12 ideas for a romantic Valentine's in the mountains

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.

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.

Speaking of curling up next to a fireplace, Jasper has many, thanks to its longstanding cabin culture. Here’s eight 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.

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.

Want more furry friends? It's hard not to at peak happy when surrounded by a pack of exuberant huskies jumping at the chance to go on an adventure with you. Cold Fire Creek Dogsledding has a few different options for your romantic escape into Canada's past, with trails following old trap lines, along ancient rivers and beneath sparkling peaks.

This geological wonder is iconic in the summer, no doubt, but the majority of people will never know the true wonder of seeing Maligne Canyon in winter. When the river that usually courses at the bottom of the canyon freezes, crampon-equipped and licensed guide-led adventurers can traverse previously off-limit depths and witness the magnificent natural ice sculptures that form along the towering limestone walls.

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.

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.

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”.

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.