Jasper National Park - Alberta, Canada

Rating:

When to go:

Peak Season: Summer

Where to stay:

Whistlers Campground
Wapiti Campground
Pocahontas Camground
Wabasso Campground

What to Do:

• Hike to Mt. Edith Cavell
• View Athabasca and Sunwapta Falls
• Hike Maligne Canyon - Cruise Maligne Lake

My Two cents:

Jasper was awfully good as well. I started out by driving all the way through the park to the city of Jasper at its North end. From here I went to Pocahontas Campground near Miette Hot Springs. I was thinking of taking my mountain bike to this incredibly big waterfall, Snake Indian Falls. It would have been about 70 miles on my bike round trip, but over extremely rugged terrain. It took about 25 miles to realize that I wasn't going to make it so I turned around and headed over to Whistlers Campground.

Here I fixed my road bike and I found that the Icefield Parkway is perfect for the road cyclist. The shoulder is wide, the scenery is beautiful and the hills are just right, not to steep, not too flat. From Whistlers, I headed south and explored Mt. Edith Cavell and a cuople of waterfalls on the way.

I also spent a day in the Maligne area of the park. It's just okay. If you want a real leisurely day, go to Maligne Lake. You can ake a boat cruise or just paddle around the lake in a rented canoe. The scenery is like most of the Canadian Rockies, rugged, dramatic, and awe inspiring.