Planning the perfect Valentine's Day can be tricky. Jasper National Park makes it easier.
Roses are red,
Ice can be blue,
Spend Valentine's in Jasper,
For love with a view.
In lieu of poetry, use Jasper's beauty to garner your sweetheart's affection. The following date ideas are just as romantic on Valentine's Day as they are any other day of the year.
1 Skating
Glide hand in mittened hand with your sweetheart on one of Jasper's many glacier-fed lakes, which arguably become even more magical when frozen. If you lace up at Lake Mildred, not only will you have a groomed oval with mountains in the background, you'll also enjoy the convenience of renting skates from the nearby Winter Rental Shop on the grounds of the Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge. Here's other top skating spots.
2 Food Tour
Get in the mood on Valentine's Day with a drool-worthy and sensuous food tour, featuring excellent dishes (each is paired with a beverage), storytelling and more. The delicious Downtown Foodie Four from Jasper Food Tours is a great way to taste a variety of Rocky Mountain cuisine, while also getting a sense of the town's history and culture.
3 Skiing
Nothing can make your heart pound quite like a new love, but Marmot Basin ski resort will sure give 'em a run for their money. Located just 20 minutes outside the Jasper townsite, the beloved local powder heaven is part of the reason Jasper was recently voted Best Ski Town in North America. With a balanced variety of difficulty levels and minimal lift lines, you and your sweetie can shred the slopes and afterwards curl up next to the fireplace in the mid-mountain chalet.
4 Explore Jasper's fireplaces
Speaking of curling up next to a fireplace, Jasper has many, thanks to its longstanding cabin culture. Here’s seven of our favourite fireplaces that are kept burning through the winter. For a fun and inventive twist on the (much less romantic) bar crawl, try hopping between a few of them over the course of a few days.
5 Sleigh Ride
Achieve classic Hollywood feels by cuddling under a blanket on a horse-drawn sleigh. Yes there will be bells. Yes there will be picture-perfect views. Yes there will be memory-making magic. Jasper Riding Stables runs the rides on select days through the winter, conditions permitting.
6 Couple's Massage
Relax, replenish and restore the body and soul with a couple's massage or one of three Valentine's wellness packages at the Fairmont Spa at the Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge. From a Rocky Mountain pedicure to a mountain mineral wellness kur to a rockies ritual, allow yourself to participate in the best of nature's gifts. The treatments are locally inspired and will leave you feeling connected to the surroundings, not to mention your partner.
7 Planetarium Experience
If you thought stargazing was romantic when you did it on a picnic blanket in your hometown backyard, you HAVE to spend some time in the world’s largest accessible dark sky preserve. Choose to explore the universe with Jasper’s nightly Planetarium Experience in a new 50-seat dome theatre, or venture outside to see the Milky Way wash over a sky ringed by mountains. You might even catch sight of the aurora borealis.
8 Helicopter Tour
Fly high above the largest national park in the Canadian Rockies and be rendered speechless by the glaciers, valleys and waterfalls below. Launch skyward with Jasper-Hinton Air and feel your heart soar as you share these once-in-a-lifetime views with your once-in-a-lifetime love. Cue Aladdin’s "I can show you the wooooorld”.
9 Romantic Dinner
Savour your relationship while savouring the robust Rocky Mountain cuisine at one of Jasper’s great restaurants. From cute and casual patio brunch to comfortable elegance with exquisite game meats, there’s so much to taste and enjoy in the Jasper food scene.
Want a ride from your hotel to your romantic dinner? Cozy up in a charming horse-drawn wagon, and be carried away to dinner with the complimentary Jasper Pony Express.
10 Stay in a Cozy Cabin
Soak up Jasper's historical culture of cabin living, and stay the night in a cozy log home for two. Choose from various winterized options: Bear Hill Lodge, Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge, Overlander Mountain Lodge and Miette Mountain Cabins.
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10 women in Jasper who inspire us
Jasper has always been a place for trailblazers. In the early 20th century, explorer Mary Schäffer became the first European to visit Maligne Lake, and used her skills as a naturalist, illustrator, photographer, and writer to document the region. Today, women continue to leave their mark and bring life to the national park.
