We spent a fabulous week at Jasper National Park in Alberta, Canada, camping in the beautiful Whistlers Campground. Not as well-known as its southern cousin, Banff National Park, Jasper is less-crowded and more full of accessible wildlife than Banff. Wildlife lovers take note: Jasper at the beginning of June is a terrific place to observe grizzly bears (including cubs), black bears, elk, bighorn sheep, deer, bald eagles, osprey, and more. And we were treated to guided tours (and completely spoiled) by our friends Howard and Jacky, who knew just where to go to find the critters. So we’re organizing this blog not by days, but by critters and events (because Jasper is also a beautiful place to hike).
Grizzly Bears:
We came to Jasper for the grizzlies, and it did not disappoint. Early June is the time to view these amazing creatures as they are ravenous after coming out of hibernation. We thought we had gotten our fill of grizzlies/brown bears in Alaska, but Jasper proved that to be false. Almost every morning we would leave the campground by 6:30 a.m. to go look for these elusive mammals, and we usually found them. Then we would return to some of the same spots in the evening to look again. Here were some of the grizzlies we saw.
Black Bears:
Not always black, and quite a bit smaller than grizzlies, black bears were also plentiful in Jasper. Often munching dandelions by the side of the road, these striking cousins to the grizzlies were fun to spy on, and often oblivious to the cars and people nearby.
Ungulates:
Elk and deer were also a delight to watch in Jasper, including in our campground. We were astounded at how close the female elk would come as they munched on grass right next to our campsites.
The male elk with antlers were less common to spot, but always eye-popping when we did.
Bighorn sheep:
I find these creatures fascinating. In Jasper we saw a lot of males with their curly horns. Unlike antlers, horns do not fall off each season but stay with the animal throughout its life. (We may spot some females and lambs in other parts of the Rockies yet to come.)
We did see a few other critters in Jasper…
Hikes and Sights: We didn’t just drive around looking at animals in Jasper, really! We also got to do some amazing hikes. Here are some highlights:
Maligne Canyon and several bridge lookout spots: Our very first morning we headed out to explore this popular route. Stunning views of this deep, skinny canyon kept us going on this 3-mile hike.
Lake Annette: The weather continued to get better throughout the week, and this easy walk around Lake Annette gave us beautiful views of the surrounding mountains, though not as many wildflowers as we remember from our 2008 trip with Cindy’s mom and aunt (though Hank found a few).
Athabasca Falls: This was a short (busy) hike, but the falls were absolutely worth the 20-minute drive south of our campground.
Sunwapta Falls: These falls were also inspiring to observe, and we added a rigorous short hike to Lower Sunwapta Falls to help our fitness level (all uphill on the way back).
Valley of the Five Lakes: Wow! Just wow! On a sunny day, this hike is a must-do. We did the 3-mile short version, and those lakes are absolutely gorgeous (except for Lake #2, which didn’t have much water in it right now).
Maligne Lake: This lake (and the mountains that frame it) is used in a lot of classic Jasper shots, and though we had a rather cloudy day, we enjoyed a fun drive, and an easy walk along the lakeshore.
We packed a lot into our six days in Jasper, and we’re already talking about coming back next year. If you love wildlife or beautiful mountain scenery, or both, you need to come to Jasper National Park!
From here we head to Jasper’s famous cousin, Banff National Park. Stay tuned…And thanks for reading.
Those pics of Jasper Lake!!!
We agree. The lakes were stunning!
Extraordinary! I do want to go. Such an array of wildlife so accessible to campers.
Photography is spectacular.
Thank you, Diane. Jasper made it easy to get good photos–you should plan a trip there. You’d love to paint those scenes, I’m sure.
I love seeing your gorgeous pix and reading about your adventures!!
Lynn
Thank you, Lynn, for enjoying our adventures along with us!
Hank and Cindy,
Simply WOW! You guys capture the best of every adventure…we love your blogs to say the least !!!
Marleen and Q
We agree–Jasper is a “wow” kind of place! Thanks for reading!
Thrilling! Your photos and descriptions are most inviting. I like how you take time to see and experience and then share on here,
Mary
I know you grew up not far from these places. We are so glad we are getting to experience them on this trip.
The pictures are breathtaking! What a beautiful place to be. Continue to enjoy this great adventure!
Thanks, Ilene. I’ll bet you would love it here in Jasper.
Glad you’re enjoying our beautiful province!
We sure are enjoying Alberta, Marilyn. And more to come soon!
Very enticing as we consider our trip planning to Canada end of August…
Jacky and Howard have told us that the bear viewing is not the same at the end of August. Just FYI. We would hate for you to be disappointed. But it will still be beautiful then!
Just to let you know i am along for the ride. 😃
And we are so glad you are along for the ride, Adrienne! It’s fun to share the journey with you!
I am feeling homesick. I’ve been to so many of those places. What gorgeous sights and experiences. I am way overdue for a visit to Jasper. So glad you had a great visit to the Canadian Rockies. They are spectacular. Thanks for sharing.
We hope you can get back to Jasper in the near future, Lori. Though we were here once before, this has been a totally different experience, thanks to your amazing sister and brother-in-law!
Beautiful!! We are in the midst of deciding about drive from North Cascades N.P, to Jasper or to Mt. Rainier NP. This is most convincing!
I think you would love Jasper, though it is a bit further away than Mt. Rainier! We only scratched the surface of all there is to do in this area.