Between Kamloops and Jasper a popular stop is Wells Grey Provincial Park and Helmcken Falls with an overnight in Clearwater. Stop at Mount Robson Park to see the highest peak in the Canadian Rockies before heading into Jasper.
There are 3 ways to get from Calgary to Jasper by bus or car
- Take the bus from Calgary, AB - Westbrook Mall to Lake Louise, AB Calgary.
- Take the bus from Lake Louise, AB to Jasper, AB Banff.
Cold Shot operates a bus from Edmonton, AB - Cold Shot Passenger Terminal to Jasper, AB - SunDog Tour Co 414 Connaught Dr twice a week. Tickets cost $50 - $70 and the journey takes 4h. Alternatively, VIA Rail operates a train from Edmonton to Jasper twice a week. Tickets cost $80 - $160 and the journey takes 6h 29m.
The best way to get from Calgary to Golden without a car is to bus which takes 2h 55m and costs $60 - $80. How long does it take to get from Calgary to Golden? The bus from Calgary, AB - Westbrook Mall to Golden, BC takes 2h 55m including transfers and departs four times a week.
Bigger is betterJasper National Park is surprisingly a lot larger than Banff National Park. In number terms, it is 10,878 square kilometers versus Banff at 6,641 square kilometers; this is surprising as Banff National Park seems to have more well-known places, such as Canmore, Lake Louise, and the township of Banff.
- Maligne Lodge. Serenely nestled at the end of Jasper's main street, Maligne Lodge is a relaxing haven to retreat to after an invigorating day.
- Park Place Inn.
- Overlander Mountain Lodge.
- Pyramid Lake Resort.
- HI Jasper.
- Sunwapta Falls Rocky Mountain Lodge.
- Tonquin Inn.
- Bear Hill Lodge.
Summary. Jasper and Banff National Parks are full of stunning natural scenery, beautiful lakes and kilometers of defined hiking and walking trails. One place might have more or less to offer a visitor depending on their taste, but they are both worth visiting.
The four are: Num-ti-jah Lodge (at Bow Lake, 35 km north of Lake Louise), The Crossing "Resort" (read: motel) at Saskatchewan Crossing, Glacier View Inn (at the Columbia Icefields visitor centre) and Sunwapta Falls Lodge, 55 km south of Jasper townsite.
You do not need a separate pass for each park. You can visit all the Rocky Mountain Parks such as Banff, Jasper, Yoho, Kootenay, Mount Revelstoke, Glacier, Waterton Lakes and Elk Island National Parks with the same pass. As long as it is valid for the total number of days you will be visiting.
To recap here are the best stops that you just have to take when driving a Banff/ Jasper road trip:
- Maligne Lake.
- Maligne Canyon.
- The Jasper Skytram.
- Town of Jasper.
- Pyramid Island.
- Athabasca Falls.
- Sunwapta Falls.
- Glacier Skywalk and Columbia Icefields.
Jasper is a charming little town. The highway from Banff to Jasper is called the Icefields parkway. The entire drive is glorious. I actually find the scenery around Jasper to be even more spectacular as the valley widens a bit, and you get much greater vistas.
Cities near Jasper National Park
- Clearwater, Canada.
- Golden, Canada.
- Field, Canada.
- Lake Louise, Canada.
- Revelstoke, Canada.
- Drayton Valley, Canada.
- Whitecourt, Canada.
- Rocky Mountain House, Canada.
Golden is located on TransCanada Highway 1 and Highway 95 and is less than 3 hours drive from Calgary International airport, 2 hours and 30 minutes north of the Canadian Rockies International Airport in Cranbrook and less than 4 hours north of the US border making it simple to get to Golden by car or with a rental
Check out our list of the 5 best winter activities in Golden, BC!
- Skiing and Snowboarding. Light and deep snow, coupled with incredible terrain is a match made in heaven.
- Snowmobiling. Photo: Pat Winslow.
- Cross Country Skiing. Cross country skiing at the Golden Golf Course.
- Snowshoeing.
- Skating.
The Rocky Mountaineer train between Vancouver and Banff Naational Park (service available both directions) is our most popular short train trip for a number of reasons. Finally, Banff is only 140 km (86 miles) from Calgary International airport, the closest airport to the Rockies.
Route 8X: Banff to Lake Louise (Express)Departing 7 times a day from downtown Banff and the Banff Train Station, this service travels directly to Lake Louise's lakefront with a quick stop at Samson Mall in the village of Lake Louise.
There are 21.97 km (13.65 miles) from Lake Louise to Field in west direction and 27.36 km (17 miles) by car, following the 1 W and 93 N route. Lake Louise and Field are 20 minutes far apart, if you drive non-stop . This is the fastest route from Lake Louise, AB to Field, BC.
Distance from British Columbia to Calgary is 968 kilometers.