Beyond The Columbia Icefield
If there's a change beyond the Columbia Icefield , it's a barely quantifiable lapse in the scenery's awe-inspiring intensity over the 108-kilometre stretch towards Jasper. As the road begins a gradual descent the peaks retreat slightly, taking on more alpine and less dramatic profiles in the process. Yet the scenery is still magnificent, though by this point you're likely to be in the advanced stages of landscape fatigue. It's worth holding on, though, for two good short trails at Sunwapta and Athabasca falls. Seventeen kilometres beyond the icefield is the 24-berth, two-cabin Beauty Creek youth hostel (reservations through Jasper International Hostel tel 780/852-3215; $10 members, $15 nonmembers; May-Sept; hostel open all day but check-in 5-11pm; partial closure possible Oct-April). Nine kilometres further is the unserviced 25-site Jonas Creek campsite ($10; mid-May to first snowfall). A one-kilometre gravel spur leads off the highway to Sunwapta Falls (175km from Banff, 55km from Jasper), fifteen-minutes' walk through the woods from the road: they're not terribly dramatic unless in spate, but are interesting for the deep canyon they've cut through the surrounding valley. A short trail along the river bank leads to more rapids and small falls downstream. If you want to put up nearby, the 35-pitch Honeymoon Lake campsite with kitchen shelter, swimming and dry toilets is 4km further along the Parkway ($10; mid-June to first snowfall). The last main stop before you're in striking distance of Jasper Townsite, Athabasca Falls (30km from Jasper) are impressive enough, but the platforms and paths show the strain caused by thousands of feet, making it hard to feel you're any longer in wilderness. One kilometre away, however, is the excellent Athabasca Falls youth hostel (tel 852-5959, reservations through Jasper International Hostel tel 852-3215; $11 members, nonmembers $16; hostel open all day, but check-in 5-11pm), with forty beds in three cabins. Three kilometres back down the road is the 42-site Mount Kerkeslin campsite , with swimming, kitchen shelter and dry toilets, spread over a tranquil riverside site ($10; mid-June to early Sept). Highway 93A, the route of the old Parkway, branches off the Icefields Parkway at Athabasca Falls and runs parallel to it for 30km. This alternative route has less dramatic views than the Parkway, as dense trees line the road, but the chances of spotting wildlife are higher
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