Jasper National Park Canada

Legendary

Located north of Banff, the park, established in 1930, protects the beautiful forests and mountains in the province of Alberta.

Photo by Andrew Kearns

In July 2024, lightning started fires on two sides of Jasper. Within days, all 25,000 people in town had to leave, driving west in the dark because the roads south and east were blocked.

The fire burned about 30% of the park and destroyed roughly a third of the town. Jasper reopened to visitors that September and is still rebuilding today.

The land itself goes back much further. The Stoney Nakoda, Cree, Secwépemc, Dane-zaa, Anishinaabe, and Métis peoples all have deep ties to this valley.

The Athabasca River made it a crossroads. By the early 1800s, around 20 different nations had connections to these mountains and valleys.

When the park was created, Indigenous families were forced out. Rules at the time said people couldn't live, hunt, or gather inside park boundaries.

The park started as the Jasper Forest Reserve in 1907, set aside because a railway was coming through. It was named after Jasper Hawse, who ran a nearby trading post.

It didn't become a full national park until 1930, when Canada passed the National Parks Act.

During World War I, the government opened an internment camp here in February 1916. Immigrants from countries Canada was fighting, mostly Ukrainians, were held there and made to build roads.

The camp closed seven months later. Their forced labor built the first road toward Maligne Lake.

Jasper is the largest national park in the Canadian Rockies, covering more than 11,000 square kilometers. Elk, bighorn sheep, bears, and moose all live here.

It's also one of the largest dark sky preserves in the world. On a clear night, the stars are extraordinary.

Drive the Icefields Parkway, often called one of the most beautiful roads on Earth, and stop at the Columbia Icefield to walk on a glacier. Watch for wildlife along the highway in early morning, when animals come down to the roadside. Check Parks Canada's closure map before you go, since some trails are still recovering from the fire.