Weekend Guide To Visiting Jasper in January
Jasper National Park - the largest national park in the Canadian Rockies - a whopping 11,000 square kilometres of untamed wildness.
We think that Jasper is the perfect place for a winter weekend getaway - it's one of the most stunning places we've ever been to and, thanks to the fact that it is traditionally a summer destination, there aren't too many visitors there during winter, you can enjoy your winter wonderland practically by yourself.
We spent four beautiful days there to create the perfect weekend guide for you, and this is what we came up with:
Friday: Arrival
Chances are you'll be coming to Jasper from Edmonton like we were. Whilst this isn't the longest journey in the world (four hour's drive) it's still tiring, no matter if you drive or take the bus.
[To find out more about Edmonton, check out our post 17 Reasons To Travel To Edmonton in 2017]
We recommend rest and relaxation when you arrive, and luckily there's no better place to do that than at Pyramid Lake Resort - where we stayed and think you should too.
Pyramid Lake Resort has everything you expect from a nice hotel: comfy beds, organic toiletries and a massive TV. But where Pyramid Lake Resort really shines is with its location:
Pyramid Lake Resort is the only resort in Jasper with exclusive access to the tranquil Pyramid Lake.
Pyramid Lake Resort is named after Pyramid Lake, which is named after Pyramid Mountain, which was named after the Pyramids in Egypt :)
The Resort is right on top of Pyramid Lake, you couldn't get a more beautiful location.
It is essential that you have a car whilst staying at here, because it is kind of isolated and there's no bus (taxis do go up there though).
But there is plenty to do at Pyramid Lake Resort to keep you entertained like:
Chilling in the hot tub
Is there anything better than sitting in a warm hot tub whilst looking out at the beautiful snow? No.
Or the sauna
Pyramid Lake Resort also has an awesome sauna right next to the jacuzzi.
Utilise the Pyramid Lake - go Ice Skating!
You can rent ice skates from Pyramid Lake Resort and go ice skating on the lake! Find out more in this vlog:
Spot wildlife!
We saw our first ever coyote here! We were so excited and told every Canadian we met - who weren't impressed at all (coyotes are really common).
And much more! You won't get bored at Pyramid Lake Resort.
And you'll have a perfect night's sleep here ready for the next day:
We think that Jasper is the perfect place for a winter weekend getaway - it's one of the most stunning places we've ever been to and, thanks to the fact that it is traditionally a summer destination, there aren't too many visitors there during winter, you can enjoy your winter wonderland practically by yourself.
We spent four beautiful days there to create the perfect weekend guide for you, and this is what we came up with:
Friday: Arrival
Chances are you'll be coming to Jasper from Edmonton like we were. Whilst this isn't the longest journey in the world (four hour's drive) it's still tiring, no matter if you drive or take the bus.
[To find out more about Edmonton, check out our post 17 Reasons To Travel To Edmonton in 2017]
We recommend rest and relaxation when you arrive, and luckily there's no better place to do that than at Pyramid Lake Resort - where we stayed and think you should too.
Pyramid Lake Resort has everything you expect from a nice hotel: comfy beds, organic toiletries and a massive TV. But where Pyramid Lake Resort really shines is with its location:
Pyramid Lake Resort is the only resort in Jasper with exclusive access to the tranquil Pyramid Lake.
Pyramid Lake Resort is named after Pyramid Lake, which is named after Pyramid Mountain, which was named after the Pyramids in Egypt :)
The Resort is right on top of Pyramid Lake, you couldn't get a more beautiful location.
It is essential that you have a car whilst staying at here, because it is kind of isolated and there's no bus (taxis do go up there though).
But there is plenty to do at Pyramid Lake Resort to keep you entertained like:
Chilling in the hot tub
Is there anything better than sitting in a warm hot tub whilst looking out at the beautiful snow? No.
Or the sauna
Pyramid Lake Resort also has an awesome sauna right next to the jacuzzi.
Utilise the Pyramid Lake - go Ice Skating!
You can rent ice skates from Pyramid Lake Resort and go ice skating on the lake! Find out more in this vlog:
Spot wildlife!
We saw our first ever coyote here! We were so excited and told every Canadian we met - who weren't impressed at all (coyotes are really common).
And much more! You won't get bored at Pyramid Lake Resort.
And you'll have a perfect night's sleep here ready for the next day:
Saturday: Skiing
Like I said before, Jasper is traditionally a summer destination. We have no idea why - it's PERFECT for skiing!
We tried out skiing for the first time ever in Jasper and loved it. We loved it straight away just for the views, but it turns out that the Marmot Basin Ski Resort is the perfect place to learn how to ski - they have such great teachers!
It's not just great for newbies though, they have plenty of black ski runs for advanced skiers too. Also it's great for snowboarders!
[It's a good time to point out that you will.need.travel insurance - we were fine when we went skiing, but our friend went the other day in Italy and fractured her knee!! We get our travel insurance from World Nomads and suggest you do too!]
Because Jasper is traditionally a summer location, we had the slopes almost all to ourselves! There were a couple of tourists but most of the people on the slopes were locals. We didn't have to queue for anything, it was awesome!
When you're not on the track they have great facilities to hang out in: there's a cafe, a restaurant, a hang out space with lockers. And my god, the food at the restaurant was incredible:
We had a delicious burger and chips there - it's one of the only times I've had chips outside of the UK that were actually good - yey!
Find out more about skiing at Marmot Basin in one of our daily vlogs:
Sunday: Canyon Ice Walk
Like I said before, Jasper is traditionally a summer destination. We have no idea why - it's PERFECT for skiing!
We tried out skiing for the first time ever in Jasper and loved it. We loved it straight away just for the views, but it turns out that the Marmot Basin Ski Resort is the perfect place to learn how to ski - they have such great teachers!
It's not just great for newbies though, they have plenty of black ski runs for advanced skiers too. Also it's great for snowboarders!
[It's a good time to point out that you will.need.travel insurance - we were fine when we went skiing, but our friend went the other day in Italy and fractured her knee!! We get our travel insurance from World Nomads and suggest you do too!]
Because Jasper is traditionally a summer location, we had the slopes almost all to ourselves! There were a couple of tourists but most of the people on the slopes were locals. We didn't have to queue for anything, it was awesome!
When you're not on the track they have great facilities to hang out in: there's a cafe, a restaurant, a hang out space with lockers. And my god, the food at the restaurant was incredible:
We had a delicious burger and chips there - it's one of the only times I've had chips outside of the UK that were actually good - yey!
Find out more about skiing at Marmot Basin in one of our daily vlogs:
Sunday: Canyon Ice Walk
You can't go to Jasper in January and not go on an ice walk through the Maligne Canyon.
The Maligne Canyon is an ancient, natural canyon. In the summer the river runs through it and you can go kayaking there. In the winter the river freezes over!
We went along on an ice walk with Maligne Adventures - we strapped ice cleats onto our warm winter boots:
and walked through the Maligne Canyon on top of the frozen Maligne River. This felt crazy! The ice was super thick though and we saw so many beautiful frozen waterfalls. It really was like something out of a dream.
See more in our daily vlog:
The Maligne Canyon is an ancient, natural canyon. In the summer the river runs through it and you can go kayaking there. In the winter the river freezes over!
We went along on an ice walk with Maligne Adventures - we strapped ice cleats onto our warm winter boots:
and walked through the Maligne Canyon on top of the frozen Maligne River. This felt crazy! The ice was super thick though and we saw so many beautiful frozen waterfalls. It really was like something out of a dream.
See more in our daily vlog:
What to pack
Packing for winter in Canada is kind of hard to do - what should you take? This post What To Pack For Winter In Canada has you covered (literally) with a list of everything to pack - from clothes to gadgets.
Conclusion
So there you have it - a weekend guide to visiting Jasper in January, with everything you need from rest and relaxation at Pyramid Lake Resort, to thrilling skiing at Marmot Basin, to breathtaking beauty on the Maligne Canyon walk.
If you have any questions let us know in the comments below!
Disclaimer: Travelling Weasels were invited as guests of Tourism Jasper but as usual all opinions are our own. We would never recommend something we haven't personally tried and loved, because that wouldn't be cool and we want to be cool.
Packing for winter in Canada is kind of hard to do - what should you take? This post What To Pack For Winter In Canada has you covered (literally) with a list of everything to pack - from clothes to gadgets.
Conclusion
So there you have it - a weekend guide to visiting Jasper in January, with everything you need from rest and relaxation at Pyramid Lake Resort, to thrilling skiing at Marmot Basin, to breathtaking beauty on the Maligne Canyon walk.
If you have any questions let us know in the comments below!
Disclaimer: Travelling Weasels were invited as guests of Tourism Jasper but as usual all opinions are our own. We would never recommend something we haven't personally tried and loved, because that wouldn't be cool and we want to be cool.
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