Jasper National Park

Posted on Friday, July 24, 2009

The region which is now Jasper National Park was once the floor of a sea that covered North America. Internal pressure pushed the rock above the water and erosion carved its current peaks and valleys.

Established as a national park in 1907, Jasper National Park was named after Jasper Hawes, former manager of the Hudson Bay Trading outpost located in the area. The variety and beauty of its numerous lakes are the area’s chief attractions, with Maligne Lake being the largest. One of the park’s other features is the great Columbia Icefield, the largest mass of ice in the Rocky Mountains, covering 120 sq. miles (311 sq. km) and ranging in thickness from 1,970 to 2,950 ft (600 to 900 m). Its meltwater empties into the Arctic, Pacific and Atlantic Oceans.