Where to Stay
Camping in Jasper
Camping in Jasper National Park © C. Whitty
Jasper is a year-round camping destination and can accommodate anything from a one-person bivy tent to a 39 foot motorhome, and everything in between.
At all campgrounds, firewood is included with the purchase of a fire permit, bear proof lockers are offered for safe food storage, and log cookhouses are available in case the weather isn’t cooperating.
To maintain the family-friendly atmosphere that attracts millions here every year, quiet hours, including a liquor and fire curfew, are enforced by park wardens between 11pm and 7am.
Whether you’re looking for a quiet spot in the forest, or a sunny family atmosphere close to town, Jasper has a campsite with your name on it. In fact, you can literally put your name on a site by making an advance reservation online at pccamping.ca, or by phone at 1-877-RESERVE
HAPPY CAMPING!
2011 Camping Information
PWS : Power, Water, Sewer ELEC : Electricity UNS : no hook-ups, flush toilets PRIM : dry toilets SHO : showers
Whistlers
Can accommodate most sizes of motorhomes and trailers
Map of Whistlers campground
Cottage Tent in Jasper National Park © Parks Canada
A family trip to Whistlers campground has something for everyone: A playground for the kids, hot showers for mom and a chance for dad to show off his fire-making skills. Parks Canada interpreters put on evening shows all summer long, and a new interpretive trail running through the campground means it’s an easy walk or bike ride to town for an ice cream afterward.
Those looking to camp for the first time are invited to try the new Cottage Tents, where you can rough it without getting your clothes too ruffled – bring your own food, drinks, axe and bedding, and Parks Canada will take care of everything else.
This is the largest of Jasper’s campgrounds, with 781 sites and modern amenities including hot and cold running water, showers that don’t need tokens to stay running, and electrical and full hook-up sites for RVs.
Wapiti
Can accommodate most sizes of motorhomes and trailers
Map of Wapiti campgound
On the shore of the Athabasca River, Wapiti campground has nice private sites for tenting and electrical hook up spots for RVs. However, what makes Wapiti unique is that it operates year-round, offering 362 sites in the summer, and 93 winter camping spots with amenities like hot showers, electricity and fire rings.
Wapiti is a great campsite for family outings at any time of year. It’s close to town for supply runs or rainy day movies, and in the winter campers often get first crack at the slopes and cross country trails (because to really appreciate a campfire, you have to use it to thaw your ski boots!)
Wabasso
Best suited for tenting, and motorhomes and trailers under 27 feet
Map of Wabasso campground
Just another day in Jasper's campgrounds © C. Whitty
With pristine views, rushing river water and now, electrical sites for small RVs, Wabasso lets you get away from it all, without getting rid of it all, so bring your rice cooker and your coffee maker!
This quiet campground is tucked away on the 93A, a secondary highway offering excellent road biking opportunities, particularly in the fall. This is a good staging area for overnight treks into the backcountry and shorter day trips to Moab Lake and Athabasca falls.
Wabasso features heated bathrooms with lights, flush toilets, and hot and cold running water.
Honeymoon
Best suited for tenting, and motorhomes and trailers under 25 feet
Being able to replace ringing phones, noisy traffic and city smog with roaring waterfalls, quiet lakeside strolls and the smell of bacon cooking over a campfire gives you a sense of how Honeymoon campground got its name.
Just down the road from Sunwapta Falls, on the shores of Honeymoon Lake, this campground features rustic amenities in an intimate, 35-site setting.
Opportunities abound for any level of family adventure in the area, and range from a backcountry trip to Big Bend campground, a day on the water at Honeymoon, Osprey or Buck Lakes, or an evening of dining and drinks at the Sunwapta falls restaurant.
Campground facilities are rustic, and include picnic tables, metal fire rings, outhouses and a natural canoe launch.
Kerkeslin
Best suited for tenting, and motorhomes and trailers under 25 feet
This quiet, shady campground is an excellent stop-over for RVers and cyclists looking for absolute peace and quiet, as it’s one of the more overlooked campgrounds in Jasper National Park.
In fact, Kerkeslin is home to one of the best-kept secrets in Jasper: those who overnight here can easily launch a canoe into the Athabasca river in the morning, paddle a few kilometres upstream and skip the only boring slog of an otherwise world-class hike to one of Jasper’s crown jewels – the Fryatt Valley.
Campground facilities are rustic, with picnic tables, outhouses, metal fire rings and a natural canoe launch.
Jonas
Best suited for tenting, and motorhomes and trailers under 27 feet
Get a taste of the backcountry, without the sweat and stinky boots. A night at Jonas can either be spent within earshot of the babbling creek or, for more hardy campers, up on a hillside immersed in the forest, away from it all.
Less-busy than the campgrounds closer to town, Jonas is also a nice overnight stop for RV’rs or cyclists who just need a quiet place to put up for the night.
Campground facilities are basic, and include outhouses, picnic tables and metal fire rings.
Columbia Icefield
Tenting only
Down the road from the world-renowned Columbia Icefields, this campground puts you on the doorstep of some of the most spectacular scenery on the planet. Glacier views are had from most campsites and from the windows of the cozy log cookhouses.
Glacier geeks can get their fix in the interactive glacier gallery at the icefields centre, and even hitch a ride onto the glacier itself on a Brewster snow coach. More adventuresome travellers can book a guided walk on the glacier.
Campground facilities are rustic, and include outhouses, picnic tables and metal fire rings. In the winter, the unserviced icefield centre parking lot is available for self-contained RVs.
Wilcox
Best suited for tenting, and motorhomes and trailers under 27 feet
Sitting at the base of one of Jasper’s premiere dayhikes, with which it shares its name, Wilcox campground is also down the road from the Columbia icefield, offering access to a variety of family friendly amenities and day trips.
Campground facilities are rustic, and include outhouses, picnic tables and metal fire rings.
Wilcox in Winter
Hardy campers who wish to stay in the Columbia Icefields area are permitted to tent at the Wilcox Pass Trailhead. Note that this site is unmaintained during the winter. No water, garbage collection or maintenance services are offered. Please pack-out what you pack in and be aware that snowfall may impact access to privies. Fires are not permitted. After a snowfall, parking areas are ploughed only after all roads are cleared. Campers should be prepared with shovels.
The Wilcox Trailhead site requires a bivy permit. Call 780-852-6176 for information.
Pocahontas
Best suited for tenting, and motorhomes and trailers under 27 feet
Map of Pocahontas campground
Pocahontas is a secluded gem, nestled just inside the east boundary of the park on the Miette road.
While the babbling creek and quiet, spacious sites are nice, this campground’s best feature is the nearby trailhead for Sulphur Skyline and Utopia Pass – two spectacular hikes that conclude with a soak at the world famous Miette Hotsprings.
Pocohontas offers basic services, including running water, fire rings and flush toilets. Restaurants, gift shops and a cafe are located nearby along the Miette road, and the town of Jasper is 30 minutes away.
Snaring
Best suited for tenting, and motorhomes and trailers under 27 feet
Snaring has a nice mix of campsites, ranging from private and well-treed to wide open and sunny. There are even a few spots along the river with dramatic views of jagged peaks.
While the riverside sites are often the first to go, there are some equally good spots in the walk-in tenting area that don’t fill up as fast. They just require that you park your car and carry your stuff a short way to set up, where bear-proof lockers are provided for food storage
While services here are simple, with outhouses and fire rings taking care of the basics, this is one of the more popular campgrounds in Jasper, so plan on arriving early.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q – When can I run my generator?
A – Generators can be used, to supply power to sleeping units, between the hours of 8:00-9:30am and 5:00-7:00pm
Q – How many people are permitted on a campsite?
A – Up to 6 people, or parents and their dependant children, using up to one vehicle and one camping unit, are allowed per site.
Q – Where can I make a reservation?
A – Parks Canada’s reservation system is online at www.pccamping.ca, or by phoning 1-877 RESERVE (737-3783) after April 2nd, at 6 a.m, and takes bookings for Whistlers, Wabasso, Pocahontas and Wapiti campgrounds. All other campgrounds operate on a first-come, first-served basis.
Q – When’s check out time?
A – 11:oo am at all campgrounds.
Q – Where can I have a shower?
A – Whistlers and Wapiti campground include showers with camping fees. Paid admission to Miette Hotsprings include showers, and is a good option for those staying at Pocahontas campground.
Q – I’m coming with a big group, where can I stay?
A – Group camping for tents is available by advance booking at Whistlers campground. Phone: 780-852-6181. (Minimum ten people)
Group camping for RVs will be available, in summer 2012, at Snaring River group camp. For more information, call 780-852-6182.
Q – Where can I fill up or dump my trailer’s water tanks?
A - Whistlers, Wapiti, Wabasso and Wilcox creek campgrounds all offer dumping stations, A dump station can also be found in the Jasper townsite industrial park.
Food left unattended could attract a bears to your campsite
© Parks CanadaQ – Do I need to worry about bears at my campsite?
A – No. Bears are naturally wary of people. Just keep a clean campsite and ensure that anything associated with food, cooking, personal hygiene and pets, is stored in your vehicle or in the provided lockers when you’re not using it. Bear Update
Q – How do I have a campfire? Do I need to bring my own wood?
A – Campfire permits can be purchased for all campsites that have a metal fire pit.
Split firewood is available on site, and is free to use, within reason, for campers with a valid fire permit, so there’s no need to bring your own.
Q – Are special sites available for those with limited mobility?
A – Yes – special campsites are available at Whistlers, Pocahontas and Wabasso Campgrounds that are relatively flat, large and close to the bathrooms.
Q - When’s the best time of year to camp in Jasper?
A – The fall (September and October) is possibly the best time to visit the mountains. Crowds are gone, the elk are in the middle of their spectacular rut (where males fight over breeding rights) and the leaves and tamarack needles are all changing color.
Accommodations
Jasper has hotels, hostels and home accomodations to make your stay as comfortable as possible.
Learn more about hotel and bungalow/cabin accommodation
www.jaspercanadianrockies.com
Learn more about home accomodation
www.stayinjasper.com
Learn more about hostel accomodation
www.hihostels.ca