Jasper National Park
There is plenty to see and do in Jasper National Park. We had a day and a half in Jasper, so we had to prioritize what we wanted to see most. We could have easily spent another few days in Jasper, as there is a lot that you can do! We loved the town of Jasper as well. There are cute shops and many good places to eat! You really can't go wrong visiting Jasper National Park!
Athabasca Falls
Athabasca Falls was the number 1 thing to do in Jasper on TripAdvisor, so we decided it was a must see. We slept in and didn't get there until about 9 am and while it was busy, it was still doable. Expect parking to be a hassle, as there are usually quite a few people and the lot is small. We parked on the side of the road and just walked a little ways. The falls are a beautiful sight and there are a few different places you can view the falls. There is really no hiking involved in this one. It is more of just numerous view points. We didn't spend long here, but we did spend about 10 minutes just watching the powerful waterfall! There is something mesmerizing about Athabasca Falls! Definitely worth a quick stop! 4 out of 5 stars!
Sunwapta Falls
After Athabasca Falls, we decided to make another quick stop to see Sunwapta Falls! It was nearby and we had heard it was worth a quick stop! If you really enjoy waterfalls, it is worth seeing. It doesn't take long to see, you basically park, see the waterfall for a few minutes and leave! Since I really love waterfalls, I was glad we stopped. However, if waterfalls all seem the same to you and are not something you get excited about, I would suggest just doing Athabasca Falls and skipping out on this one. For me personally, I thought the Sunwapta Falls were beautiful. Being from Wisconsin I don't see many waterfalls often so I take advantage of them when I can! 3 out of 5 stars!
Meeting of the 2 Waters
We were headed to Mt. Edith Cavell, but wanted to have a quick lunch first. So on our way, we pulled into a little turn off and stumbled upon what was labeled as The Meeting of the 2 Waters. We could not have picked a better spot for lunch. We were the only car there and it was completely isolated. The view was stunning and the quiet isolation was refreshing. There were picnic benches so we sat down and enjoyed a quiet lunch on the river. The river is pretty unique and true to its name, as you can truly see where the 2 waters meet because the waters are 2 totally different colors! This was a hidden gem and I highly recommend checking it out! 5 out of 5 stars!
Video clip of our secret spot!
Mount Edith Cavell
In order to visit Mount Edith Cavell you have to get a ticket. You are not able to enter the road that is required to get to Mount Edith Cavell without the ticket. While this can be a pain, it does cut down on the amount of people making it far less busy! In order to get the ticket, you must drive to the town of Jasper to the Visitor Center. I highly suggest going early. We went around 7 am and there was a line out the door! There are 4 different times slots you can choose from. If you plan on doing a lot of hiking, I suggest going with the earlier times. The last time available is 4:00 pm which is not a great time if you want to do a lot of hiking. The road to the Cavell is narrow and they close the road at 7 pm. So if you decide to do the 4:00 time slot, you only have roughly 2 hours to hike as you must be out of there around 6:30, before they close the road. We decided to do the 2:30 time slot and we had just barely enough time to do the entire hike. I suggest going even earlier if possible! If not, the 2:30 time slot is definitely doable, but might cause a little stress if you plan on hiking the entire thing like we did!
Short video clip of the drive!
If you want to do the bare minimum and hiking is not really your thing, Mount Edith Cavell is still worth the visit! The drive alone to get there is worth getting a ticket! It was an absolutely breathtaking drive, with views of the mountains the entire way! Once you get there, there is a short walk to a beautiful view of Angel Glacier. There is a body of water beneath the glacier with pieces of the glacier floating in it. You can actually hear the ice breaking when you are there. With the bright white glacier pieces floating amidst the unique blue green water, it is quite a majestic sight to see! Regardless of your feelings on hiking, this a must see view!
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| Angel Glacier |
Edith Cavell Meadow Trail
When we got to Mount Edith Cavell, we really didn't have anything planned or researched and instead, decided we would just figure it out once we got there. Once we got there, the Edith Cavell Meadow Trail caught our eye. It sounded peaceful, pretty, and like a nice meadow hike. Don't make our mistake and let the name fool you!! We found out real quick that it was not a lovely little frolicking walk through lush green meadows. It was the hardest most strenuous (and never ending) hike we did the ENTIRE trip!! But that being said it was also the MOST rewarding and remarkable views of the entire trip! So while the name is misleading, it is 100% worth every ache, pain, and the few choice words that may have slipped out of my mouth!
The great thing about this hike is that the further you go, the better the views get. You get to enjoy gorgeous sights every step of the way, as it is all through an open meadow. There are no trees obstructing the views which is a huge benefit. You are also able to turn around at any point if you run out of time or if it gets too strenuous. You can basically cut the hike down to your liking, as there are many places to turn around, or different trails you can take to make it shorter. Since we thought this was going to be an easy 2-hour hike through a flat meadow, we were caught off guard by the steepness and length of the hike. It took us about 4 hours total to complete the hike and we basically ran down because we didn't want to have the road close!
If you decide to do this hike, make suure you are prepared! Bring a lot of water, something to protect you from the sun (hat, sunscreen, etc.) and snacks. Fortunately for us we happened to have all these things and we were lucky we did! It was very sunny when we went and we were thankful for sunscreen. Hiking shoes are also a MUST! When you make it close to the top, it starts to get tricky. There are a lot of moving and slippery rocks and you are fighting gravity! Hiking shoes can be the difference between hiking your way to the top and falling your way to the top! Just when we thought we had made it to the top, we realized there was a huge rock mountain we had to get over. We started up it and the rocks were not stable and I spent half the time sliding down the rocks instead of going up. Honestly this freaked me out! So I decided the views I had were suitable and I sent Sam on ahead! It took Sam another 30 minutes roundtrip to make it to the "true top." While he said he was glad he made it to the top for the sole purpose of saying he did, the views were not much better than from where I was. It doesn't get you much higher so the views are comparable to where I stood. That being said I would still hike to the top if you don't mind hikes!
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| The only meadow part of the hike! |
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| The view from the highest point I got to. This is where I stopped and sent Sam on ahead! |
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| The sliding rock hill I decided to skip out on! Sam went all the way to the top! |
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| A little critter Sam met at the top! |
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| View from the very top! |
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| View from the very top! |
Video clip of where I stopped hiking!
Overall, this was one of my favorite hikes!! Yes, it was never ending. Yes we were fooled by the name. Yes it was strenuous. But YES it was all worth it! It is very doable for most people and I can't say enough about the views. You just have to check it out for yourself! 5 out of 5 stars!
Maligne Lake
Maligne Lake is the opposite way of Mount Edith Cavell and time just didn't allow for us to visit both. This is a highly recommended lake to visit with great reviews. Check out this TripAdvisor link for more details!
Columbia Icefields
We decided to check out the Columbia Icefields on our drive back to Banff. I had done a lot of research on the Columbia Icefields on whether or not to do the tour that takes you out to the glacier to actually walk on it. The tour includes a drive out to the glacier, a walk on the glacier, and the walk out onto the glacier skywalk. After reaching multiple reviews we decided for us, that it was not worth it. Once we arrived at the Columbia Icefields, we were glad we had chosen not to! That being said, it is all a personal preference. The reason we chose not to buy tickets for the tour is because we are from Wisconsin and honestly it is just a giant piece of ice. For us, this did not excite us in the slightest. We are well accustomed to ice and so we were perfectly happy just doing the short hike out to view the glacier. The glacier skywalk was also less than thrilling. We drove past it and it didn't seem all that it was cracked up to be! Most reviews from people who had done the tour confirmed that it was overpriced for walking on a giant piece of ice and that the skywalk wasn't anything to write home about. However, if you are from a warmer climate and this is something that interests you, check out this link for more details on how to book it!
While I don't suggest doing the tour, I do suggest doing the short hike. Since we did this on our drive back, we stopped at the Columbia Icefields around 10 am and while it was busy, there was plenty of parking, and the crowds didn't take away from the experience. It is a bit of a hike to get to the viewpoint, so wear your hiking shoes. It isn't too hard, but it is definitely uphill and can be tiring. We brought 1 water bottle for quick swigs and that was plenty. You don't need much more than that, as the hike is a fairly short one. What we found the most interesting, wasn't the glacier itself, but rather the signs showing where the glacier used to be in past years and seeing how much it has receded. The glacier itself is also an impressive sight and worth getting a picture of.
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| Sign telling you what year the glacier was at this spot!  |
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| Yes I am reppin a Packers Jersey in Canada! |
Final Thoughts
If you are visiting Banff, you MUST take the Road to Jasper and also check out Jasper National Park! It is worth the drive, as the views both on the drive and in Jasper are some of the most beautiful in the world! You will not regret it!
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