Camping reservations for Jasper National Park in Alberta will open this week for the 2025 season, with frontcountry camping reservations set to begin at 8 a.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 28, and backcountry reservations available starting 8 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 29.
The park, known for its rugged beauty and outdoor recreation opportunities, is set to welcome visitors despite the challenges posed by last year’s wildfire.
According to an article published by Jasper Fitzhugh, Graham Wylde, the visitor experience manager for Jasper National Park, emphasized that the majority of the park is open and ready for camping.
“The vast majority of the park is reopened, and so people can experience all the same type of recreation that they could pre-fire,” Wylde said.
He added that tourism remains a vital part of the region’s economy, with visitors’ stays in the park contributing to the economic recovery of Jasper’s community.
Following the wildfire that affected multiple campgrounds, Parks Canada has spent the winter assessing the damage and preparing the sites for the upcoming season.
Approximately 75% of the existing campgrounds are expected to be open, with some areas still undergoing repairs. Whistlers Campground, one of the park’s most popular sites, will be almost fully operational, although a few loops will be reserved for interim housing for Jasper residents.
While the damage to several campgrounds was significant, Whistlers remains a key part of the park’s offerings.
“Basically, it will be the same application process as to get into interim housing,” Wylde said.
Other campgrounds, such as Wapiti, will have some campsites open, but not at full capacity. Wapiti Campground will offer about a third of its usual sites.
“Both Wapiti and Whistlers were impacted by the fire, so there’ll be burned trees,” Wylde noted. He also pointed out that many trees were removed, leaving some campsites with altered views compared to previous years.
In contrast, all of Jasper’s backcountry campsites will be open, as they were unaffected by the wildfire.
However, a few trailheads will be closed due to ongoing recovery efforts. Despite these closures, outdoor enthusiasts can still enjoy the park’s scenic backcountry areas, which are integral to Jasper’s appeal.