Mrs. Fly and I will spend 6-1/2 days in Jasper, Banff, and Yoho National Parks--using a rental car. Looks like it's $9.80 each per day--do we have to find a place that sells tickets first thing each morning since we'll be exploring all around the parks every day?

Arriving from Edmonton and staying at Becker's Chalets south of Jasper for 3 nights, and then in Banff for 4 nights before departing from Calgary.

Maybe we'll just go with the annual national parks of Canada pass at $136.40 for the two of us.

In the past I bought my pass at a booth at the park entrance. However, Glacier National Park is a little different because the Trans Canada highway traverses the park. I don't recall any entrance booths, even one that through traffic bypasses.

If visitors use the park facilities, they are expected to buy a pass at the visitor center.

The last time I approached Jasper from Edmonton, there was an entrance station near the park boundary. The same is true of Banff. As you approach from Calgary there is a booth where people who are there to visit the park stop and buy their passes. Through traffic on the Trans Canada highway just keeps right on going.

The entrances to the Icefields Parkway all have entrance booths. They are located south of Jasper, north of Lake Louise, and on the David Thompson Highway east of the The Crossing.

The last time I was there my pass covered the mountain parks including the four contiguous parks, Glacier, and Waterton. I did not buy each day nor did I have to pay separately for each park I visited.

One year we bought the annual pass and it was also a key card that opened the entrance gates. Some of the entrance stations had a separate line for pass holders.

Rufus,

When you buy your pass you buy it for the number of days you're expecting to be in the park. The pass will have the inclusive dates on it. So no need to buy a pass every morning.

As Bob mentioned, there's gates on Jasper park where you can purchase passes.

From http://www.pc.gc.ca/pn-np/ab/jasper/visit/visit6a_E.asp

Jasper National Park

* East Park Gate - for visitors traveling west from Edmonton along the Yellowhead Highway (#16)

* West Park Gate - for visitors traveling east from Kamloops along the Yellowhead Highway (#16)

* Icefields Parkway Gate - for visitors traveling south along the Icefields Parkway (#93) towards Lake Louise

Forgot to add that the pass for Jasper will also be good for Banff, Glacier, Yoho and Waterton parks. So buy your pass for both your days in Jasper and Banff.

Often an annual pass ends up being more economical than buying day passes.

My wife just reminded me that we bought annual passes more than twice on our visits.

I don't recall when we first got one that was a key card that opened the gates for us. We first noticed it at Waterton when we breezed by a long line of cars at the pay booth.

I do recall that we used it to go north on the Icefields Parkway after the fee both was installed at the Lake Louise entrance.

At Glacier NP I recall going back to the car to get the pass, which was a hangtag on the rear view mirror, so the warden in the visitor center would let us browse the exhibits.

If the money is close, I think the added convenience of easy and quick entry at the various fee gates and booths is worth a few dollars.

I know at Waterton we used the key card feature of the annual pass to best advantage.

At any rate some of my best times ever in my travels have been my experiences in the Canadian Rockies.
Those memories are priceless.

My fondest one? Finding a huge bull elk browsing in the forest and being able to get near enough to take a closeup with a zoom lens. The trees were so thick that I was not concerned for my safety. I figured with that elegant rack of antlers the big guy was not going to zip through the thick cluster of pines that provide my semi cover.

I would add my recommendation for the annual pass - it looks like it is the sameprice and also consider that it is valid at 27 national parks across the country.

The other thing for your convenience - I just read the national parks site and it says (quote):

NEW!

ORDER YOUR ANNUAL NATIONAL PARKS OF CANADA OR ANNUAL DISCOVERY PACKAGE PASS BY PHONE

You can now purchase your Annual National Parks of Canada Pass or Annual Discovery Package while planning your next visit to Banff National Park by calling
1.403.760.1343


This seems worth a try to me since it avoids all the lineups at the gates etc.!

I'm driving from Alaska and arriving in Jasper from Dawson Creek. Staying overnight by nothing else planned for Jasper. Then driving from Japser via Banff to Calgary. No sightseeing involved. Do I still pay a fee? How much is it and where? Thanks for your help.

You will pay at the gate at the Icefields Parkway--$9.80/day.

Thank you. I need to change my plans. I don't feel like I want to pay $40.00 just for driving through and to sleep only one night on the way. I need to cancel my reservation at the Becker's. Arriving late and next morning leaving early. Been there, done that so sightseeing Jasper and Banff parks is not any priority on this trip. Thank you for your help

> Staying overnight by nothing else > planned for Jasper. Then driving > from Japser via Banff to Calgary. > No sightseeing involved.

Staying overnight in the park is considered use of the national park, and the Icefields Parkway is considered a Parks facility - a sightseeing parkway, rather than a through-highway - so by dint of driving it, you are considered to be sightseeing, so you have to pay the Parks fee to use it. You will pass two kiosks on your route - one as you enter the park on highway 16, and the other right near Becker's, on the parkway. It is possible to get through the first one without paying by saying you are driving through, but not the second one. Then there are no kiosks for the rest of the route (in the direction you are going - they are set up to stop traffic going the other way).

I assume your calculation of $40 is for two people for two days - ? I haven't been able to find this info on Parks Canada's website, but have heard that the daily pass is good until 4 pm the next day. If this is true, would that make a difference to you - $20 in park fees, rather than $40? (as you are likely to be past Banff and out of the parks by 4 pm) It might be worth contacting Parks about it. Perhaps the staff at Beckers could also answer your question, although you're probably best to go right to Parks to be sure you get accurate info about their policy. JNP contact info (from their website) is
phone - 780-852-6176, email - [email protected]

Hope this helps.

I am in the area right now on vacation. We just bought our pass this morning and got an annual. We actually might give it to family members who are coming here in August so for us we would be splitting it with them.

Yes, you buy a daily pass and it is good until 4:00 the next day.

Thanks, this is very helpful information. 4 pm is just what we need

We did end up buying the annual pass. Saved a few bucks as we were in the park areas 7 days, and we will use it again within the next year. Thanks, everyone.