Rocky Road: A journey to Jasper in the refreshed Mitsubishi Outlander

There’s something about a road trip that always hits differently. Maybe it’s the promise of discovery just around the bend, or the feeling of packing your friends, your gear, and your favourite songs into one vehicle and pointing it at the mountains. Maybe it’s the nostalgia, those long drives as a kid, eyes glued to the window, picking a single raindrop and watching it race the others down the glass. For me, it was all of the above, plus a red canoe strapped to the roof, because - does it get more Canadian than that?

We started in Calgary and drove through Banff (hard not to stop here, but we were headed for the quieter Jasper, so we stayed on track). From there we took the Bow Valley Parkway for this first stretch from Banff to Lake Louise. It’s a secondary highway that’s much quieter, scenic, and there’s lots of wildlife around.

Halfway to Lake Louise you hit the iconic and aptly named Castle Mountain. It’s a great place to stretch the legs and walk along the Bow River - just make sure to close the wildlife gate behind you to avoid any wildlife wandering onto the highway. As you drive through Banff National Park, you might notice tall fencing lining the highway and the occasional forest-covered bridge arching over the road. These aren’t just for looks - they’re part of one of the most successful wildlife corridor systems in the world. The fences keep animals off the road (reducing collisions), while the overpasses and underpasses let them cross safely. Elk, bears, wolves and even tiny amphibians use these crossings, and they’ve helped reconnect habitats that were once dangerously fragmented. It’s a great example of how infrastructure can work with nature instead of against it.

Onward to the hamlet of Lake Louise, Canada’s highest year-round inhabited community (1,660m). Trailhead Café in Lake Louise is highly recommended. I stop there every time I pass through – usually for a wrap and a hot drink before hitting the next stretch of road. This is also one of the last chances to fill up on gas and snacks before a long stretch of wilderness on the way to Jasper.

Obviously, you have to check out the famous lake the hamlet is named after. We passed on Moraine Lake this time around, as the road was still closed for the season, but if it’s on your list, (and it should be) just know that personal vehicles are no longer allowed - you’ll need to book a shuttle in advance.

The rain followed us for most of the drive that day. Between the changing light and the wet asphalt, the mountains felt alive. Inside the Mitsubishi Outlander, the Dynamic Sound Yamaha audio system became part of the experience. It’s not just powerful, it’s layered, crisp and immersive. It even has rain-adjusted volume, which was perfect for the day’s drive. Need a playlist for the road? Check out ours here.

The new-for-2025 larger infotainment screen with wireless Apple CarPlay came in handy for maps and playlists. And despite the slick conditions, the Super All-Wheel Control (S-AWC) kept us glued to the road.

We climbed to the highest point on the parkway, Bow Summit at 2,069m. Here you’ll find a turn off for Peyto Lake, which is famously shaped like a wolf’s head. From here, the landscape really opens up, and one peak begins to command your attention: the striking, pyramid-like Mount Chephren. Towering above the deep blue waters of Waterfowl Lake, it feels like something out of a postcard, and it literally is.

Unlike Bow Lake, Waterfowl had fully thawed. So we unstrapped the red canoe, slid it into the glassy water, and paddled out beneath the shadow of Chephren. It felt like we had the whole valley to ourselves; no crowds, no noise, just us and the mountains. This is why you bring the canoe - even if it means wrestling it onto roof bars before sunrise.

As we continued north in the Mitsubishi Outlander, we entered Jasper National Park and the Columbia Icefields came into view - a massive sea of ancient ice nestled between dramatic peaks. It’s one of the largest non-polar icefields on the planet and feeds rivers that drain into three different oceans. Even from the highway, the Athabasca Glacier is striking, crawling down the valley like a frozen river. You can stop here for a closer look or hop on an Ice Explorer tour, that actually takes you onto the glacier. But even just driving past, it’s impossible not to feel small in the best kind of way.

Sadly, no trip to Jasper today can be made without seeing the scars of the 2025 wildfire season. That summer, Jasper faced one of the most intense fire seasons in its history. While many key sites were spared, about 30 per cent of the town and most of the surrounding forest was hit hard. Now, as the rebuild and regrowth begins, responsible tourism matters more than ever. Support local. Stay, eat and shop in town. Your visit contributes to the town's recovery and resilience.

As we pushed further toward Jasper, the aftermath of the wildfires became more visible. Entire slopes were stripped bare, the tree line cut like a scar across the landscape. It was sobering. But in an odd way, it was also revealing. With the trees gone, we could see the raw contours of the mountains in ways we never had before. Somehow it still left us hopeful. Some green is starting to sprout through the charred ground, and in time, the landscape will recover.

We hit town just after dark. Checked into our hotel and went out for a late bite at the brand new Maligne Range – a super cozy spot with creative dishes, excellent drinks (it’s a distillery as well) and a great vibe. There’s no shortage of great eats in town. Some other favourites are Jasper Brewing Co., The Raven Bistro, Jasper Pizza Place, Terra, Evil Dave’s and Harvest. For accommodations, there are plenty of options ranging from low-budget hostels to the legendary Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge.

We also stopped into the Jasper-Yellowhead Museum, which gave us a deeper appreciation of the history of this place. Jasper’s story starts long before there was a highway or a town. For thousands of years, Indigenous peoples, including the Cree, Stoney Nakoda, Secwépemc, and Métis, travelled through and lived in these valleys, trading, hunting and navigating the rugged mountain terrain.

The area got its current name from Jasper Hawes, a clerk at a fur trade post in the early 1800s, when the region was part of the trading network of the North West Company. The townsite itself took shape in the early 1900s as the railroad pushed west and tourism began to blossom. In 1907, Jasper Forest Park was created, later becoming Jasper National Park — now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The museum showcases life back in those days. From the Indigenous peoples to homesteaders, rangers, and mountaineers. A worthy stop if you're curious how people lived in a place like this before cars, GPS and heated seats.

We planned to catch a sunset at Maligne Lake via the appropriately named Malign Lake Road – one of the best stretches of road in the Rockies. As we wound our way through, burned forest slowly gave way to lush green. We stopped at Medicine Lake, which isn’t actually a lake in the traditional sense of the word. It’s part of an underground drainage system; in spring and summer, meltwater floods the valley faster than it can drain, forming the lake. But by fall, it mysteriously vanishes through a network of sinkholes, feeding one of the largest known underground river systems in North America. Early Indigenous peoples believed it held healing powers, and when you’re standing there watching the light shift across the water and the peaks, it’s not hard to see why.

While we were there, we spotted a bald eagle’s nest — and then the real highlight of the trip: a mama grizzly and her two cubs, foraging quietly by the lake shore. We kept our distance, didn’t linger too long, and drove on with that mix of adrenaline and awe that only wildlife encounters can stir up.

Further down, we saw a black bear and later, two moose. The road eventually ends at Maligne Lake, home to the famous Spirit Island and Valley of the Gods. Boat tours run here, or you can make the four to six-hour paddle to get to Spirit Island. Fortunately, there are reservable campsites along the lake. 

We caught nightfall at the lake and headed back to town with happy hearts and hungry bellies.