JASPER NATIONAL PARK - Canadian Rockies: Including Banff and Jasper National Parks - page 372

Basin Road, from a parking lot at Portal Creek. Rates for hikers are $170 per person per
night, with a five-night package—inclusive of horse rental—costing $1,375 per person.
Guest Ranch
The mountain retreat M Black Cat Guest Ranch (780/865-3084 or 800/859-6840,
www.blackcatguestranch.ca , $110 s or d) lies on the eastern edge of the park, surrounded
by mountain wilderness. All 16 rooms have private baths and views of the mountains.
Horseback riding is available during the day (June-September), and in the evening guests
relax in the large living room or hot tub. Meals packages are adult $51, child $34. To get
to the ranch, follow Highway 16 for 19 kilometers (12 miles) beyond the east gate, head
north along Highway 40 for six kilometers (3.7 miles), turn left to Brule and continue for
11 kilometers (6.8 miles), and then turn right and follow the signs.
Campgrounds
Most campgrounds in Jasper begin opening in mid-June, and all but Wapiti are closed by
mid-October. All campsites have a picnic table and fire ring, with a fire permit costing
$8 (includes firewood). A percentage of sites in the most popular campgrounds can
be reserved through the Parks Canada Campground Reservation Service (877/737-3783,
www.pccamping.ca ) for a nominal fee. If you're traveling in July or August, know which
dates you'll be in Jasper, and require electrical hookups, it is strongly advised to take ad-
vantage of this service. Whistlers and Wapiti are the only two campgrounds with powered
sites, and therefore they're in great demand. A line usually forms well before the official
check-out time of 11am.
Unlike neighboring Banff National Park, Jasper's 10 campgrounds combine to handle
all but the busiest summer nights. And on the rare occasion all campsites fill, campers are
directed to overflow areas. These are glorified parking lots with no designated sites, but
fees are reduced ($12 per unit).
NEAR THE TOWN OF JASPER
Whistlers Campground, at the base of Whistlers Road, three kilometers (1.9 miles) south
of town, has 781 sites, making it the largest campground in the Canadian Rockies. It is
divided into four sections; prices vary with the services available: walk-in sites $22.50, un-
serviced sites $27.40, powered sites $32.30, full hookups $38.20. Washrooms and street-
lights are spread throughout, while each section has showers, playgrounds, and a nightly
interpretive program. Whistlers is open May-mid-October.