jasper
visit the Mount Kerkeslin “Goat Lick”
viewpoint to meet mountain goats (see
feature on page 12).
Take a relaxing stroll to Spirit Lake
best VieWs
The Jasper SkyTram, Canada’s longest
and highest aerial tram, delivers pan-
oramic views of the Icefields Parkway,
the town of Jasper and more. Dress
warmly, because it gets chilly at 2,260 m
(7,425 ft). For more details, see feature
on page 20. At the Glacier Skywalk, a
glass-floored observation platform juts
out 280 m (920 ft) over the Sunwapta
Valley for bird’s-eye views of the Colum-
bia Icefield and glacier-fed waterfalls.
Pack a reusable water bottle to fill with
crisp glacier water, and book a tour time
in advance to avoid long waits.
First nAtions
PoPulation 4,600
time Zone mountain
mAin AttrAction
Jasper National Park is a big deal in
every way: with 10,878 sq km (4,200
sq mi) of stunning natural landscape,
it’s the biggest and wildest of the Rocky
Mountain parks. It’s also home to Spirit
Island, one of the most photographed
places in the world. Surrounded on
three sides by a single mountain range,
this tiny tide island is a place of great
spiritual significance for the Stoney
Nakoda First Nations. Spirit Island is
accessible only by boat, as it’s located
on Maligne Lake—the second-largest
glacier-fed lake on the planet. After
sunset, Jasper National Park continues
to impress as the world’s second-largest
Dark Sky Preserve. The park limits
light pollution in the area, so when
the billions of stars come out, they
shine brightly enough to awe even
veteran stargazers.
WiLdLiFe
The wildlife here is diverse, with 53
species of mammals. Some, including
Visitor information 780-852-6236
www.jasper.travel
elk and bears, are regular visitors to
the town but are best admired from
afar. Magnificent but unpredictable elk,
also known as wapiti, get especially
aggressive during rutting season. And
while it may be thrilling to view bears,
human interference can drive them
away from the food sources they need
in order to survive the winter season, or
make them feel threatened enough to
lash out. If you’re visiting the Icefields
Parkway, watch the cliffs for bighorn
sheep sporting thick, curled horns, or
Aboriginal groups from both sides
of the Continental Divide, including
Stoney Nakoda First Nations, have
fished and hunted the valleys for 9,000
years. Explore the Our Native Land
gallery and shop to discover traditional
and contemporary sculptures, masks,
jewellery and other crafts by First
Nations, Inuit and Métis artists from
all over the continent. In downtown
Jasper, the “Two Brothers” totem pole
tells the story of siblings from the West
Coast’s Haida First Nation who travel to
the Rockies (see feature on page 26).
dininG
› Chalkboard specials at Fiddle River
feature locally sourced fish and
game. The restaurant’s second-floor
National Treasure
For a souvenir as spectacular as the scenery, one choice shines above the rest: ammolite.
Alberta’s official gemstone is a dazzling rainbow-coloured jewel, ranked as a canadian na-
tional treasure. each piece has its own unique colours and patterns. made from 70-million-
year-old fossilized ammonites, it’s also incredibly rare: gemstone-quality ammolite is found
only in southern Alberta’s bearpaw Formation. more than just a pretty rock, it’s hailed as a
sacred “buffalo stone” by the blackfoot nations and a powerful source of chi by feng shui
practitioners. Find ammolite jewellery in shops throughout Jasper, including Jasper rock
and Jade, our native Land, and timberwolf rocky mountain emporium. By Chloë lai
Rocky Mountaineer Magazine 2018
53