How to Spend a Day in Jasper

On our trip around Alberta I had scheduled one day in Jasper. And let me tell you it wasn’t near enough time to spend in and around this mountain town. But if 24 hours is all you have this is How to Spend a Day in Jasper.

Patricia and Pyramid Lake

We started our day north of Jasper traveling the Pyramid Lake Road. The first stop outside of town was at Patricia Lake. These canoes made the perfect foreground object for the mountain reflections on the lake.

After a few pictures we jumped back into the car and drove a little further up the road to Pyramid Lake. Pyramid Lake is at the foot of Pyramid Mountain and has a small island in the center of the lake. Pyramid Island can be accessed from a small foot bridge from the road and is a nice place to walk around and take in the beautiful reflections of the mountains off the lake.

Jasper Skytram

I wanted to get a bird’s eye view of the mountains around Jasper, so dad and I took the Jasper Skytram gondola up to Whistlers Peak. From the top we could see everything! Including the lakes we had been at earlier in the day and the whole town of Jasper.

To the South we could see the Icefield Parkway that connects the towns of Jasper and Banff.

And to the West were views of the mountains in British Columbia.

As we climbed further up the mountain the views kept changing slightly with the shifting of the clouds and the higher elevations.

One thing is for sure, the views from the top of the Jasper Skytram sure know how to make you feel small.

Medicine and Maligne Lake

After a trip back down the mountain, we drove along the Maligne Lake Road that led past the Maligne Canyon to Medicine Lake. The area around Medicine Lake had a wildfire come through a few years ago, but the area and the surrounding mountains are a good place to stop and stretch your legs before continuing onto Maligne Lake.

At Maligne Lake we signed up for a cruise of the lake that would take us to the far end to see Spirit Island.

The lake also has a place where you and some friends can rent a canoe and paddle around the lake. Although it is a bit far to go all the way to Spirit Island unless you are an experienced rower.

Since I am not an experienced rower, I was happy to hop onto the larger boat that took us out to the island. I have seen numerous pictures of Spirit Island on social media, so finally seeing it in person was amazing!

So stunning with the tall mountains that surround the island, it almost doesn’t seem real.

It’s peaceful and serene. The perfect representation of everything the Canadian Rocky Mountains has to offer, made this spot a hard one to leave.

But what better way to wrap up How to Spend a Day in Jasper than a couple beers at the local pub?