The beautiful look at Mount Athabasca at Jasper National Park. Photo by John E. Marriott.

Jasper as a national park has many special features and extras that make it stand out as the largest national park in the Canadian Rockies. Its geography, physical features and wildlife create a breathtaking and thrilling place for visitors.

Geography

Located in the province of Alberta and just north of Banff National Park, Jasper’s closest Canadian city is Edmonton. The park spreads almost 11,000 square kilometers and bringing in almost 2 million visitors on a good-weather year.

Physical Features

There’s a natural wonder around every corner in Jasper. The famous Columbia Icefields offering spectacular settings like Athabasca Glacier and the Cavell Glacier in Mount Edith Cavell. Still reflections of the surroundings are inspiring views created from Pyramid Lake, Maligne Lake, Lake Edith and others. Fierce waterfalls like Sunwapta, plus thrilling, raftable rivers flowing through limestone caves and canyons are just some of the unique and special settings visitors stumble upon.

Jasper’s amazing assortment of landscape won it a spot on the preservation list as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1984. This classification not only ensures Jasper’s significance as a physical location, it also draws worldwide attention to its natural beauty and importance.

Wildlife

Jasper’s abundance of wildlife is well known throughout the country and holds an impressive list of creatures. Travelers will be in awe by simply driving and spotting elk, moose and many types of deer. Look a bit closer at the rocks and the in cognito fur colors of mountain goat or bighorn sheep will begin to pop out.

Around the rivers are estuaries full of trout, beaver, and an array of birds. Even the fierce predators and kings of the mountains like black and grizzly bear, gray wolf and mountain lion are spotted from afar. Its what makes Jasper an ideal place for some serious wildlife watching, however taking necessary cautions are heavily encouraged and educated from locals.

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