There's a lot closed at Jasper. But they need the visitors badly. I mean, this is when the town makes their money.
Several of the big trails are still completely shutdown: Valley of the Five Lakes, Edith Cavell, Maligne Canyon. They're all burnt out and deemed unsafe until the crews clear the trees. They seemed to be working around the clock clearing the burn.
I'd expect Cavell might be opened by the end of the summer. It's gonna take some time on those other two areas.
Here's a view from the Maligne Overlook:
They've levelled and cleared most of the burnt buildings and homes in town, but haven't begun rebuilding much. There's a bunch of temporary housing setup as you come into town. Still, there is plenty open to serve the tourists and locals. You've got plenty of options for restaurants, shops, and all the conveniences you'll want. It won't impact your experience in that way. The locals have said they've not seen much wildlife coming through town since the fire. I did see a ton of elk on my runs out around Twin Lakes though.
It's still a beautiful area. You can be out at Maligne Lake or Pyramid Lake and be completely removed from the burnt areas. But it's definitely a different vibe in town and driving around. It was still a great time. The mountains and lakes are gorgeous. And I appreciate the lower key Jasper townsite more than touristy Banff.
Driving out to Maligne Lake, you'll see the area around Medicine Lake that was burned in 2015. And 10 years later, the area still looks pretty freshly burned. The growing season in that area is so short that it takes much longer to heal. This 2024 fire has changed the landscape for a long, long time.
