Raft beautiful Athabasca Canyon on a half-day whitewater rafting adventure from Jasper. The Athabasca Canyon Rafting Run is a fun, family-friendly Class 2+ rapids. Start rafting at the base of Jasper's Athabasca Falls and enjoy the 7.5-mile (12-km) stretch of athabasca river with a certified river rafting guide. This 3.5-hour rafting adventure includes all equipment and transport from downtown Jasper, with both morning and afternoon departures are available.
Book Athabasca Rafting Family Canyon Run
Have a lot of fun Rafting the Athabasca River! Raft Jasper with your small group from Mile 5 section of the glacier-fed Athabasca river. This section of Athabasca river is great for a river rafting introduction as it begins with an approximately 10-minute float before the class II rapids. Enjoy the gentle thrill of some bumps and splashes on your roughly two-hour family river rafting adventure. A soft rafting adventure perfect for kids and beginners, that includes round trip transport from Jasper.
Book Athabasca River Mile 5 Rafting
Maligne Lake Boat Cruise to Spirit Island, the largest glacially fed lake in the Canadian Rockies. Accessible only by boat, part of the UNESCO-listed Jasper National Park, admire views of imposing granite peaks, vibrant blue water, and ancient forests. View Maligne Lake's "Hall of the Gods" and keep your camera close as you scan the area for the eagles, bears, and deer that call this area home.
Maligne Lake Boat Cruise
The Athabasca River is a historic waterway for First Nations people and the fur trade. The Shuswap, Kootenay, Sekani, Salish, Stoney and Cree tribes hunted and fished along the river prior to European colonization.
From about 1778, the Athabasca River was a key part of the main fur trade route from the Mackenzie River to the Great Lakes.
The Athabasca River and its tributaries have provided vital transportation routes for First Nations and Métis inhabitants, early European explorers, and Canada's fur trade. Athabasca River flourishes with vegetation, mammals and waterfowl that populate the basin, as well as the fish in the Athabasca River and Lake Athabasca. Athabasca River has provided essential sustenance and materials to sustain traditional First Nation lifestyles. Numerous tribes hunted along the Athabasca River, including Stoney and Cree, Sekani, Shuswap, Kootenay, Salish, while Chipewyan, Cree and Métis settled in the Lower Athabasca region.
In 1778, Peter Pond established the first fur trading post along the Athabasca River near the delta, and was key to establishing trade routes and furthering exploration. Cree people along the Athabasca River played an essential role as trappers as well as voyageurs of the fur trade. The fur trade facilitated Métis settlement along the Athabasca River, where they hunted and established farms.
In 1811, David Thompson, along with an Haudenosaunee guide named Thomas, crossed the Rockies through Athabasca Pass, which served as an important transportation route for many years. Jasper National Park, in the Upper Athabasca River, was created in 1907, displacing the Aseniwuche Winewak Nation from their traditional territory, who were forced to settle downstream or north of the Athabasca River.
Athabasca River Rafting