bus. The Snocoach bus rides on the snow, driving a long way up and stopping at a look-out area.
Everyone gets out of the bus at the look-out area, looks around in awe, and most people touch the snow. The air feels so clean up here.
Some people even try to drink some of the blue glacial melt water.
After hanging out on the glacier, everyone gets back in the bus and heads back.
It’s a relaxing, comfortable drive. It’s an attraction that anyone can do. It’s a way to experience a glacier, a once-in-a-lifetime experience. And, like just about everywhere in Jasper and Banff, the views are incredible. Pictures cannot do it justice.
Here’s the official video from Brewster, the company operating the tour.
Enjoy the glacier experience!
While at the Icefield Centre (where you get on the shuttle to the Snocoach), you can take a time-out and view the glacier exhibit to learn about glaciers, the climate and the Canadian Rockies environment. Afterward, have a meal at one of the two restaurants in the Icefield Centre.
Melanie Haiken wrote a really nice article about doing the Maligne Canyon Ice Walk, one of the unique winter activities in Jasper National Park.
The article, entitled “Add This to the ‘Before You Die’ List: The Maligne Canyon Ice Walk” provides a synopsis of the experience of walking on a frozen river within a canyon and amongst frozen waterfalls. But is it really worthy of a “Before you die” list?
Melanie argues that there’s no place like this in North America. She goes on to say:
“It’s as if nature put on an ice carving show deep in a canyon with nothing but the foxes, elk and bighorn sheep to witness it. There are waterfalls of ice 30 feet high, icicles taller than I am, and caves walled by solid ice that drips bit by bit from rock overhangs.”
If you’re looking for something to do in the winter in the Canadian Rockies, a guided ice walk tour should be on your list. Check out Melanie’s full article here – along with several photos of her ice walk experience.
After reading Melanie’s article, come back to JasperJournal.com to learn more about the Maligne Canyon Ice Walk and other Jasper National Park outdoor activities.
One of the added bonuses of visiting the park in the winter is the low price of hotels in Jasper National Park during the off-season and the opportunity to go skiing or snowboarding at Marmot Basin as part of your visit.
You’re in the right place for learning about things to do in Jasper National Park.
This is the Ultimate List of Jasper National Park Activities in 6 categories:
Must-Do Activities – Several activities stand above the rest as the most popular activities
Sports and Outdoor Activities – Most people visit Jasper to partake in outdoor activities, be it a day hike or getting out on the water
Winter Activities – The park is a whole new world during winter when Marmot Basin ski area opens
Wildlife and Nature Activities – Jasper National Park offers a mixture of wildlife spotting and nature appreciation activities in its montane, sub-alpine and alpine zones
Town of Jasper Activities – The town of Jasper (Jasper townsite as its often called) is a small municipality in the center of Jasper National Park. Most of the Jasper hotels, dining and all of the residential area are in Jasper townsite.
Nightlife Activities – Jasper nightlife is fairly tame, probably because everyone is exhausted from all of the daytime activities, but there are things to do
Have any other ideas? Let’s make this the ultimate Jasper activities list.
If you’ve looked at the prices for staying at Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge, you know this is an exclusive resort hotel.
Since its early days in the 1920s, the lodge has catered to an upper-class demographic.
So it goes.
A page from a 1948 Jasper National Park brochure (which I’ve referred to previously here) has a page showing the rates for Jasper Park Lodge back in the day.
Jasper Park Lodge single and double rooms for $10, $20 and under $30 a day. Imagine that.
Canadian National's Jasper National Park 1948 brochure cover
Take a look at this interactive picture of the prices for Jasper Park Lodge in 1948. You can zoom up and move around. You’ll notice the rooms included the “American Plan” back then (meaning that the meals were included, full board).
Even back in 1948, some of the fancier cabins seemed quite exclusively priced. Various sources say that back in 1948, the average new car cost between $1,000 and $1,500, and gasoline was 20 cents per gallon range.
Don’t get me wrong, it is a nice facility once you add-in the location, the lake (Lac Beauvert), the heated swimming pool, next-door golf course and such. But it is out of most people’s price range.
For us mortals, there are plenty of hotels in Jasper National Park to chose from. For those who prefer a real outdoor experience, Jasper has lots of camping and RVing options too.
And if you cannot stay at Jasper Park Lodge, at least think about having a meal there. The lodge has several dining options, from quick and easy to fancy and sophisticated.
The Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge holds an iconic status amongst hotels in Jasper National Park. This upscale resort hotel has been an institution since the early days.
Starting with 8 cabins in 1922, the resort’s expansion over the years means it can today claim 446 rooms, an award winning world-class golf course, and a whole lot of activities and amenities on the grounds. I think the location (on Lac Beauvert) and facilities are why the prices are so high. If you click the link above to see the reviews, a lot of people like the Lodge, but some complain it is overpriced.
During the summer, the Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge is the park’s most expensive hotel. During winter ski season, you can enjoy Jasper’s most exclusive hotel at much lower rates – and take a free shuttle to Marmot Basin Ski Area to boot.
If Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge doesn’t fit into your travel budget (as it doesn’t mine), there are plenty of other Jasper National Park hotels to chose from. Nearby Hinton, Alberta, a short drive from the eastern border of Jasper also has several hotels at reasonable prices.
A promotional magazine from 1948 will give some clues.
A page from a 1948 Jasper National Park promotional magazine put out by the Canadian National railways suggests all sorts of clothing options, which are still valid today even though trends change.
The magazine centers around the Jasper Park Lodge (now the Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge), which at the time, was a property owned by Canadian National Railways.
Canadian National's Jasper National Park 1948 brochure cover
The “What to Wear” page covers what to wear “At the Lodge” (meaning the Jasper Park Lodge), explaining:
“Let your taste be your guide. Wear what you like, but you’ll find sports and lounging clothes best for relaxation.”
Use the zoom tool below to zoom in and see the details.
It also gives suggestions for motoring (driving a car), riding (horseback riding), golf, day time wear and evening wear.
The suggestion for what to wear during the day time seems to say it all:
“…depends on the weather and what you’re doing. Suit yourself….Just be comfortable.”
My advice: bring layers. During summer, mid-afternoon at a low altitude may be warm enough for short-sleeves and even shorts on some days. Most of the time, something warmer will be more comfortable. As the magazine page says for evening wear, “come prepared for cool mountain evenings.”
Visiting Edmonton and thinking about a day trip? Jasper National Park is a long 3+ hour drive but doable (and worth it!).
Coming into Jasper National Park on Highway 16 through the eastern entrance, you’ll have time for several fun activities.
The first stop could be for a soak at Miette Hot Springs, 51 km west of Hinton, Alberta.
Consider some hiking too. The eastern side of the park has several hiking trails good for day hikes. Even a short 30 minute walk might be nice after all of the driving.
On the way from Edmonton to Jasper, you may want to stop at Hinton to pick up some food for a picnic lunch.
After a stop in Jasper townsite, consider a quick drive up to Pyramid Lake and Patricia Lake or to nearby Lac Beauvert and the Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge. Plan to have an early dinner in Jasper townsite before heading back to Edmonton.
Another option is to skip most of the above and instead spend the day on Maligne Road doing the Maligne Canyon Hike and enjoying Maligne Lake activities (like the boat ride or renting a canoe).
Whatever your itinerary, keep a look out for wildlife the whole time. You never know when you’ll spot elk, caribou, deer, bighorn sheep, mountain goats or a black bear. You have a good chance to spot at least one kind of animal (other than humans) during a day trip from Edmonton to Jasper National Park.
This is a trip that can be done anytime of year. A nice post about a wintertime day trip from Edmonton to Jasper here from J on her East of Enid Avenue blog should be plenty of motivation. J’s pictures show an almost unreal world, a true winter wonderland.
Some tips:
Get up extra early
Drink lots of coffee
Take turns driving if you have multiple drivers so everyone can enjoy the scenery
Relax
Have a great day trip to Jasper National Park!
By the way, instead of a day trip from Edmonton, another option is to do all of the above but spend the night in a hotel in Hinton, Alberta. Hinton is close to the eastern entrance and staying there will allow for 2 days of activities.
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