| | History (Source: WCities) | Top | The town of Jasper lies in a narrow valley nestled beneath the jagged Rampart mountain range. As it is the only range removed from the flat grasslands of the Canadian Prairie, and one of the few that passes through the sheer ramparts of the Eastern Rockies, this valley has been inhabited for over 10,000 years. The first people to settle here were Native Americans, who wandered into the valley at the end of the last Ice Age. Hunting bighorn sheep, deer and elk, they found that the sheltered mountain valleys had a slightly milder climate than the dry and windswept prairies. As they moved farther into the mountains, they discovered that the Athabasca Valley was situated at the beginning of a number of mountain passes that allowed them to travel and settle through the heart of what is now British Columbia, to the west of the Rockies. The Sarcee tribe became well established in the Athabasca Valley, and for several thousand years was influential in controlling trade between the plains nations and the mountain tribes. With the arrival of Europeans in North America, however, came a smallpox epidemic that devastated the indigenous people, killing almost 50 percent of the population. In addition, displaced natives, particularly the Iroquois from eastern Canada, moved west ahead of the white settlers, and began to take over the Sarcee's territory. The Iroquois had horses and guns acquired from white traders, and soon wrested control of the eastern Rockies from the existi
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| How To Get There (Source: WCities) | Top | Getting There: By Air: Jasper-Hinton Airport ( YJA ) ( +1 780 865 4474/ http://www.airjasper.com ) located about 60 minutes from the town of Jasper, can accommodate small commercial and charter planes. Peace Air ( +1 800 563 3060/ http://www.peaceair.net/ ) is probably your best bet if you want to charter a plane. Many hotels in Jasper now provide shuttles to and from the airport; check with your hotel to see if this service is available. Most visitors typically prefer to use Edmonton International Airport ( YEG ) ( +1 780 890 8900/ http://www.edmontonairports.com/ ), which is roughly 2.5 hours from Jasper and the neighboring park regions. The following providers offer service: Air Canada ( +1 800 247 8726/ http://www.aircanada.ca ) Air North ( +1 800 764 0407 in the U.S./+1 800 661 0407 in Canada/ https://www.flyairnorth.com/ ) Air Transat ( +1 866 847 1112/ http://www.airtransat.com/ ) Canadian North ( +1 800 661 1505/ http://www.canadiannorth.com/ ) Central Mountain Air ( +1 888 865 8585/ http://www.flycma.com/ ) Continental ( +1 800 525 0280/ http://www.continental.com ) Jetsgo ( +1 866 440 0441/ http://www.jetsgo.net/en/ ) MartinAir ( +1 800 627 8462/ http://www.martinairusa.com/ ) MyTravel ( +1 866 698 7285/ http://www.mytravel.ca/ ) Northwest ( +1 800 225 2525/ http://www.nwa.com ) Northwestern Air Lease ( +1 877 872 2216/ http://www.nwal.ca/ ) Skyservice ( +1 800 701 9448/ http://w
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| What To Do (Source: WCities) | Top | Most people who live in Jasper do so in order to take advantage of the incredible scenery and abundant outdoor recreational opportunities. As a result, everybody tries to spend as much time as possible outside, which makes for a do-it-yourself approach to entertainment. Besides the local cinema, there are very few venues where you sit and are entertained by somebody else. Be prepared for a little bit of adventure in whatever you choose to do, and enjoy your sojourn to its fullest. Outdoor activities abound in and around Jasper. In the summer you can hike the trails around town, or rent a mountain bike to explore some of the longer trails. If you want to get a little farther from civilisation, horse pack trips can take you to chalets dozens of kilometres back into the mountains. In the winter you can downhill ski or snowboard at the Marmot Basin Ski Area, or strap on a pair of cross country skis and go gliding through the forested trails around Pyramid Lake. For a bird’s eye view of the town and most of the park, take the Jasper Tramway to the top of Whistlers Mountain. Once you reach the summit, you can wander around and take in the spectacular mountain vista, or partake in a gourmet dinner at Treeline Restaurant . The Treeline claims to be one of the highest altitude restaurants in Canada, and has a menu to match. Shopping is one area where Jasper reigns supreme. Whether you are looking for an original mountainscape watercolour, elk antler chandelier or
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