Modern log cabins and cottages in the Canadian Rockies at Jasper’s Bear Hill Lodge
The largest protected area in the Canadian Rockies, Jasper National Park stretches across more than 4,300 square miles of rocky canyons, glacier lakes, evergreen forests, and craggy mountains. North of always busy Banff National Park, Jasper is slightly more remote, offering numerous opportunities for hiking, wildlife spotting, rafting, and other outdoor adventures, with a range of lodges, hotels, and cottage properties in the town of Jasper, the small community at the center of the park. On a recent winter visit to Jasper, I stayed at the cozy and convenient Bear Hill Lodge.
Here’s the scoop:
The main lodge building
Bear Hill Lodge in the town of Jasper
Jasper’ Bear Hill Lodge is located right in town, with both lodge rooms and several types of cottages. Each offers different amounts of space and types of amenities, which I’ve summarized here, but best to check the hotel website for full details.
The rooms in the main lodge, most of which are on the second floor and accessed via an exterior stairway, are standard hotel-style units. The smallest, at 190 square feet, are the standard lodge rooms, while the deluxe lodge rooms (326 square feet) are more modern—they were renovated in 2022—and have gas fireplaces, compact kitchenettes, and spacious bathrooms.
Inside a Bear Hill Lodge cottage
Cottages and Cabins at Bear Hill Lodge
The cottages and cabins range in size from studios to spacious two-bedroom units designed for families. Some are in attached buildings, where they might share a wall with other units, while others are standalone structures. Some are pet-friendly.
I stayed in one of the “Premium Cottages,” which are modern studio units constructed in 2022. Measuring 355 square feet, with both air-conditioning and in-floor heating, these units have sleeping and sitting areas, with a gas fireplace set into a stone wall. There are electric outlets and reading lamps next to the bed.
The modern bathrooms have stone countertops and glass-enclosed rain showers.
You can sit by the fireplace in your Bear Hill Lodge cottage.
These cottages have full kitchens, equipped with a microwave, cooktop, small refrigerator, coffeemaker, tea kettle, and enough cookware and dishes to prepare meals. Bear Hill Lodge is located within a short walk of most of Jasper’s restaurants and cafes if you don’t want to cook. I’m a fan of the pastries at nearby Bear’s Paw Bakery, the tacos at Su Casa Mexican Lounge, and the addictive smoked pork belly bites at Maligne Range.
A cottage kitchen at Bear Hill Lodge
Getting to Jasper National Park
The closest major airport to Jasper National Park is in Edmonton, Alberta, a four-hour drive to the east. Prefer to travel car-free? SunDog Transportation and Tour Co. runs convenient shuttles year-round between Edmonton’s airport and Jasper, with drop-offs and pick-ups at hotels around town. SunDog also runs wildlife tours and other experiences throughout the national park.
The Canadian, the cross-Canada VIA Rail train that connects Vancouver and Toronto, stops in Jasper. The Jasper train station is located in the center of town.
For road-trippers, Jasper is a popular destination on a Western Canada road trip, between Vancouver and Calgary or Edmonton, where you can stop en route in British Columbia’s Okanagan Valley or at other national parks, including Mount Revelstoke, Glacier, Yoho, Kootenay, and, of course, Banff. There’s plenty to explore in Western Canada’s mountains.
Rates
Lodge rooms at Jasper’s Bear Hill Lodge start at CAD$279/night and cottages at CAD$345 and go up depending on cottage size and season. Rates are typically highest from mid-June through mid-September.
Check rates online at Booking.com.
Advisory About the 2024 Jasper Wildfires
In the summer of 2024, a major wildfire swept through the Jasper region, causing damage to several areas of the park. The town of Jasper was particularly hard hit, with nearly a third of the community’s buildings damaged or destroyed. While Parks Canada and the town are encouraging visitors to return, please be mindful that many residents may be dealing with recovery efforts and the aftermath of the fires. Also, before visiting, check with Parks Canada to confirm which park areas and facilities are open.
Hotel feature by Vancouver-based travel, food, and feature writer Carolyn B. Heller. Photos © Carolyn B. Heller. Travel Alberta and Tourism Jasper provided support for my Jasper travels, while I was researching a new edition of my travel guide, Moon Vancouver and Canadian Rockies Road Trip.
