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I was looking at my packing list today for my return trip to the Canadian Rockies. I either need more suitcases or need to cut some things off the list! Looking at the list, I noticed 3 things on my list that are essential for a Jasper National Park vacation and thought I’d mention it. Having forgotten them before, they’re packed early this trip. The 3 things are… Read more on 3 Essential Travel Supplies for a Jasper National Park Vacation… If you are looking for GPS maps for hiking in the Canadian Rockies, here’s a few free collections of GPS track maps for Banff National Park, Jasper National Park, Yoho National Park, Kootenay National Park, Kananaskis Country, and lots more. I compiled this list because I thought it would be cool (but by no means essential except for maybe backcountry hikers) to have trail maps on my handheld GPS device (mine is a Garmin GPSmap 60CSx) alongside printed maps. The word on the street is that the amount of Canadian Rockies trails on the GPS topo maps is very limited and even non-existent for most hand-held GPS hiking devices. The solution is to use GPS track maps (typically .GPX or .GDB files). Put these files on your GPS to have Canadian Rockies trails at your fingertips. The following offer free GPS track maps for hiking in Jasper National Park and other areas of the Canadian Rockies. Read more on Use a Handheld GPS for Hiking? Here’s a Few Free Canadian Rockies GPS Track Maps… Looking for that one-of-a-kind off-the-beaten path activity in Jasper National Park? While almost every activity in Jasper National Park seems to qualify (yes, I’m biased – I like Jasper National Park), here’s a hidden gem for those looking for a unique hiking experience: Read more on Guided Ice Walks on the Athabasca Glacier in Jasper National Park… Most hiking books are boring reference guides. Not this one. In “Done in a Day Jasper: The 10 Premier Hikes” you’ll find a passionately written, easily portable book containing just the right amount of details to make your Jasper National Park day hiking experience one of a kind. 
Me Reading the Done in a Day Jasper Hiking Book Kathy and Craig Copeland wrote the book in a mindful way, to help you appreciate the experience of day hiking in this corner of the Canadian Rockies. Introduction The book starts by introducing you to hiking in Jasper National Park, one of the gems of the Canadian Rockies. You’ll get a quick glimpse of what to do and where to eat in Jasper. You’ll learn what topographic maps are preferred and what weather to expect. The introduction also contains hiking advice. You’ll learn how to avoid bear encounters, why you should carry a compass, and how to prevent hypothermia. A few pages cover wilderness ethics, a topic every new hiker should read. The authors write: “We hope you’re already conscientious about respecting nature and other people. If not, here’s how to pay off some of your karmic debt load.” Part of this karmic debt load can be reduced, the authors explain, by staying on the trail and respecting follow hikers. I’m 100% behind that! Read more on Done in a Day Jasper: The 10 Premier Hikes – In-Depth Book Review… If you plan to visit Jasper National Park during summer, you must be thinking about hiking. Short hikes, long day hikes, and overnight backpacking trips abound in Jasper, Banff, Mt Robson and the other regional parks of the Canadian Rockies. Read more on Training for hiking in Jasper National Park and the Canadian Rockies… Glaciers. Jasper National Park has them. One of the smaller glaciers is Cavell Glacier on the edge of Cavell Pond. Cavell Glacier is next to the larger Angel Glacier and the two share their ice with Cavell Pond. Read more on 10 Beautiful pictures of Cavell Glacier and Cavell Pond in Jasper National Park… If you want to know what it was like to hike Maligne Canyon in the early days of Jasper National Park (founded in 1907), check out this rather fun vintage 1930s home black and white movie from YouTube. Take a look at the people, the signs, and the experience of this rare home movie footage. Read more on Rare 1930s Jasper National Park Home Movie of Maligne Canyon Hiking… If you ever wanted to hike like a bighorn sheep, the Wilcox Pass in Jasper National Park is the place to hike. Hike the Wilcox Pass for a moderate difficulty half-day hiking trail midway between Jasper townsite and Banff. Read more on Hiking the Wilcox Pass in Jasper National Park…like a bighorn sheep… Staying in Jasper National Park and looking for an easy way to get more out of a Canadian Rockies vacation? Simply look West towards the big mountain in the sky. Mt Robson Provincial Park is Jasper National Park’s western neighbor and a simple sidetrip from Jasper National Park. A sidetrip to Mt Robson Park is a great way to expand upon a Canadian Rockies vacation. Read more on Mt Robson Provincial Park – Sidetrip from Jasper National Park… Read more on Mt Robson Provincial Park – Sidetrip from Jasper National Park… I’ve written in the past about cats visiting Jasper National Park. But it turns out that the park is better suited to dogs. So here’s one for the dogs! Dogs have long been a part of the travel history of the region. In fact, some of the earliest known paintings/drawings of Jasper National Park show dogs in one of the first encampments known as Jasper House. The drawings were by Henry James Warre and are dated as May 1846 – nearly 50 years prior to the region being turned into a park in 1907. (This I learned by reading Culturing Wilderness in Jasper National Park, a Jasper history book with an article about Warre and pictures of these drawings on page 44). Read more on Bringing Dogs to Jasper National Park… |
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Copyright © 2010 Jasper National Park Journal Travel Guide by DH Wall – Alberta, Canada - All Rights Reserved |
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