Could someone please help me with accomodation info? I'd be flying in to Edmonton, and driving to Jasper. I know that must be a four hour drive or more. Would there be any place to stay half way between just for a night?

In Edson, there's a Super 8 and a Best Western. In Hinton, there are lots and lots of motels.

Thanks rkkwan

Hinton and Edson hotels are usually 100% booked as both towns are 'enjoying' an oil and gas exploration boom. I strongly suggest you make reservations. Edson is roughly half way between Edmonton and Jasper and Hinton, where I live, is in the foothills of the Rockies, about 20 minutes from the Jasper National Park gate.

Edson is a little bit more than halfway to Jasper (approx 200 km west of Edmonton), but probably the best place to stop if you don't want to drive all the way to Jasper in one go.

here are two websites that'll help you with your search for accommodation:

http://www.edson-ab.worldweb.com/Whe...els/index.html

http://www.explorealberta.com

(in the second website, if you click on "comprehensive search", you can specify "location" as Edson and it will give you a list of hotels/motels etc).

If you manage to drive as far as Hinton, you might as well drive the rest of the 80 km (50 miles) to Jasper townsite (that part of the drive takes about 45 minutes).

We routinely drive Edmonton to Jasper in about 3.5 hours. From the airport you'll have to add at least another 30 minutes. You can by-pass Edmonton - the airport is south of the city limits - by taking highway 19 (not too far from the airport, first drive north on the QEII highway), then at #19 turn west, drive to the town of Devon, then drive north on highway 60 until you intersect with the Yellowhead (highway 16), at which point you will be westward bound till Jasper, four lane divided highway all the way to Hinton.

If you do drive through Edmonton, be sure to stop at the "oil derrick" on the southern limits of the city - there's a tourist info centre there with lots of maps and brochures for the whole province of Alberta.