arjen_mets Posted April 10, 1997 Share Posted April 10, 1997 I hope to visit Banff and Jasper National Parks in September. I am interested in landscape photography and would like to hear some recommendations for this area. Suggestions where to stay are welcome as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bill_oneill Posted April 11, 1997 Share Posted April 11, 1997 Just go. You can't miss. I think you will find Jasper a little more productive than Banff. The highway between the two parks has a lot to offer too. Don't forget to bring some longer lenses for wildlife. Animals of all kinds are everywhere in Jasper. And most are not too skittish. Just watch out for the Elk. September is the rut and the bulls will be nasty. I have seen one lift the back of a car that slowed down to take a closer look! As far as accomodations are concerned there is a lot to choose from. Things will not be too busy that time of year and you should have a good choice. The cabins at Folding Mountain just to the east of Jasper on the Yellowhead Hwy. (#16) offer cooking facilities for less than $100 (CDN) per night and are fairly nice. There are all sorts of places in the parks at up to $300-$400 per night (out of my range). If you are an experienced camper there are lots of good camp grounds. However, I do not advise camping with young kids as they tend to wear food rather than eat it and that can attract bears which will foraging heavily that time of year. <p> Enjoy.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gerry_kruschenske Posted April 13, 1997 Share Posted April 13, 1997 September is tops in Jasper. I spent 2 weeks there last september and got great photos of elk rutting, bull moose, black bear,marmots, pikas, coyotes and wolves. Elk are right in the townsite. Rangers are very sensitive to a too close approach and as said before the elk are particularly dangerous as I too have been charged and seen charges. The moose are in the same state as the elk so beware. As far as accomodation is concerned, I only used the campgrounds with my camper. The sites are excellent with a mixture of full service and basic sites. The hotels are expensive as stated earlier on this site. Be prepared for a full range of weather and if it gets cold enough watch for your drains or lines to freeze if you are in a trailer but for the most part not a problem. I was there for the first major snowfall and it provided for some absolutely beautiful scenics with the conifers. Plenty of places to eat and shop. Lots of gas bars but only 1 serves diesel. You can arrive here by bus or train or your own vehicle. If you fly, you will land either at Calgary or Edmonton from which it is a 5 hour drive approx. Lots of resources there for information. Only a couple of photo shops with expensive film and only a limited range of pro film. No same day E-6 processing, thats sent out. Previous advice on Banff is good, the location is too close to Calgary and the traffic is bad with road construction (last sept.) Jasper is best, my plans last year were the same as yours and I ended up staying the whole time in Jasper - even 2 weeks in that 1 place was not enough for me!! I believe you can find some info on the various parks on the www at http://parkscanada.pch.gc.ca/parks/alphape If this doesn't work try a search on Parks Canada. Good Luck Gerry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duane_galensky Posted April 18, 1997 Share Posted April 18, 1997 Yes, yes, yes...I agree with all the sentiments already expressed. Be particularly wary of the big elk as they can be quite dangerous. I saw my first grizzly there last year around that time!! :-) <p> If you check out the links page at http://wild-light.com/, there are quite a few Alberta links there for accommodations, etc. There are some Alberta photos there as well. <p> You'll have an absolute blast. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
photojim Posted May 1, 1997 Share Posted May 1, 1997 Don't forget beds & breakfasts. I stayed in an excellent one in Jasper townsite in September '95 for about $35 a night (Canadian). The weather is nice (still mild in the day, though crisp at night) and there are a lot less people than in the summer. There are many nice walks. Be sure to check out Maligne Canyon and, if you can afford it, take the boat ride past Spirit Island on Maligne Lake (I missed this, unfortunately). Mount Edith Cavell is impressive, too; I got some great alpenglow pictures at sunset with some incredible cloud patterns. <p> If you have the time and will be in Banff, consider driving an hour or two west and go to Mount Revelstoke National Park (you can drive nearly to the top of the mountain; it's really interesting). Glacier National Park (west of Revelstoke) is beautiful, too. I got a great photo of some giant cedars there that won first place in the SaskAmateur photographic competition last week. <p> Jim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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