(#6) Jasper National Park

Turquoise lakes? Check. Epic mountain views? Check. A moment of 5-star luxury as we travel through the Canadian Rockies from Calgary to Jasper National Park? Double check! 😍

For this diary-style travelogue, we’re bringing you along as we take the dreamiest 10-day road trip through the Canadian Rockies, stopping in places like Banff, Lake Louise, and Jasper National Park and driving the Icefields Parkway — twice!

Later on, we'll share detailed itinerary posts to help you plan your own Canadian Rockies Road Trip, but in the meantime, this diary-style travelogue is dedicated to sharing the fun adventures — and a few misadventures — of our own. Wondering if this bucket-list destination really lives up to the hype? Let’s go!

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Day 7: Pyramid Island, Lake Annette, Edith Lake

Our day begins with a stroll through the quaint streets of Jasper. Despite the reluctance we sometimes feel getting up early, this is one of the fun parts of traveling with a dog. Lincoln lovingly forces us to get to know each town, explore different areas, and find local parks and walking paths.

Living in a bigger city when we’re not traveling, I love this chance to see what it’s like living in various small towns across the United States and Canada, especially when we get to temporarily call home a small mountain town. The small-town mountain charm of Jasper is palpable. Whether it’s the fresh air, smaller population, or abundance of scenic beauty, this is one of those towns where just being here feels good.

We walk along the town’s two main streets, Connaught Drive, where our hotel is located, and Patricia Street, until we make our way to Bear Paw’s Bakery. (Because no morning stroll is complete without coffee and pastries from a local bakery, amirite?)

Bear Paw Bakery

With hot coffee, a sausage roll, and two slices of delicious banana bread in hand, we make our way to Patricia and Pyramid Lakes, about a 10-minute drive from town. Lincoln runs along the beach shores while Jonathan and I finish breakfast, watching early morning kayakers set out into the mirrored waters of Pyramid Lake.

Pyramid Lake

A dog who loves the beach!

Just around the corner, we stumble upon a small parking lot with a footbridge to Pyramid Island.

Pyramid Island is named after Pyramid Mountain, the highest peak in the Jasper townsite vicinity. Pyramid Mountain provides a breathtaking backdrop to the island, which sits on Pyramid Lake and is connected to the mainland by a short boardwalk.

The footbridge to Pyramid Island

We walk the entirety of Pyramid Island, which only takes about 20 minutes. There are many viewpoints along the way to pause and enjoy the view as well as the serenity of this small island.

We won’t learn this until visiting the Jasper Planetarium tomorrow night, but stargazing is one of the best things to do at Pyramid Island. Jasper National Park is a Dark Sky Preserve, and with minimal light pollution, Pyramid Island is one of the best spots within all of Jasper National Park to enjoy the Milky Way, constellations, and an occasional sighting of the Northern Lights.

Appreciating the view from Pyramid Island 🤩

With nothing specific on our agenda today (a rarity for us!), our impromptu tour of the lakes throughout Jasper National Park continues as we make our way to Edith Lake and Lake Annette next.

We had considered taking a long hike today, specifically hiking Opal Peak or Bald Hills, but sometimes it’s nice to pivot in favor of a more laid-back pace — and, you know, to have yet another reason to come back by saving something for next time! 😎

The Edith Lake and Lake Annette area is pet and family-friendly, with lots of benches, beach-front access, and picnic areas to hang out as long as you’d like. It’s a cool, partly sunny day, so we soak up the stunning views at Edith Lake, then follow the approximately two-mile Lake Annette Loop. It’s a fairly easy walk through a lush pine forest with great views of the surrounding mountains and Lake Annette itself.

Lake Annette

We enjoy our walk, especially with Lincoln in tow, but you definitely don’t have to follow this trail for amazing lake views. You don’t really have to follow any trail to get an incredible view in Jasper National Park. Sure, there are additional sights to see the further you walk, but here in Jasper, the natural wonders really are everywhere.

In fact, the views are so abundant and so grand that it’s easy to lose track of just how extraordinary each one is.

Meaning… in many other places, driving, hiking, or backpacking to any ONE of these lakes would be worthwhile. It’d be a reason to wake up early, drive a few hours, and walk uphill both ways… because the view is that impressive, the lake is that refreshing, and you just don’t get to see places like this every day.

But here in Jasper National Park, and along the Canadian Rockies in general, access to jaw-dropping beauty is so plentiful that you almost have to remind yourself how mind-blowing what you’re witnessing truly is.

Edith Lake

I said it along the Icefields Parkway, and I can’t help but say it again: How does so much beauty exist in one place?

The proximity and abundant access to natural wonders single-handedly make the Canadian Rockies one of the most spectacular road trips in North America.

As I’m sure comes as no surprise if you’ve read all of our travelogues, traveling encourages us to reflect differently and more often than we do when in our normal routine at home. So, as we’re finishing the Lake Annette Loop, I notice Jonathan smiling and ask what he’s thinking about.

He tells me, “I’m just thinking about where we are and everything we’re seeing and how much we’ve sped up our travels over the last few years. I mean, thinking back to 2017, we were skipping vacations and canceling trips left and right for work.” (We canceled our vacation to Utah’s “Mighty 5” and a separate road trip to Oklahoma in favor of new roles and jobs between 2017 and 2019.)

“Now,” he continues, “We’re taking vacation days from work left and right to travel.”

We started traveling in 2019 when Jonathan was offered a remote role. (I’ve been working remotely since 2015.) Partly because we wanted to “catch up” after skipping vacations and canceling trips for the 2.5 years prior, we spent a year as digital nomads of sorts, roadtripping around the United States. Since then, we’ve been able to visit some of our dream destinations, such as the Canadian Rockies.

The more we travel, the more we don’t take these years for granted. There’s so much to see, and today, as we spontaneously tour four lakes in Jasper National Park, we’re feeling especially in awe of that decision to hit the road in 2019. We had absolutely no idea all that was ahead!

The sun’s rays are lighting up slivers of water along the shore, and Lake Annette seems like the perfect place to read a book in a hammock strung between two trees. But it’s lunchtime by now, and we’re ready to eat.

We shortly find ourselves back in town at Jasper Wafflato. Lincoln and I grab a table on the street-side patio, while Jonathan orders the “Strawberry Delight,” a Belgian waffle topped with whipped cream, fresh strawberries, and a drizzle of dark chocolate sauce… and the “Chicken Avocado Waffle,” a Belgian waffle served with chicken tenders, avocado, and mixed greens drizzled with Chipotle sauce. (Plus one peanut butter smoothie and one wildberry smoothie to wash it down!)

BEST WAFFLES OF OUR LIVES

Truly, have you seen anything prettier?!?!?

As we refuel with the epitome of comfort food after our laid-back morning in this charming, laid-back town, there’s zero doubt in either of our minds: We’re falling more in love with Jasper National Park with every passing second (and bite 😋)!

Once our plates are clean, we return to our hotel for a brief nap for Jonathan and Lincoln and some light work for me. Later, we venture out for dinner, exploring the galleries and shops that line the streets of Jasper. We settle on a "Mr. Pepperoni" pizza, the perfect counterpart for watching our first NFL game of the season as we dine.

Tomorrow, we gear up for another fun, full day in Jasper National Park!

Day 8: Valley of the Five Lakes, Jasper Park Lodge

The weather is perfect when we wake up, so we’re happy to get out of bed early and drive just 12 minutes to the Valley of the Five Lakes trailhead. This is one of the most popular hikes in Jasper National Park! We’d planned to hike it on our final day along the Icefields Parkway, but poor visibility and rain kept us from doing so.

Driving past the pink mountains that are waking up with the sun, we’re so glad we took the rain delay. It’s a crisp, dry fall morning. The sun is shining. And there are only a handful of other cars in the parking lot when we arrive.

Valley of the Five Lakes is the perfect early morning fall hike. We enjoy the crisp September air, mountain reflections mirrored in the lakes, and the stillness of being on the trail before the crowds. It feels good to hike after our more laid-back day yesterday, and we’re always happy to find a dog-friendly hike that lets Lincoln join us and stretch her legs, too!

Along the approximately 3-mile loop, we pass forests, meadows, and, as the hike is aptly named, five different lakes, each with its own charm. We hike counter-clockwise, so we pass Fifth Lake first and First Lake fifth, and by the time we arrive at two of Parks Canada’s iconic red chairs on Third Lake, we get these two outdoor thrones all to ourselves!

Valley of the Five Lakes, Third Lake

Valley of the Five Lakes, First Lake

It’s around 9:30 am when we finish the Valley of the Five Lakes trail and get back to our car. The trail is definitely getting busier as we pass multiple groups starting their trek, but the parking lot isn’t yet full.

On our way back into town, we encounter just our third wildlife spotting of the trip— a bull elk crossing the road in front of us! His antlers are one more reminder fall is here and bringing with it the elk rut 🍂

Bull elk crossing the road near the town of Jasper - notice his breath!!!

After a quick stop for breakfast at Snow Dome Coffee Bar in town, we check out of our hotel and head in the direction of our final night’s stay in Jasper National Park. We drive past the turn we took yesterday for Edith Lake and Lake Annette, and instead continue driving Old Lodge Road until we pass through the entrance to Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge.

As we drive toward the resort’s lobby, Jonathan's phone chimes with a message so perfectly timed as he reads aloud, "Good morning, Mr. Welch, your room is now ready..." 😍😍😍

A sneak preview at what’s to come at Jasper Park Lodge 😍