Situated in the Canadian Rockies in the Athabasca River Valley, the town of Jasper is the primary commercial and accommodation centre for Jasper National Park - which spans an incredible 4,200 square miles (10,878 square kilometres). The town - and later the park - was named after Jasper Hawes, who used the area as a trading post in the late 19th century. The beautiful enclosure first became a park in 1907, and was granted National Park status in 1930. In 1984, it was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site, and now attracts almost two million visitors every year.

Among Jasper National Park's attractions are the glaciers of the Columbia Icefield, as well as many more stunning lakes, mountains, waterfalls and hot springs. The Maligne Canyon, a 164 feet (50 metres) deep gorge of sheer limestone walls with a number of interesting rock formations, is very popular with tourists, as is Maligne Lake - the largest glacier-fed body of water in the region. The park is naturally home to plenty of rare wildlife, including grey wolves, hoary marmot, caribou and moose.