There are so many places of interest to visit within the Jasper National Park that you probably need at least a month to visit each of them, or am I grossly under estimating?

Well most visitors will not have the luxury to stay for a month or more. Mostly will stay for couple of weeks or so. With the limited times, which place should you visit?

To name a few, Maligne Canyon, Maligne Lake, the Columbia Icefield and the Medicine Lake are not to be missed.

The Maligne Canyon which is formed some eight thousand years ago. You will get to see how water from the Maligne Lake cuts through the limestone bed, forming layers of crack lines gap. The hiking trail has 6 bridges, each provides you a unique angle to look at the waterfall. The third bridge is the best photo-taking spot.

The Maligne Lake is the largest and deepest lake in the Canadian Rockies. Strolling the lake on the Maligne Lake Cruise is an experience that you should not miss. The cruise will bring you to the famous Spirit Island which is a landmark icon of the Canadian Rockies that has been featured in many post card, travel magazine and publication.

The Columbia Icefield is another great attraction. It is one of the only icefield in the world that is accessible by road. Experience the 90-minute ride on the Ice Explorer and have a walk on the glacier. On average the glacier is loosing at a rate of about 30 meters per year. Every year in summer, the glacier is loosing about 80 meters and during winter, it only manage to replenish 50 meters. That is a typical example of global warming effect.

How can you miss the Medicine Lake? This lake is special because during the autumn, the lake water
disappears and in summer, the water re-appears. In recent years, scientists have discovered that at the bottom of the lake, there are cracks that probably lead to a huge underground cave system. This forms a natural flushing system. During late spring or early summer where the snow from mountains melted and flow to the lake, because the water is filling faster than it drains off from the cracks, water start to fill up the lake. Then in late summer, where most of the snow has melted, water flowing to the lake is lesser and water is draining faster and by end summer, most water would disappear.

Another great place to visit is the Jasper Park Lodge. It is as famous as the Banff Spring Hotel and Chateau Lake Louise, as one of the key landmark in the Canadian Rockies. The difference is Jasper Park Lodge is basically cedar log cabins, that is in a rugged and yet a grand heritage resort. There are 3 hiking trails, the Lake Beauvert Loop (3.5 KM), Lake Annette Look (2.5 KM and Lake Edith Loop (4.5 KM). Walking along the trail, enjoying the beauty of the Canadian Rockies is a great experience. You may get to see some wild life like Elk, Deer or Goat.

The Trails

The mountain areas in British Columbia as listed above are some of the most difficult and subsequently dangerous mountain terrain trails around. Merely through the standard machinations of nature there are dozens of obstacles like fallen trees, rock slides, ravines and ditches to jump and much more.

Man has added his own little touch to the trails with bridges, twisting “ladders” and mountain biking ramps. This hybrid style of mixing natural obstacles with man-made jumps and ladders is often referred to as “North Shore” style trail riding. If youre looking for the most popular of these trails, the CBC is considered by many to be the pinnacle of North Shore style trail riding.

Controversy

Like any massive sport related tourist attractions, the trails of North Shore have reigned in a great deal of controversy with local residents complaining of off trail bikers disturbing their property. In some of the nearby mountain trail areas, new developments threaten existing trails on Eagle and Burke Mountains.

Because of the influx of new residential growth and mountain biking tourists, the area has formed a North Shore Mountain Biking Association to help mediate between bikers and residents and try to preserve trails. Also responsible for more fun activities like races and annual events, the NSMBA is one of the premier mountain biking associations in Canada.

Whistler

For those familiar with the world class skiing and boarding of Whistler-Blackcomb resort in British Columbia, its no surprise that the mountain offers world class mountain biking as soon as the snow starts to melt.

Usually starting in April, the mountain biking season carries through until the end of the summer, utilizing the numerous ski lifts and wide open space to hold numerous mountain biking events. In years when the snow lingers a little longer, mountain biking season might run a little short at the top of the mountain, though usually the lower lifts are open by the end of April.

British Columbia for Mountain Biking

As one of the largest developed spaces, complete with the convenience of modern society and the joy of the great outdoors, British Columbia offers some of the best Mountain Biking trails in the world. You can find something almost anywhere there is a mountain and often enough when you leave the mountain trails, youll find simple back wood trails that are ten times better than anything youll have back home.

They take their mountain biking seriously in the mountains of BC, Canada and any mountain biker should take the time and energy to make a visit and traverse the expansive, exciting trails.