JASPER

Before heading to the Canadian Rockies, we’d both heard tons about hiking, biking and just being in Banff, but not much about Jasper. We arrived with no expectations, and maybe it’s because of this that we ended up loving it so much.

We rolled into the tiny town of Jasper and rushed through the routine of grocery and beer shopping so we could hit the trails. It was late in the day, so we headed to Mount Edith Cavell for a shorter hike, and we were stunned by the views from this little trail.

MILES OF TRAILS TO OURSELVES

While the park itself seemed to be full of people, we found many of the trails pretty empty. It felt so nice to be able to enjoy vistas without feeling hurried to move along so the next person could have a look or take a selfie. That said, there would have been plenty of ridges, peaks and lookouts to go around.

Into the Canyon

After days hiking up, we decided to change our perspective by heading down into Maligne Canyon. Here we did find the crowds, but we also found waterfalls and beautiful canyon walls.

LAYING BACK

After days of hiking and exploring the park, we rounded out our stay in this amazing place with tons of relaxation. We swam and kayaked the beautiful lakes, and spent time just hanging around our campsite.

When we’d arrived, all the campsites in the park were full, so we were sent to “overflow”. We had low expectations, but ended up loving the laid-back vibe of the overflow lot. Here we met fellow travelers from Quebec, Colorado and California who shared their experiences and helped us refocus on our own journey.