Choose your Adventure

Just a few minutes drive from the town of Jasper, Alberta, there's a new adventure waiting for you and your family. A section of the Athabasca River known as the Mile 5 is the perfect introduction to the sport of white water rafting. With a mix of calm Class I water, and beginner Class II rapids, is suitable for novice rafters of all ages!

Additionally, you will be rafting one of the area's most historic sections of river. As you raft along the border of Treaty 6 and Treaty 8 lands, you will have an opportunity to learn about the various Indigenous Peoples who inhabited what we now call Jasper National Park throughout history, most recently the Cree and Stoney-Nakoda. The Mile 5 also has the importance of being one of the last sections of river before Athabasca Pass, a northern route through the Rocky Mountains, allowing the 19th Century fur trade to expand further west.

Tucked away in the canyon below the famous Athabasca Falls is a stretch of river that will take your breath away. Visitors of Athabasca Falls will watch you raft around the river bend, and out of view, unaware of the spectacular scenery that awaits around the corner. After tackling a set of thrilling Class II white water rapids, you will find yourself sheltered from the hustle and bustle of the Jasper crowds, flanked by towering cliffs of limestone.

From this point on, you will be viewing gorgeous landscapes, only visible to those who venture onto this section of the Athabasca River as the difficult terrain which surrounds it, makes it completely inaccessible by foot. The sounds of Highway 16, which lays far above, will disappear, and for the next 12km you will be taken on a journey through one of Jasper's hidden gems...

For those looking for a thrill, it's time to take on the Sunwapta River. The name 'Sunwapta' comes from the Stoney word for 'turbulent river'. Living up to its name, this Class III white water adventure will provide more consistent and more challenging rapids than the Athabasca River has to offer.

However, don't be fooled into thinking this is for expert rafters only. Despite a higher level of difficulty, this section of river is an excellent choice for the brave beginner as it begins with a gentler section of Class I and Class II rapids before ramping up into the Class III white water that gives the Sunwapta its name.