4 Great Alternatives to Jasper National Park

4 great alternatives to Jasper National Park

Jasper National Park is an awesome part of Alberta to visit. But it can get busy and at certain times of the year just getting accommodation can be tough – and expensive. Fortunately there are a number of alternatives to Jasper National Park including provincial parks that are within a few hour’s drive of Jasper (tops). In my humble opinion they are overlooked. Put them on your radar.

They all see a fraction of the traffic that Jasper National Park gets.

All four provincial parks described are accessed from Highway 40 just west of Hinton, the gateway city to Jasper if you’re driving from Edmonton.

While they don’t all deliver the same Rocky Mountain scenery as Jasper National Park, I think they are all superb alternatives to Jasper, especially if you’re crowd adverse.

The beauty of Whitehorse Wildland Provincial Park
The beauty of Whitehorse Wildland Provincial Park

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Alternatives to Jasper National Park – Whitehorse Wildland Provincial Park

Whitehorse Wildland Provincial Park lives up to its name. It’s wild, beautiful, totally off the radar and the sort of place that will appeal to people that love remote feeling, empty spaces.

Just getting there via Highway 40 through Cadomin makes you feel like you’re heading off into the unknown, even though it’s only about an hour’s drive south of Hinton. Along the way you pass a major coal mining operation which might make you question if you’re on the right track. You are.

Whitehorse Wildland actually shares its western border with Jasper National Park. The park is also one of the few places in Alberta where it’s actually possible to drive to an alpine meadow. And its home to Alberta’s largest bat hibernation cave, though at present that is off limits to the public.

What can you do in Wildhorse Wildland Provincial Park?

There is some great hiking available from two different areas of the park. If you drive to the Cardinal Divide at an elevation of 1,981 m (I’d recommend a high clearance vehicle because of one washed out area) you have the option of a couple of hikes.

Trails are unmarked but obvious and you can see for miles so just keep track of where you are in relation to the parking lot. One option is to hike east up the ridge for superb views of the upper foothills. The other hike heads for the closest mountain through a wildflower dotted landscape. You may see wildlife; we didn’t but the park offers prime habitat for elk, moose, mule deer, bighorn sheep, black and grizzly bears along with wolves.

The other option is to explore the backcountry trails from the Whitehorse Creek Provincial Staging Area, where the only camping in the park is found.

You can do it on foot or by horseback. You’ll enter prime grizzly country if you take the Lower Whitehorse Trail so go prepared with bear spray that’s easy to access. There’s also the option for a longer backpacking trip over Fiddle Pass into Jasper National Park to end at the Miette Hot Springs.

Repeating mountains in Whitehorse Wildland Provincial Park
Repeating mountains in Whitehorse Wildland Provincial Park – a scenic, less crowded alternative to Jasper National Park
Hiking from the Cardinal Divide
Hiking from the Cardinal Divide – one of the great, uncrowded alternatives to Jasper National Park
Whitehorse Wildland is a great place for wildflowers
Whitehorse Wildland is a great place for wildflowers

Pierre Grey’s Lakes Provincial Park

Pierre Grey’s Lakes Provincial Park is just a 75-minute drive north of Hinton. It’s easy to combine a trip here with a visit to the Sulphur Gates Recreational Area.

This park is home to five beautiful lakes, three of which are easily accessible – Moberly Lake, Desjarlais Lake, and McDonald Lake. These three lakes have hiking trails at least part way around them as well as boat launches. Kayaking and SUP are popular and because the lakes are stocked with both rainbow and brook trout, fishing is excellent.

Hikers will also love the 24 km of easy, family-friendly trails. Don’t miss the hike out to the end of the spit in Desjarlais Lake where you can see an osprey nest high in the tree. Listen for loons and if you get lucky you might see a bald eagle.

You can also visit what’s left of an historical trading post on the shores of Moberly Lake. The trading post was used between 1886 and 1894 by Pierre Gris (whom the park is named for) and his wife.

They traded with native trappers and were reportedly more successful than the Hudson’s Bay Company, because of Pierre’s indigenous family connections and ties to the land.

If you’re after a weekend of fishing, boating, hiking and tranquility then this is a great park to visit. It’s a little off the beaten path as its solid four hour drive and 400 km northwest of Edmonton. But that helps keep numbers down so campsites are relatively easy to nab. And you can reserve online. Most are quite lovely and private, with lake views and plenty of space. It’s also a stopover for many RVers as it’s on the scenic route to Alaska. A large number of people who visit the park come for the excellent fishing. Three of the five lakes in the park are accessible and boast boat launches including Moberly Lake, Desjarlais Lake and McDonald Lake. These three lakes are stocked with both rainbow and brook trout. Kayaking and SUP are popular on the lakes as well. Hikers will love the park. There are 24 km of easy trails, including loop trails around Desjarlais and McDonald Lakes. One of the prettiest parts of the park covers the hike out to the end of the spit in Desjarlais Lake. When you reach the end, look up high in the tree for a massive osprey nest. In early summer you might hear the osprey chicks. Occasionally there are bald eagle sightings and you will most certainly hear the cry of the loon.
Hike to the spit at the end of Desjarlais Lake
Three of the five lakes in the park are easy to access for swimming, fishing & boatin
Three of the five lakes in the park are easy to access for swimming, fishing & boating
There is some really lovely hiking in Pierre Grays Park
There is some really lovely hiking in Pierre Grays Park

Sulphur Gates Recreation Area – one of the scenic alternatives to Jasper National Park

You visit the Sulphur Gates Recreation Area for one main reason – the awesome views of the confluence of the Smoky and Sulphur Rivers.

In theory you could visit the area in 15 minutes. Run up the trail, snap a photo and go back to your car. Instead, take your time. Savour the view at each of the viewpoints especially as each one gets increasingly better the higher you go.

The Sulphur Gates Recreation Area is also one of only three access points to Wilmore Wilderness Park. It’s for this reason you might want to camp overnight here, though it tends to be more popular with the horsey crowd.

There are 14 rustic, first come-first served campsites immediately beside the parking lot. What you get is an outhouse, picnic table and fire pit unless you’re a horse. Then you get drinking water too. Campsites are $26 each and an extra $9 per horse.

Looking at the confluence of the Smoky and Sulphur Rivers - one of the besutiful alternatives to Jasper National Park
Looking at the confluence of the Smoky and Sulphur Rivers
 The Sulphur Gates are one of three gateways to the Wilmore Wilderness Park
The Sulphur Gates are one of three gateways to the Wilmore Wilderness Park

Alternatives to Jasper National Park – Wilmore Wilderness Park

The Wilmore Wilderness Park is the LARGEST wilderness park in Alberta. As such it needs a block of time to properly appreciate it. With 750 km of trails, there’s lots to explore. It can be done on horse or on foot.

The most common way to access the park is via Rock Lake Provincial Park, a 90-minute drive from Hinton via Highway 40 and 30 km on a gravel road.

From here you can embark on backpacking trips where the recommendation is to set up base camps and do day trips. Valley bottoms in the summer can be muddy because of the horses. Aim to get high onto the ridges so you can enjoy the views the park is so famous for.

Once into the park you can expect to be wowed by a vast expanse of wilderness – filled with rivers, waterfalls, alpine meadows, mountain peaks, glaciers and broad, grass-covered valleys.

The park is also known for its wildlife. There are lots of black bears, grizzly bears, wolves, moose, bighorn sheep, mountain goats and elk. Take all necessary precautions including making noise when the vegetation is thick and packing a can of bear spray.

It’s easy to get a small taste of the Wilmore Wilderness by hiking to Eaton Falls from the Sulphur Creek parking lot. It’s only 3 km one way with about a 120 m elevation gain. Eaton Falls were far more impressive than I expected. There is a viewpoint part way along that’s worth the short detour. Allow about two – three hours to do the full 6 km return hike.

If you love adventure and exploring new country, Wilmore Wilderness Park is just the ticket.

Looking into the Wilmore Wilderness and the spectacular beauty of the Smoky River
Looking into the Wilmore Wilderness and the spectacular beauty of the Smoky River
On the way to Eaton Falls in the Wilmore Wilderness Area
On the way to Eaton Falls in the Wilmore Wilderness Area
 Eaton Falls is a worthy hiking destination in the Wilmore Wilderness
Eaton Falls is a worthy hiking destination in the Wilmore Wilderness

Where to stay just outside of Jasper National Park

Just outside of the eastern entrance to Jasper National Park is the Overlander Inn.

It offers the choice of a mix of rooms with a gorgeous view into Jasper National Park or six unique chalets, all fully equipped. There’s a cozy lounge with a lovely fireplace that invites you to relax and the dining room has an incredible wine list.

One of the charming inns of Alberta with a view of Jasper National Park
Looking into Jasper National Park from the Overlander Mountain Inn

Further reading on things to do in Alberta

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4 alternatives to Jasper National Park include nearby provincial parks that don't get as much traffic

Thank you to Travel Alberta for sponsoring this post. All opinions as always are mine.

 

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