Summer crowds
Jasper National Park
Most requested
Portions of Jasper National Park remain closed or affected due to impacts from the Jasper Wildfire. Please check for up to date information.
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Coming to Jasper during the summer months? You will be in the company of more than a million other visitors! Expect congestion and full parking lots during the peak hours of 10 am-5 pm.
Tip! Before you head out for the day, check JasperNow for regular updates of parking lot availability!
General advice
Here are some tips when visiting the park in the summer:
Have a Plan A, B and C
There are so many gorgeous places to visit in the park. If Plan A is busy or full, go to Plan B. If Plan B is busy… Well then you know the drill, go to Plan C. Expect to share these places with other people too. You can always loop back and visit Plan A or B later in the day!
Go early or go late
Most of Jasper's popular areas get busy around 10 am. Escape the crowds and visit these heavily attended spectacular places bright and early!
Not an early bird? Take advantage of the late afternoon and evening sun to explore areas around suppertime when most people have finished for the day.
‘BYOB’
‘Bring Your Own Bike’ or rent one! Avoid traffic and full parking lots all together. Jasper National Park’s Connector trails go right from your hotel doorstep or tent flap to popular attractions close to town.
Get on the bus!
Leave the stress of driving behind and get on board with Jasper’s new public transportation. It takes you from various stops in town to Wapiti and Whistlers Campgrounds and several areas close to the townsite.
Jasper’s most popular locations
Whether you are travelling by bike or car, here are the Jasper ‘hot spots’ and the busiest times of day:
Around town
| Popular locations | Busiest time of day | # of parking spaces | Bike option from town or campground | Vehicle size restrictions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Annette and Lake Edith | 10 am - 5 pm | 164 | Yes | Yes: No Rvs or trailers. Max vehicle length: 6 m. |
| Pyramid Lake Island | 10 am - 5 pm | 8 | Yes | Yes: 7.5 m |
| Pyramid Lake Beach | 10 am - 5 pm | 58 | Yes | Yes: 7.5 m |
| Valley of the Five | 10 am - 5 pm | 110 | Yes | No restrictions |
Maligne Valley
| Popular locations | Busiest time of day | # of parking spaces | Bike option from town or campground | Vehicle size restrictions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maligne Canyon | 9 am - 6 pm | 134 | Yes | No: *Overflow parking available |
| Medicine Lake | 10 am - 6 pm | 14 | No | Limited space |
| Maligne Lake – main day-use area parking | 10 am - 5 pm | 297 | No | No: Limited space for large RVs (RV parking is available in the upper parking lots) |
| Maligne Lake – Bald Hills | 10 am - 5 pm | 85 | No | No: Limited space for large RVs |
Jasper East and Miette Hot Springs
| Popular locations | Busiest time of day | # of parking spaces | Bike option from town or campground | Vehicle size restrictions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miette Hot Springs / Sulphur Skyline | 10 am - 4 pm | 200 | No | Yes: 7.5 m |
| Jasper Lake | 10 am - 4 pm | 75 | No | No restrictions |
Mount Edith Cavell
| Popular locations | Busiest time of day | # of parking spaces | Bike option from town or campground | Vehicle size restrictions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mount Edith Cavell Path of the Glacier Trail | 10 am - 5 pm | 124 | No | Yes: 7.5 m |
Icefields Parkway (93N)
| Popular locations | Busiest time of day | # of parking spaces | Bike option from town or campground | Vehicle size restrictions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Athabasca Falls | 10 am - 7 pm | 93 | No | No: Limited space for large RVs |
| Sunwapta Falls | 10 am - 6 pm | 30 | No | Limited space |
| Columbia Icefields Centre / Glacier Gallery | 11 am - 5 pm | 530 | No | No restrictions |
| Toe of the Glacier | 11 am - 5 pm | 85 | No | Yes: 7.5 m (Designated RV parking at the Columbia Icefields Centre) |
| Wilcox Pass Trailhead | 11 am - 4 pm | 26 | No | Yes: 7.5 m (very limited space) |
Over 2.5 million visitors drive Jasper roads every year. Safe driving is key to an enjoyable holiday. You may see wildlife by the road and throughout the park. Wild animals feed and travel near roads but this does not mean the animals are tame. Unsafe wildlife encounters in the park have more than doubled in the last ten years. The number of unsafe wildlife traffic jams has increased by 92% in this same period. These incidents often result in injury, harm, or death for animals and humans. Whether you are exploring in the morning, afternoon, evening or night, please be aware that you are sharing this wondrous place with wild animals. Their survival is dependant on your actions. For your and their safety, give the animals the space they need. When on the trails, make lots of noise and bring bear spray and know how to use it.
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