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| The HI Jasper Hostel, Hostelling International's newest property in the Canadian Rockies |
Top 5 reasons you'll want to stay at the brand new HI Jasper Hostel
- Private rooms and small shared rooms for 4 people!
This is the ideal hostel for families not wanting to share large crowded dorm rooms with strangers. Either book a private room (with your own ensuite bathroom) or book all four spots in one of the shared 4-bed rooms (with a shared bathroom.) - Close proximity to downtown Jasper!
As much as I love the other hostels around Jasper, you'll have to drive to get anywhere if you stay at any of the wilderness properties in Jasper National Park. This is the first hostel in the park with an urban vibe - and where you can walk to restaurants and coffee shops without ever having to hop in your car. - The hostel is practically on top of the town bike trails!
My family loves biking and we always do a loop around the town on the Jasper easy trail network - something that was incredibly easy from the HI Jasper Hostel. We could have spent the whole day on our bikes without ever having to drive to a trailhead. - Cook your own meals and save money.
I love hotels and resorts, but you end up spending a fortune on meals when you have to eat out three times a day. The hostel has a gigantic kitchen and dining area making it easy to cook and eat right on site. - and if you want a good cup of coffee, there's a small cafe on site so we skipped making coffee in the morning. - Lots of common areas to "hang out" in
I can't count the number of times I've put my son to bed at night and then had to sit in the hallway outside my hotel room reading (because who wants to go to bed at 8:00 when traveling?)
Staying at the HI Jasper hostel is ideal for families who have to put kids to bed early. My husband would stick around until our son was safely asleep, and then he'd come downstairs to find me in one of the common rooms. Down there we could play pool, play a board game, read, or just enjoy a glass of wine together. (Bring baby monitors if you have little ones)
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| Bike out the hostel door onto fabulous trails around Jasper |
Not your typical "hostelling experience" at the HI Jasper Hostel
I'm not sure what a "typical" hostelling experience would be, but I'm sure this new hostel is far too posh to be considered "normal."
We've stayed in a lot of rustic wilderness hostels where we had to snowshoe in, melt snow for water, and make use of outdoor toilets. Other wilderness hostels we've stayed at have had electricity and indoor plumbing, but still had a definite "rustic" feel to them.
This was the first hostel we've stayed at where I actually felt like I was walking into a modern urban hotel. From the professional looking lobby to the modern furniture and art work, down to the on site coffee shop, travelers definitely won't feel like they're roughing it when they stay here.
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| A look at one of the common areas at the HI Jasper Hostel |
A look inside the HI Jasper Hostel
As much as I love the HI Lake Louise Hostel, the layout always drives me crazy with the rooms located up at least a flight or two of stairs (with no elevator,) the kitchen located in the basement, and the common area located in a loft area above the lobby. You can easily get your 10 000 steps in staying at this property without even going out for a hike.
The HI Jasper Hostel however has a fabulous layout!! The lobby, the kitchen and dining room, the common areas, and the cafe are all on the main floor! The bedrooms are located on the second and third floors but there is an elevator to get you (and your giant hockey bag, backpacks, suitcases) up to the rooms.
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| Shared kitchen at the HI Jasper Hostel |
It was so simple checking in and then immediately being able to carry our cooler over to the kitchen without having to go downstairs. And I'll happily use the stairs in a hotel, but not when I've packed for a ski weekend and have "Big Bertha," our giant hockey bag, to carry up two flights of stairs!
Other features at the hostel include:
- Secure storage for bikes or skis
- A sauna on the third floor
- A TV/media room
- Free parking on site
- Free WiFi
- A BBQ outside the kitchen and dining area
- Lockers in all dorm rooms to secure your valuables
- Laundry facilities
- A meeting room
- Key card access to the kitchen/dining area and to each bedroom for security and safety
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| Part of the dining room at the HI Jasper Hostel |
Room Options at the HI Jasper Hostel
Guests have four options for accommodations at the hostel. Each option includes bed linens and towels so leave the sleeping bags at home.
4-Bed Shared Dorm rooms - These rooms have two bunks with options for women, men, or mixed gender. Book an entire room if you have a family. Bathrooms are shared with another dorm room.
Premium Private Room ensuites - These rooms for 2 have a queen bed, ensuite bathroom, and a flat-screen TV.
Private Quad ensuites - These rooms are similar to the 4-bed shared rooms except you'll have your own bathroom inside your room.
Family Ensuite rooms - These rooms are exactly the same as the private quad ensuite rooms except that one of the bottom bunks is a double so you can fit 5 people in these rooms. (This is the kind of room we had.)
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| Cozy bunk beds in the Family Ensuite Rooms |
Finding the HI Jasper Hostel
Note, this is NOT the "Jasper downtown hostel" if you are looking up "Jasper Hostel" on Google Maps. This is the HI Jasper Hostel and it's located on Sleepy Hollow Road. (You'll want to be very clear on the location with any pizza deliveries as well because the hostel is very new and if you don't specify that you're on Sleepy Hollow Road, you won't see your pizza anytime soon.)
And make sure the person driving knows where they're going! My husband was convinced we were going downtown and thought I was crazy when I started directing him to the HI hostel just south of main street (his Google research had led him to a completely different hostel.)
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| The brand new HI Jasper Hostel on Sleepy Hollow Road |
Biking the Town Loop from the HI Jasper Hostel
Below is a description of the Town Loop, a collection of beginner-friendly mountain bike trails that you can do from the hostel door. (with links from Trail Forks)
This loop takes you to Old Fort Point for a gorgeous hike, over to the Jasper Park Lodge Resort, over to Lake Annette (Jasper's beach,) and then through the downtown area where you'll find lots of restaurants, shopping, and coffee shops.
And yes, you can hike it as well. It's a multi-use trail.
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| Biking across the bridge to Old Fort Point |
- Sleepy Hollow Trail (we didn't bike this, but it gives you a reference for where you are on the Trail Forks map. The trail is across a ravine from the hostel.)
- Wapiti Trail (heading south) - we were on this trail for all of 2 minutes.
- Red Squirrel (820 meters in distance to Old Fort Point) - We rode this fun trail to the Old Fort Point Road, crossed the bridge, and then we hiked up to the viewpoint on the Old Fort Point Trail. If you want to do this hike, just make your way up the staircase at the parking lot after locking up your bikes. Head straight up to the viewpoint and return the same way. It's a short 40 minute distraction from your bike ride.
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| Old Fort Point viewpoint |
- Trail 7 from Old Fort Point to Jasper Park Lodge (The entire trail is 2.5 km but we exit before that on 7C to get us around the golf course at the Jasper Park Lodge.) - And a big highlight of this trail is the unofficial "Jasper bike park" where you'll find some small jumps and a rough pump track.
- 7C cut off and Old Lodge Road - The Old Lodge Road is 1.5 km long and is a paved road closed to vehicles. It's an easy way to get through the resort property and to stay away from horse trails.
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| Playing around at the "Jasper bike park" at the junction of Trail 7 and Trail 7C |
- The Woodpecker Trail (Make your way over here on a service road.) - This trail is 2 km in distance and has some fun downhill sections. It takes you to Lake Annette
- Big Horn Alley (Trail 13 from Lake Annette back into town) - This trail is 4 km long and it's the first trail that might have you feeling like you're actually mountain biking with a few climbs and some fun downhill sections. Take this trail to get you back to town.
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| Biking across a meadow on Big Horn Alley |
- Trail 11 (The Town Trail) - This 4 km long paved trail follows the train tracks along the main street and is a nice flat ride through town. We always stop for coffee and baked goods at the Bear's Paw Bakery from this trail.
- Wapiti Trail back to the hostel - Cross the train tracks and you're back at the hostel
In total, you've ridden approximately 13-14 km on mostly double track trails or easy wide singletrack with some pavement thrown in for a good mixture.
Depending on the season you can stop at Lake Annette for a swim as well.
Download a printable mountain biking guide here.
Download a printable mountain biking guide here.
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| Biking the Town Trail through Jasper |
Looking for more ideas for family-fun while staying at the HI Jasper Hostel?
Check out these resources below, all stories I've written after previous trips:
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| Stay at the HI Jasper Hostel and Ski Marmot Basin this winter |
We'll definitely be back to this hostel next time we travel north to Jasper. It's the perfect base camp for summer biking, winter skiing, or any adventure getaway in the Northern Rockies.
Disclaimer: Our stay was provided for us in exchange for this review. As always, all opinions and words are my own.
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