TRAVEL
JASPER IS BACK
After last summer’s devastating wildfires, Jasper is welcoming visitors back to see resilience in action.
By Jennifer Malloy
The Sulphur Skyline Trail is Jasper’s highest, with views that extend over much of the national park. | PHOTO: BLUE PEAK TRAVEL PHOTOGRAPHY/TOURISM JASPER
I TRUDGE INTO THE WIND, hood up, boots sinking into fresh, ankle-deep snow. I’m approaching the crest of the Notch, the highest point on Jasper’s Skyline Trail at 2,510 metres. I still have 22 kilometres to go on this iconic 44-kilometre backpacking route, which traverses rugged ridgelines and mountainous terrain before descending to the Signal trailhead. By the end, I’ll be soaked, exhausted and exhilarated — but that’s fall hiking in Jasper. Snow in the shoulder season? All part of the adventure.
It’s hard to believe I’m here again, given what happened in July 2024. Devastating wildfires tore through Jasper National Park, causing the evacuation of the historic town and the surrounding area. The 2024 Jasper wildfire complex wreaked havoc on the local economy, of which tourism is a major part. By the time residents were able to return a month later, the flames had consumed over 32,000 hectares of land and a third of the town itself. It was the largest wildfire recorded in Jasper in a century.
But the Skyline Trail is open again, as are most of Jasper’s 1,000+ kilometres of trails, enticing hikers and nature-lovers to experience the golden hues of autumn against its backdrop of towering peaks. And, as I learn, Jasper’s resilient community is eager to welcome visitors back to their beloved alpine paradise.
Fire-damaged areas can present hazards and may stay closed for months or even years to promote ecosystem recovery. To minimize your risk, Parks Canada advises visitors to always stay on open trails and travel through burn areas quickly.
“It’s my first time in Jasper since the fires, and everywhere I go, I’m greeted with warm smiles and remarkable hospitality.”
(Above) The Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge, nestled along the shore of Lac Beauvert; (below) Matricia Bauer of Warrior Women. | PHOTOS: COURTESY OF FAIRMONT JASPER PARK LODGE; COURTESY OF TOURISM JASPER
OPEN FOR BUSINESS
It’s my first time in Jasper since the fires, and everywhere I go, I’m greeted with warm smiles and remarkable hospitality. It’s clear that last year’s fires had a massive impact on both the park and the local community. “[But] from a tourism perspective, Jasper still has lots of restaurants, lots of retail and lots of hotels,” says Tyler Riopel, CEO of Tourism Jasper. “There’s no reason to not come and visit. Actually, it’s really important that you [do].”
Matricia Bauer agrees. “We need the support,” says the founder of Warrior Women, an Indigenous-owned tour company. “Come and treat yourself. Book the massage. Do the dinner out.”
There are plenty of ways to support Jasper tourism after the wildfires. In the fall and winter, Warrior Women offers classes on hide tanning, beading and drumming. In lieu of the plant walks Bauer offers during the summer months, she hosts a tea service where visitors can warm their chilled hands and hear stories of her Cree heritage. SunDog Tours has introduced a Winter Wildlife of Jasper and the Ecology of Fire tour, while Rockaboo Mountain Adventures will offer ice-climbing lessons on its new man-made ice wall in town.
After a day of adventure, visitors can relax at Miette Hot Springs, where steaming mineral pools soothe muscles made sore by hiking. The Maligne Range restaurant-distillery downtown had its original launch date pushed back by the wildfires. But it opened in September 2024, and now entices visitors with its elevated take on comfort food and inventive cocktails crafted with whisky from their in-house distillery. Riopel reports that hotels are back to operating at full capacity, including the historic Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge, which boasts newly remediated Luxury Lakefront suites, a spa offering nature-inspired treatments and a heated swim-out pool to take a dip in.
(Above) Jasper’s SkyTram reopened to the public in March 2025; (below) the Jasper Planetarium draws stargazers during the Dark Sky Festival. | PHOTOS: COURTESY OF TOURISM JASPER; JEFF BARTLETT/TOURISM JASPER
SEEKING STARRY SKIES
Fall and winter are perfect for stargazing in Jasper, especially at the Jasper Planetarium, which offers telescope viewing and sky-watching tours. According to astrophysicist Tyler Burgardt, the planetarium’s general manager, the northern lights are visible here on average every 10 days to two weeks. And as the world’s largest accessible dark sky preserve, Jasper offers something rare, says Burgardt: the ability to simply drive in and see thousands of stars, even from the middle of town. “It’s something you don’t experience in most other [accessible] places.”
Pyramid Lake, just outside Jasper town proper, is a top stargazing spot. Bring a blanket and a thermos to watch Pyramid Mountain fade into darkness as stars (and possibly the aurora) light up the sky. And this year marks the 15th anniversary of Jasper’s Dark Sky Festival, which runs from October 17-26. Naji Khouri, director of destination development for Tourism Jasper, says the festival will be the biggest one yet. Highlights include a drone light show with 200 synchronized drones, planetarium stargazing and renowned guest speakers. A portable telescope setup at the base of the Jasper SkyTram will give guests a closer look at the cosmos.
“We welcome space and science enthusiasts, aurora [borealis] chasers and anyone fascinated by the dark sky,” Khouri says. “There’s something here for everyone.”
“In areas where wildfires once raged, snow and fallen leaves now blanket the ground, softening the appearance of the blackened forest floor.”
(Above) The lower part of the Maligne Valley sustained significant damage from the 2024 wildfires, but recovery efforts are underway; (below) SunDog Tours’ Pleckaitis Canyon Icewalk. | PHOTOS: LUUK WIJK/PARKS CANADA; COURTESY OF SUNDOG TOURS
NATURE’S RESILIENCE
Some areas of the park remain closed for safety and ecological recovery, says Philippa Gunn, public relations officer for Parks Canada. For the latest Jasper wildfire updates, current wildfire status and up-to-date trail safety notices, Gunn suggests that visitors check the park’s interactive map online or stop by the Information Centre in town.
Of course, some parts of the park and town still look different post-fire — but in areas where wildfires once raged, snow and fallen leaves now blanket the ground, softening the appearance of the blackened forest floor. “It’s only a short perimeter around town where you will see that,” Riopel notes. “Once you get to Athabasca Falls, it’s the same Jasper National Park that everyone remembers from [before the wildfires].”
On a hike through Pleckaitis Canyon on one of my final days in Jasper, I reflect on Riopel’s words. The charred remains of past fires still linger on the hills above Maligne Lake Road. But the towering white canyon walls and snow-dusted peaks that surround me are a reassuring constant — much like the resilient people who call Jasper home. CAA
LEND A HAND
Looking for a way to support Jasper’s restoration efforts and recovery? “The absolute best thing is to come and support local businesses. That’s the best way to support the community,” says Tyler Riopel, Jasper Tourism’s CEO.
For those interested in something more hands-on, volunteer opportunities in Jasper National Park are available through Friends of Jasper National Park, which is always looking for help with trail maintenance and restoration projects.