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Jasper National Park
IUCN category II (national park)
Train and elk in Jasper
Jasper Park Location
Location	Alberta, Canada
Nearest town	Hinton
Coordinates	52°48′N 117°54′W / 52.8°N 117.9°W / 52.8; -117.9Coordinates: 52°48′N 117°54′W / 52.8°N 117.9°W / 52.8; -117.9
Area	10,878 km2 (4,200 sq mi)
Established	1907
Visitors	2,345,130[1] (in 2016-17)
Governing body	Parks Canada
World Heritage site	304
Website	Official website

Jasper National Park is the largest national park in the Canadian Rockies, spanning 11,000 km² (4,200 sq mi). It is located in the province of Alberta, north of Banff National Park and west of Edmonton. The park includes the glaciers of the Columbia Icefield, hot springs, lakes, waterfalls and mountains.

History

Jasper was named after Jasper Hawes, who operated a trading post in the region for the North West Company. Before this it was referred to as Fitzhugh. The park was established on September 14, 1907 as Jasper Forest Park, and was granted national park status in 1930, with the passing of the National Parks Act.^[2] In 2014, Jasper National Park had 2,154,711 visitors.^[1]

Wildlife

Mammalian species found in the park are the elk, caribou, moose, mule deer, white-tailed deer, porcupine, lynx, beaver, two species of fox, marten, river otter, mink, pika, grizzly bear, coyote, mountain goat, bighorn sheep, black bear, timber wolf, hoary marmot, cougar, and wolverine. The most common birds that fly around this park including raptors are bald eagles, golden eagles, Great horned owls, spruce grouses, white-tailed ptarmigans, bohemian waxwings, and evening grosbeaks.

World Heritage Site

The park was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1984, together with the other national and provincial parks that form the Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks, for the mountain landscapes containing mountain peaks, glaciers, lakes, waterfalls, canyons, and limestone caves as well as fossils found here.^{[citation needed]}

Geography

Mount Athabasca in the park

Major river systems originating in the park include the Athabasca and Smoky rivers (part of the Arctic Ocean basin).^{[citation needed]}

Attractions

Fryatt Valley from the top of the head wall

Some of the park's scenic attractions include Mount Edith Cavell, Pyramid Lake with Pyramid Mountain, Maligne Lake, Medicine Lake, and the Tonquin Valley. Other attractions are the Marmot Basin ski area; the Snocoach tours of the Athabasca Glacier, an outlet glacier of the Columbia Icefield; Athabasca Falls; the Jasper Skytram, and numerous other outdoor related recreational activities (such as hiking, fishing, wildlife viewing, rafting, kayaking and camping). The Miette Hot Springs are located close to the northeast entrance.

A Grizzly Bear roams in a wooded area near Jasper Townsite in Jasper National Park, Alberta, Canada.

The Icefields Parkway is a highway 230 km (140 mi) in length from Lake Louise, Alberta in Banff National Park, to Jasper, Alberta. The highway parallels the continental divide, providing motor and cycle access to the mountains. The Athabasca and Sunwapta Falls^[3] are both accessible by the road.^{[citation needed]}

Climate

In popular culture

Entering the park on Yellowhead Highway

Jasper National Park is featured in the 2010 3D animated comedy-drama film Alpha and Omega as the location the two wolf protagonists are taken from and struggle to return to.^[6][7][8][9]

A KLM Boeing 777-300 is named after Jasper National Park.^[10]

See also

• Dark-sky preserve


• Ecology of the Rocky Mountains


• List of historic places in Alberta's Rockies


• List of trails in Alberta


• List of mountains in Alberta


• List of waterfalls of Alberta


• North America


• Wildlife of Canada

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Jasper National Park (category)

Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Jasper National Park.

• Parks Canada. Jasper National Park
  


• Tourism Jasper. Tourism Jasper