Remember the first time you went to Jasper ? Perhaps it was with your family when you were a kid , in the old woody station wagon . Maybe it was with some friends on a white-water rafting adventure . Or maybe it was with that someone special for an anniversary or birthday . Even though we change and get on in years , Jasper remains as beautiful and elegant as ever .

Do you like to hike in the mountains ? Ride bikes ? Observe wildlife ? Canoe on a crystal-clear lake ? Jasper National Park and the town of Jasper offer something for everyone .

Early last September , my wife and I spent a funfilled long weekend in Jasper . We stayed in a log cabin near the Athabasca River and filled our days with adventure and sight-seeing . Jasper National Park is located in Treaty 6 and Treaty 8 territory , as well as in the traditional lands of the Métis , Stoney , Ojibway , Secwepemc , Beaver , and Cree . Indigenous history dates back many centuries . Surveyor David Thompson was one of the first Europeans to arrive in the Athabasca Valley in 1810 .

Can I offer a few recommendations of things to see and do while in the park area ?

● Pocahontas Coal Mine Interpretive Trail and History . From Hinton heading west on Highway 16 , drive thirty-eight kilometres to the Pocahontas Campground turn-off . Turn south on Miette Road and make a quick right turn to the start of the interpretive trail .

● Maligne Canyon , Medicine Lake , and Maligne Lake Boat Tours . As you come into Jasper from Hwy 16 east , turn south at the lights . Cross the bridge and proceed left six kilometres to the main parking lot at Maligne Canyon . After enjoying that hike , beautiful Medicine Lake is twenty-one kilometres further up the road . If you drive another twenty-three kilometres , you will come to Maligne Lake . The scenery is spectacular , and the boat tour is excellent , but be sure to book in advance .

Pochahontas Coal Mine

Medicine Lake

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