Jasper Athabasca River: Family-Friendly Whitewater Rafting
- 2 hours
- Free cancellation up to 24h before
- Guided in English
- Instant confirmation
Highlights
Experience a whitewater rafting adventure that fits easily into your Jasper sightseeing day. Located just a short drive from downtown Jasper, this 8-km (5-mile) stretch of the Athabasca River combines five sets of fun, splashy Class 2 rapids with peaceful stretches of flowing water in between. Paddle with your guide through the river’s changing pace, taking in mountain scenery from a different perspective and keeping an eye out for wildlife along the riverbanks. With approximately one hour on the water and a complete round trip of around two hours, “The Expressway” offers a genuine whitewater experience without taking up half your day. No previous rafting experience is required, making it a great choice for families, first-time rafters and anyone looking to add rafting to a day of exploring Jasper.
Inclusions
What's included
- Wetsuit, paddle jacket, life jacket and neoprene booties
- Round-trip transportation from the designated meeting point in Jasper
- Professional, certified river guide
- Approximately 1 hour of rafting (2-hour round trip from Jasper)
What's not
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- Food and drinks
- Souvenir photos (available to purchase)
- Gratuities (optional)
Itinerary
Check in at the Maligne Rafting meeting point in Jasper, then take a short, approximately 15-minute bus ride to the Athabasca River. Change into the provided rafting gear and receive a safety briefing and paddle instruction from your certified river guide before launching.
Raft 8 km (5 miles) down a scenic section of the Athabasca River known as “The Expressway.” Five sets of fun, splashy Class 2 rapids are spaced throughout the run, with stretches of peaceful flowing water in between. Paddle with your guide through the river’s changing pace, enjoying Jasper’s mountain scenery during the quieter stretches and keeping an eye out for wildlife along the riverbanks before the next set of rapids brings another splashy burst of excitement. No previous rafting experience is required, making this a great introduction to whitewater for families and first-time rafters.
Finish your river adventure near Old Fort Point, just minutes from downtown Jasper. Change out of your rafting gear, then take the short bus ride back to the Maligne Rafting meeting point. With the complete experience taking approximately 2 hours, there’s still plenty of time to enjoy more of Jasper before or after your rafting adventure.
Cancellation
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the experience starts, for a full refund.
Reviews
4.9
- 546
- 43
- 30
- 21
- 10
Ratings come from 50 reviews collected by our booking partner. They are travellers' own words, in the order they were written — never reordered to flatter the experience.
Showing reviews written in English.
5Good for a first time rafting
Our first time white water rafting, our guide explained everything very well & made it fun. Our driver, Tate I think was a good photographer who followed us down the river taking action shots.
5Best outing ever
We had Eric as our guide. It was our children's first time rafting. They loved it: the excitement, the explanations about nature. The complete package. The children thought this was the best outing ever. I would book with them again in a heartbeat.
5We had fun!
We had a fun ride with our family! Our guide Augie (from Japan), was really good and had us entertained during the trip. She told about the creeks and mountains, and knew what birds were around. Overall the trip was well planned and the provided gear was excellent.
5Great laugh, amazing tour
Thanks to Andy, Eric, Chris and Tyler for giving us an amazing experience. The rapids were immense. Such a lovely way to see the landscape. Highly recommend this trip, well worth the money
5Fantastic family adventure
Highly recommend this white water rafting trip on the beautiful Athabasca river. Being a poor swimmer I opted to do Grade II but Chris made me feel really at ease and it was family friendly as per the guidelines. Chris was really friendly and informative, along with driver Tye. A great time had by the whole family and would definitely do it again.
5Rafting experience
The ride was fabulous. Chris was our guide on the boat. Safety was his first priority and making sure we were comfortable.He was very knowledgeable and personable. Luke took great pictures of our experience.
Know before you go
- Meeting point
- Check in 15 minutes before your scheduled departure at the white Maligne Rafting van in the public parking lot at the corner of Connaught Drive and Hazel Avenue (638 Connaught Drive, Jasper). Look for the van parked near the public washrooms, opposite the Shell gas station.
- Pickup
- Everyone meets at the starting point; there is no pickup.
- Ticket type
- Mobile or paper ticket accepted
- Group size
- Up to 20 travellers
- Operated by
- Maligne Adventures
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Participants must be at least 5 years old.
- Participants under 18 must be accompanied by an adult parent or guardian.
- No previous rafting experience is required.
- Wear a swimsuit under your regular clothes to make changing into rafting gear easier. Bring a towel and warm clothing for afterward, plus water and a snack.
- Wetsuits, paddle jackets, life jackets and neoprene booties are provided. On colder days, bring an additional fleece, wool or other non-cotton layer to wear under your paddle jacket.
- Trips depart rain or shine.
- Check in 15 minutes before your scheduled departure at the white Maligne Rafting van in the public parking lot at the corner of Connaught Drive and Hazel Avenue (638 Connaught Drive, Jasper).
How it compares in Jasper
- Its from-price is close to the median of the 64 experiences we list in Jasper.
- It is shorter than most of them.
- By number of reviews it ranks 27 of 64.
- The operator lists free cancellation on it.
About Jasper
Jasper is a mountain town on the Athabasca River in Alberta, inside the largest national park in the Canadian Rockies, among glaciers, lakes and wildlife.
Jasper sits at about 1,060 metres on the Athabasca River, ringed by peaks, in the largest national park of the Canadian Rockies. The town grew around the railway in the early twentieth century, and elk graze on its lawns and wander its streets. The park, together with its neighbours, forms the Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks World Heritage site, and it is one of the largest dark-sky preserves in the world.
Top-ranked sights in Jasper: Maligne Lake, Medicine Lake, Spirit Island.
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