How to See Jasper National Park: Eat | Stay | Hike
This post is dedicated to Jasper National Park, which, IMO, doesn’t get the love it deserves! Below you’ll find where we stayed in Jasper, which restaurants we liked, and info about hikes in Jasper National Park.
Jasper National Park – Lodging: The Crimson
Although this hotel was a bit outside of the downtown Jasper area it was only a short walk away.
Our favorite part of this hotel was the indoor hot tub and pool area. It was a perfect place to relax after a long day of hiking and outdoor activities. Another positive for this spot was that we had a room with a balcony and a view of the mountains.
With that being said, there were a few drawbacks. Most of the hotels in Jasper do not have a breakfast or guaranteed parking included. So, we were competing for spots and had to pay a couple dollars here and there to park on the street.
It’s not the end of the world, but it was a little stressful, especially unloading luggage upon arrival and not having a parking spot. For breakfast you could pay for a breakfast at the restaurant, Terra, in the lobby, but it was pricey and we opted to use our kitchen in the room most of the time instead.
There’s also a train right next to this hotel which they provided ear plugs for, but that’s still something to consider if you’re a light sleeper.
Jasper National Park – Restaurants + Food
Breakfast in Jasper:
1) The Other Paw
A cute, popular bakery that is the sister to the Bear’s Paw Bakery. The Bear’s Paw was closed for renovations when I went so, I tried The Other Paw! There were tons of food and coffee options, but it gets very busy so try and get there early. I went around 9:00am and had to wait 20 minutes in line.
The scone was decent, but next time I go back I want to try the Sticky Cinnamon Bun because it looked like a fan favorite!
2) Andromeda Coffee
Cute vibes and in the heart of downtown Jasper. They have really good croissants that are baked fresh each morning!
3) Athabasca Hotel Restaurant
This restaurant had great service and good food. Although it was nothing super special, it had all your breakfast essentials. I chose the build your own omelet and thought it would come with cheese, but it didn’t so it was a bit dry. Be sure to include cheese as one of the three add-ins if you like cheesy omelets!
Lunch/Dinner in Jasper
4) Kimchi House
Cozy atmosphere, yummy Korean food, and large portions!
5) Cassio’s
Cassio’s has a wide variety of Italian dishes and a lively outdoor eating area.
6) Famoso Neopolitan Pizza
The salad was a bit small but the pizza was to die for!
7) The Jasper Fairmont Emerald Lounge/Great Hall Restaurant
The food was a bit pricey, but the atmosphere made up for it. The Emerald Lounge is being re-branded, so I don’t know the new name, but it’s the terrace restaurant on the back of the Fairmont.
There were some interesting dishes on the menu. Of what we tried, we thought the heirloom tomato sandwich was the winner!
Jasper National Park – Hiking
1) Valley of Five Lakes
This is one of the mostly highly recommended hikes in Jasper and also one of the best for spotting bears. Unfortunately, we did not end up seeing any bears and were also a bit spoiled from the Banff views. There were five beautiful lakes, but this hike was not my favorite of the trip. Nevertheless, it’s pretty quick and easy, with only about 4.5 km/2.8 mi roundtrip, so you might as well hike it.
2) Maligne Canyon
This hike consisted of five bridges. The trail goes along the canyon at first and then eventually follows the river. We went all the way to the fifth bridge, but think you would enjoy it just as much if you went to the fourth bridge and then turned around. There are quite a few stairs on this hike so keep that in mind if you are concerned about accessibility.
The trailhead is between bridges one and two, so be sure to backtrack to see bridge one because it’s debatably the most impressive! As a treat after all the stairs we indulged in hazelnut espresso gelato from the restaurant near the first bridge. They had lovely outdoor seating neat the canyon/river.
3) Pyramid Island
More of a stroll, but we parked at the lower parking lot and did a mini-hike to the pyramid island then walked around the island and back to the car. Pyramid mountain is beautiful and the island is quaint. There is a grizzly bear that hangs out in this area, so be bear aware! We didn’t see her, but we heard she frequents the area.
4) Annette and Edith Lakes
These lakes are a short drive from the Jasper Fairmont and are pleasant and serene to walk around.
For more insights for traveling to Jasper or the neighboring Banff, visit my National Park page!
