When we planned to visit Jasper National Park, we had to find a campground that would be perfect for us. Most of the campgrounds in Jasper National Park were already closed or had limited facilities. Thankfully, we found an amazing park just outside of the park – Jasper Gates.
Jasper Gates can be found just minutes from the Jasper National Park. It’s about 5 minutes from the east gate of the park. This park is a mix of RV 30/50amp campsites, cottages, and also includes a motel. The highlight of the park is the view of Folding Mountain directly behind the park. It was such a lovely sight to see the snow covered mountain while we ate our breakfast in the morning. This park is well maintained & has great amenities. The staff at Jasper Gates are also the best. Keep reading to find out how the staff helped us out in a situation we didn’t think we would be dealing with.
Site Quality = 4/5
The sites at Jasper Gates are huge, complete with a gorgeous view and lots of full grown trees. While the sites are large, because the park is on the side of Folding Mountain, the sites aren’t level. The site we had was quite steep for a 32-foot RV. We had to park our RV at the very back of the site and even then it was far from level. Our front tongue jacks extended as far as they could go. We carry a lot of wood with us to help level the RV and we ran out. Sites that are located closer to the park entrance are more level than the one we had. The staff offered to switch our sites because of the slope, but we had already set up and decided to stick with it.
The one great thing about the size of the sites is that there was plenty of room to park our truck. We could have actually fit two of our trucks in the site, that’s how long they are.
The family all together enjoying our site at Jasper Gates.
Facilities = 4/5
The new bathrooms were clean and nicely done. The showers were nice. There is no cost to shower which is always awesome. There is another washroom located close to the RV’s at the back of the park. This washroom is a little more dated, so we chose to use the new washroom.
The washrooms are in a nice new building that is tastefully decorated.
There is a well-stocked park store with a huge selection of DVDs. This is also where you can come and chat with the super-friendly staff. Because of the time of year, they had their fireplace going in the store. As soon as we opened the door to the store, we were greeted with a blast of hot air. The smell of woodsmoke is always comforting as well. We could have spent hours just sitting in there by the fire.
The office is fully stocked with every you need while camping.
The “Bears” Den is a beautiful area with exercise equipment, games, & electric fireplaces. It’s a great, well-lit spot to just sit and read for a couple of hours as well. It has windows all around so that you can see everything that is happening in the park. It’s a beautiful little spot that was lovely and warm when we visited.
The Bears Den lounge at Jasper Gates.
There are two play parks for the children, a giant bear you can take your photo with, and hot tubs. Unfortunately, we couldn’t use the hot tubs as it had been winterized by this point.
The playground at Jasper Gates is very modern and safe for children.
The only thing this park was missing was laundry facilities. I had to go into Hinton to do laundry for a couple of hours.
There is WiFi in the park and for the first night that we were there I could get it no problem on my laptop. The next day, however, for some reason I could not. Neither of us could get it on our phones unless we were right in the office.
If you don’t RV, there are also beautiful cottages with king size beds. There also is a motel with some rooms including kitchenettes. There are also a couple of A-frame trailers that you can stay in for that camping feel.
The interior of one of the cabins at Jasper Gates.
Location = 5/5
You can’t beat this location. It’s a 15-minute drive to Hinton. Here you can get your groceries, gas, and even do some shopping. We also found a diesel mechanic – Vara’s Automotive who squeezed us in for an oil change before we continued our trip.
The Jasper National Park entry is just minutes away. The town of Jasper is about 30-40 minutes depending on how often you stop for wildlife or to take pictures. Jasper Gates is located far enough from the highway that you only hear a little traffic allowing you to still feel like you are camping.
Pet Friendliness = 4 ½ /5
There is no area for dogs to be off leash at Jasper Gates. There are plenty of places to walk your dog, though. We took Bella for short trail walks on some of the unmarked trails that are connected to the park. Bella also enjoyed the big bear statue.
Bella didn’t seem too afraid of the bear statue at Jasper Gates.
Park Staff = 5/5
The park staff were extremely helpful in discussing Jasper National Park. Jessica spent a lot of time talking with Adam and I about the best places to sees wildlife in the park. As a local, she also told us about other interesting attractions located nearby, such as the Brule sand dunes.
On our day of departure, the staff went above and beyond. Let me give you a little background. We knew we would be getting a bit of snow (2-4 cm) when we decided to make our way from Cochrane to Jasper. The forecast stayed that way, right up until the night before we were scheduled to leave. Suddenly, the Hinton area was going to get 10 cm of snow. It was too late to leave and risk driving through Jasper National Park at night. The weather was supposed to warm up later in the week and we contemplated waiting it out and staying. However, we were worried that the temperatures at night (which was to plummet to -12 degrees) would result in the snow not melting of off the RV and making it impossible to shovel off.
The night before our departure, I went into the office to talk to Jessica. I asked her advice about if we would have issues getting out the next morning and leaving before the next bout of snow hit. She said that it was possible. She also called Ed the maintenance guy. She asked him if he could plow the next morning. Ed came over to the office, as he lives on site. We talked for a bit and he indicated he would help make sure that we would get out.
The next morning, on Thanksgiving Sunday, Ed was out there plowing the park. He used the tractor to dig up our site so that we would have plenty of traction. Trevor, who also works for the park, gave us advice on how to get out of our site without getting stuck.
I know there are people who would think that it is the job of the staff to help you in a situation like this and they would be right. However, in our experience, we have stayed at some parks where the staff barely talk to you and could care less if you were having issues. It was amazing to see how above and beyond the staff at Jasper Gates went for us. We’re truly grateful.
Full Time Canada Rating = 4.5/5
We loved this park and everything it had to offer. The proximity to Jasper National Park is unbeatable. The price is also good for being so close to Jasper. The level of customer service was superior to anything we’ve previously experienced. Just for the customer service, we have to recommend staying at Jasper Gates. It is well worth a visit if you are in Alberta and visiting Jasper National Park. We plan on going back in the future.
Wanna have a fun and relaxing weekend while staying near Jasper National Park? Make a reservation at Jasper Gates by calling: 1 (855) 780-3737
3 comments
It looks like a great place to stay. I am not sure I would want to visit in the winter, though it does look beautiful with the snow.
It is beautiful. I dont think it’s open in the winter, so no worries about staying there. Although, I think the cabins are open throughout the winter months.
I feel like you guys came in just as we left! We were there end of September 2018 just as the first big dumps of snow came. That’s quite the experience for newbie full timers (I now ALWAYS remember to bring the awning in fully! Oops!)
I also couldn’t agree more with how amazing the staff are! When we booked, we goofed and had to add time to our stay. When we got there, things were worked out but it meant we would have to move our rv at the end of the first week. No biggie, right? Well my hubs got called out for work (of course) leaving me and three kids (why not?) to figure it out. I had a total of five days rv experience, and zero towing hours. Didn’t the staff go above and beyond; they moved the rv, helped me level it, educated my newbie butt AND helped out with the kids? Beyond words. This place is starred on our map.