This morning we quickly broke “camp” on the parking lot and headed into Jasper National Park. The entrance was about 10 miles from Hinton and the town of Jasper is about 40 miles from Hinton. The drive in was really scenic and we saw a Big Horn Sheep. Since we couldn’t check in until the afternoon at the campground we parked the coach in RV parking just off of downtown Jasper. Jasper is part ski town and part national park village. There are many nice restaurants, outdoors stores, and gift shops. We walked the main downtown strip with Maverick and then returned to the coach. After getting Maverick settled in, Donna and I walked to the nearby Montana BBQ and Bar for lunch. The food was excellent and we dined outside on the 2nd floor patio where the view was super nice. After a nice lunch we headed the couple of miles to the Whistlers Campground. If you wish to come to Jasper and camp in a motorhome, I suggest making reservations far in advance if possible. I was lucky to find 1 day open for us between August 1st and mid-October. While Whistlers offers full hookups in some sites, all I could get was one day in a dry camping site. The site itself was located in a beautiful wooded area and the sites are spacious with lots of separation from neighbors.
Once setup we decided to drive the Icefields Parkway about 1 hour South to see two waterfalls that are key attractions in the park. The first waterfall was the Athabasca Waterfall. This waterfall is quite spectacular with a very powerful flow that has carved a narrow canyon down to the continuing river. The park has done a great job of providing easy access to the fall with many viewpoints of both sides of the falls and the narrow canyon with paved trails. Continuing down the road a little farther is the Sunwapata Falls. Again, the falls were very accessible and the multiple viewpoints give great viewing opportunities within an easy walk from the parking lot. Both falls were covered up with tourists like ourselves so be prepared for the crowds. We are here during the peak season. The drive to the falls and back is very grand and the mountains are very dramatic. Even if you don’t stop in the park, this drive is one of the most scenic in the world.