JASPER NATIONAL PARK - Canadian Rockies: Including Banff and Jasper National Parks - page 371

Hinton
This medium-size town lies along Highway 16, approximately 19 kilometers (12 miles)
east of the park gate and 69 kilometers (43 miles) east of the town of Jasper. Staying here
provides an inexpensive alternative to staying in the park. The strip of motels, restaurants,
fast-food places, and gas stations along Highway 16 is the place to start looking for a room.
$50-100
The best value is Pines Motel (709 Gregg Ave., 780/865-2624, www.pines-motel.com ,
$79 s, $89-109 d), with 22 regularly revamped rooms adjacent to the local golf course.
Each room has a microwave, fridge, and coffeemaker.
The dowdy-looking Big Horn Motel (485 Gregg Ave., 780/865-1555, $99-129 s or d),
beside the Husky gas station, has surprisingly good rooms, some larger than others.
$100-150
Holiday Inn Hinton (393 Gregg Ave., 780/865-3321 or 877/660-8550,
www.holidayinn.com , from $119 s, $129 d) has everything you'd expect from a Holiday
Inn—reliable rooms, a restaurant, a fitness room, and kid-friendly extras like PlayStation.
Backcountry Accommodations
Two backcountry lodges are southwest of Jasper in the spectacular Tonquin Valley. Ac-
cessible only on foot or horseback or, in winter, by skiing, both lodges are open to hikers
(with advance reservations); most guests stay as part of a package that includes horseback
riding.
Dating to 1939, Tonquin Amethyst Lake Lodge (780/852-1188,
www.tonquinadventures.com ) was extensively upgraded in the early 1990s. Private cabins
have wood-burning heaters, twin log beds with thick blankets, oil lanterns, and a spectac-
ular view. Tonquin Adventures offers a number of well-priced packages, including riding
into the lodge on horses, accommodations, three hearty ranch-style meals, and use of small
boats and fishing gear (three days, $795; four days, $1,050; five days, $1,295). The rate
for walk-in hikers is $179 pp per night. Rates are reduced in winter, when guests ski in
under their own power. Regardless of the season, getting there involves a 19-kilometer
(11.8-mile) journey from a trailhead opposite HI-Mount Edith Cavell.
Nearby Tonquin Valley Backcountry Lodge (780/852-3909,
www.tonquinvalley.com ) offers a similar setup, with most guests arriving by horseback on
a prearranged ride from the nearest road. In this case, the departure point is along Marmot