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Jasper National Park is the largest national park in the Canadian Rockies, spanning 10,878 km² (4200 mi²). It is located in the province of Alberta, to the north of Banff National Park and west of the city of Edmonton. The park includes the glaciers of the Columbia Icefield, hot springs, lakes, waterfalls and, of course, mountains. Wildlife in the park include elk, moose, mountain goats, bighorn sheep, bears and caribou.
Attractions
Some of the park's many photogenic vistas include Mount Edith Cavell, Pyramid Lake with Pyramid Mountain, Maligne Lake, Medicine Lake, and the Tonquin Valley all considered best photographed at sunrise except for Maligne Lake, which is best in the evening. Other attractions are the Marmot Basin ski area, the Snocoach (bus-sized snowmobile) tours of the Athabasca Glacier, a distributary of the Columbia Icefield, Athabasca Falls, Maligne Canyon, Whistler Sky-Tram, and numerous other outdoor related recreational activities (e.g. hiking, fishing, wildlife viewing, rafting, kayaking, camping, etc.).
Major river systems originating in the park include
- North Saskatchewan River
- Athabasca River which flows north along the parkway then turns east at Jasper townsite to continue out of the mountains and on into the Mackenzie River system
Numerous waterfalls are located throughout the park, with Sunwapta Falls and Athabasca Falls among the most notable.
The park's information centre is located in Jasper, Alberta.
Photo gallery
History
Jasper was named after Jasper Hawes, who operated a post in the region for the North West Company. Before this it was referred to as Fitzhugh.
World Heritage Site
This park was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1984, together with the other national and provincial parks that form the Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks, for the mountain landscapes containing mountain peaks, glaciers, lakes, waterfalls, canyons and limestone caves as well as fossils found here.See also
External links
National parks of Canada | Geography of Alberta | Jasper National Park
Jasper-Nationalpark | Parque Nacional Jasper | Parc national Jasper | Jasper Nationaal Park | Park Narodowy Jasper | Parque Nacional Jasper | Banffin kansallispuisto
"Jasper National Park"