The Perfect 2-Day Itinerary for Exploring Jasper National Park
After multiple trips to the Canadian Rockies and Banff, I finally got to see the beauty and splendor of Jasper in 2024. And it almost didn’t happen. Actually, it wasn’t supposed to happen! But holy smokes, I’m so happy we got to explore Jasper National Park for two days.
Jaimie and I were driving the Icefields Parkway and stopped at Athabasca Glacier to check it out. We had camping reservations at Lake Louise, but we were loving our time in the area. Jaimie said to me, “What if we spent the night in Jasper?” So, I quickly looked around and found a hotel room (a smidge pricier than I’d usually go for).
From there, we continued north on the most gorgeous road in the world to start our two-day Jasper National Park itinerary. Hopefully, this trip inspires you to also make a last-minute decision to check out the area and fly by the seat of your pants!
Planning Your Two-Day Itinerary in Jasper, Canada
For this two-day Jasper National Park itinerary, we’ll start in Banff National Park and head north into Jasper National Park.
Day 1 in Jasper National Park
Jasper and Banff National Park split the Icefields Parkway. I’m not sure if it’s a true 50/50 split, but it’s basically that way. But you don’t actually cross into Jasper NP until you’re almost at the Columbia Icefield and the Athabasca Glacier.
That means the first stop on your Jasper itinerary is the Columbia Icefield.
Columbia Icefield
There are two ways to see this area. First, take a short walk to the toe of the glacier and see how far it’s receded due to a changing climate. That’s what we did. I estimate it’s a mile or so round trip.
A much grander experience (and more expensive) is to go on the ice in person. The tour is two hours long and offers an up-close, personal view of the glacier.
Studfield Glacier Viewpoint
After enjoying your time at one glacier, it’s time for another. But this one is just a short pitstop to enjoy the massive Studfield Glacier. There’s a decent-sized parking area that’s easy to get in and out of.
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Waterfalls on the Icefields Parkway – Sunwapta and Athabasca
The next two stops are among the best waterfalls accessible by road. The first you’ll reach is Sunwapta Falls. It’s a very short walk to the viewing area. It’s a really pretty sight, especially with the trees and peaks in the background.
Twenty minutes up the road, towards Jasper townsite, is Athabasca Falls. This area was severely affected by the 2024 wildfire. I’m sure there are still some scars, but almost two years later, rebirth is happening.
Similar to Sunwapta, this is also a short walk to the waterfall viewing area.
Into Jasper
A short, yet beautiful 25-minute drive is all that remains before you enter the Jasper city limits. Keep an eye out for deer or elk, as the prairies in the area are ripe for them.
The town isn’t big by any means, but it’s such a cute area and packs a punch. I honestly felt it offered an intimate and inviting vibe.
After some six hours on the road, Jaimie and I headed straight to Jasper Brewing Company for dinner and a flight of beer. It was the finishing touches we needed on a simply perfect day in Canada.
Alternative Idea:
I put this on the optional day three below, but if you start your drive early enough, I recommend going up to Edith Cavell and taking a nice 4-6-mile hike in that area. I’ve never been, but it is supposedly beautiful.
Where to stay in Jasper
I wish I could recommend where we stayed, but the devastating fire destroyed it. But here are a handful of options.
Standard: Tonquin Inn | Jasper Inn and Suites |
Upper-Tier: The Crimson Jasper | Forest Park Hotel | Cheateau Jasper
Luxury: Fairmont Jasper
Day 2: Exploring Jasper National Park
In June, around the summer solstice, the sun doesn’t set until 10:20pm. This means you have LOOONG days to explore. And it also means you can sleep in. And after camping for the first 4 days of the road trip, we enjoyed a bed.
We grabbed coffee and breakfast at the hotel and started the second day of our Jasper National Park itinerary. Today, we were heading to Maligne Lake, one of the gems of the Canadian Rockies.
Animals on Maligne Lake Road
The total drive from Jasper to Maligne Lake is an hour. But when wildlife is present, it slows the trip down considerably. We weren’t driving for long before we saw a bear and stopped. It just so happened that we parked directly under a tree that had a cub climbing in it.
Unfortunately, everything happened too fast that I didn’t get any good photos. But that was super cool to see. We also spotted an elk with massive antlers.
Maligne Canyon (Still closed from the fire)
One of the highlights of the area is Maligne Canyon, which, as of writing this, is still closed. It’s a beautiful area where you can walk a couple of miles through the canyon and across bridges, offering great views of waterfalls, fossils, potholes, and more!
It’s a shame it was so badly affected by the fire, but hopefully it’ll reopen soon. Keep your eye on official Parks Canada alerts for this area.
Here’s the trail on AllTrails.
Thinking of a fall visit to the Canadian Rockies? Check out these articles:
Best fall hikes around Banff
Awesome trails in Kananaskis Country
Medicine Lake
Continuing down the road, after another 15 minutes, you’ll reach Medicine Lake. It’s a nice place to stop and enjoy the view. It’s also home to a Bald Eagle’s nest on the left-hand side of the lake. From the main parking area, you won’t get a good view (and you’re not allowed to walk near it). But alongside the road, you can get a better view.
If you have a long telephoto lens, you’ll have some really cool photo opportunities.
From here, it’s a gorgeous drive to the Maligne Lake parking area. I hope you’re ready to be blown away!
Maligne Lake
Maligne Lake (pronounced May-leen) is one of the most stunning and magical areas in the Canadian Rockies. The lake goes for miles and miles (literally out of eye shot), and the nearby peaks tower over it. It’s a must for any Jasper itinerary.
We had on-and-off weather, so we didn’t end up booking the Maligne Lake Cruise because we didn’t think the weather would let us see anything. Unfortunately, the skies cleared, and we were bummed.
Instead, we walked along the lake’s shore, taking the Mary Schaeffer Loop. Again, if the weather had been better/if we had had more time, I would have enjoyed doing one of the better hikes, such as Opal Peak (6.5 miles, hard) or Bald Hills Loop (9.3 miles, hard).
Those two trails look phenomenal, and if you’re an above-average hiker, you’ll enjoy them.
This was our final stop on our Jasper itinerary in the upper area. From here, we began heading south to Banff National Park.
Back down to Banff
Instead of taking the Icefields Parkway all the way down, we hopped on the 93A, which runs parallel to the road for some 15 miles before connecting at Athabasca Falls. This is far less busy, so we hoped to see more wildlife.
This route is also how you’d get to Mount Edith Cavell and Tonquin Valley, another top-notch spot for you to see in Jasper. (I haven’t been, but my dad loved it in the 80’s.)
While we didn’t see any wildlife, the views of the landscape were out of this world. It was incredible, and I highly recommend taking this short detour on your way back to Banff National Park and Lake Louise.
Possible Day 3 Add-On – Drive to Mount Robson Provincial Park or Edith Cavell Hike
Planning to stay another day in Jasper? Here are two options:
Option 1: Consider taking the hour-long drive out to Mount Robson Provincial Park. This is the tallest peak in the Canadian Rockies and has some wildly beautiful hiking trails.
This area is high on my bucket list, and I would love to see it one day!
- Berg Lake
- Kinney Lake
- Robson Meadows and Overlander Falls
Option 2: Begin heading south and hike west of Jasper around Edith Cavell and the Cavell Glacier, or take a day trip towards Tonquin Valley. This is a great addition to any Jasper itinerary.
- Edith Cavel Loop – 12 miles long
- Edith Cavel Meadows – 5 miles
- Glacier Walk – 1 mile
- Astoria trailhead and Portal trailhead get you going towards Tonquin Valley, but the full route would be a VERY long day or an overnight trip.
Tours to take in Jasper National Park
Maligne Lake Cruise
Jasper Wildlife & Sightseeing Tour with Maligne Lake Cruise
Columbia Icefield Tour with Glacier Skywalk from Jasper
Rafting on Athabasca River, Mile 5 in Jasper
Ice Odyssey at Columbia Icefield
Class 3 Sunwapta River Rafting Adventure in Jasper
What Makes Jasper National Park Unique
Beautiful landscapes
Just like Banff National Park, Jasper National Park boasts phenomenal natural landscapes. One thing the lower Canadian Rockies don’t have is 45-degree rock slopes on their mountains. It’s a bit hard to describe, but the photo below is what I mean.
Plus, because this area is less visited, it has fewer developments, making it more pristine.
Wildlife
There’s no shortage of wildlife in Jasper National Park and the surrounding area. Go in any cardinal direction, and you’re destined to find animals. The Icefields Parkway is a great bet, as is Maligne Lake Road.
With fewer crowds and more natural lands, it creates a better environment for wildlife encounters.
Less Crowded than Banff
If you’re looking for the same incredible Canadian Rockies with less of the traffic and crowds, Jasper is the place to be. Because it’s farther north, it sees approximately half as many people (4-4.5M in Banff; ~2.5M in Jasper) than its sister city to the south each year.
What you Need to Know About Traveling to Jasper, Alberta
How to get to Jasper, AB
By Plane:
If you’re planning to visit Jasper, most people fly into Calgary and go through Banff. But if you are looking to go straight to Jasper, you can save time by flying into Edmonton. Below are the flight times to Calgary to give you a sense of what you’re up against.
- From New York: 4.45 hours
- From Chicago: 3.5 hours
- From Los Angeles: 3.5 hours
- From Phoenix: 3.15 hours
- From Dallas: 4 hours
By Train:
Don’t want to rent a car? You can fly into Edmonton and take a train to Jasper. From there, you can take local tours to explore the National Park.
- Edmonton: 5 hours
By Car:
Most people will drive from Calgary. But if you live in Seattle or Vancouver, it’s more cost-effective to drive rather than rent a car or fly.
- Edmonton: 4 hours
- Calgary: 5 hours
- Vancouver: 8.5 hours
- Seattle: 10 hours
When should you visit Jasper?
I would focus on visiting from June into October. This will have the warmest days and best hiking conditions. Before or after, and you’ll still be in the shoulder seasons or have too much snow on the trails to properly explore the national park.
Photos from this trip were taken in mid-June. While a little chilly thanks to the wind, it was pretty A-okay to me.
July and August tend to be the months with the greatest tourism. It is also when there’s the biggest risk of a wildfire.
Honestly, while the weather may not be the warmest and you’re still moving into summer, mid-June is a fantastic time to visit. We were able to get campsites and had no issues battling crowds. This is likely when I’d plan my two-day Jasper National Park itinerary.
Consider adding Yoho National Park to your Canadian Rockies road trip as well.
Final Thoughts on this Two-Day Jasper National Park Itinerary
While the trip was short and there’s so much more to see in the Jasper area, I’m thankful we changed our plans and explored Jasper National Park. The terrain is stunning, and the wildlife is abundant. Plus, everyone was incredibly friendly and nice, and made the trip worthwhile.
So, as you’re taking a trip to Canada, make sure to add Jasper to your itinerary!
Until next time, adventurers, stay safe.
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