Campground · Jasper National Park
Riverside basecamp with spacious sites and modern bathrooms, no showers
Overview
Wabasso is Jasper’s big, quieter, river-hugging basecamp along Hwy 93A, about 16.5 km south of town. With roughly 231 sites spread across multiple loops, it trades the bustle of the in-town campgrounds for the sound of the Athabasca River and dark night skies.
Map
Local know-how
Reserve early—riverside and electric sites are the first to disappear.
Plan your showers in Jasper town and bring a wash kit for camp.
Aim to fill or dump tanks outside peak checkout times to avoid lines.
Bring shade or a tarp; several loops have limited tree cover.
Pack bikes for the quiet river path and mellow spins along Hwy 93A.
Plan your stop
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Jasper Tour Guide
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Jasper National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
See the Jasper audio tourRecorded for this place
Wabasso Campground: A Quiet Riverside Basecamp“You're approaching the entrance to Wabasso Campground. This is a large but generally quieter camping area, with many sites located right alongside the Athabasca River.”
Plays as you drive up to Wabasso Campground in the Parkwolf Jasper Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Guide
Many loops sit close to the Athabasca River—some sites even back toward it—so you’ll fall asleep to rushing water. Tree removal for pine beetle mitigation opened up sections of the campground, which boosts views and sun but reduces privacy and shade. Overall, it’s calmer than the larger campgrounds near town, and the river path is great for strolls or casual cycling.
Elk and deer wander through, and bears are seen along the access road—store food properly and use the lockers. Birdlife is good along the river, and you may hear (or spot) the occasional caribou near the road at quiet hours.
This location is prime for day trips to Athabasca Falls, Moab Lake, and Mount Edith Cavell, with Hwy 93A offering a scenic, quieter drive. It’s also a handy staging point for overnight treks deeper into Jasper.
There are no showers on site, and reduced tree cover means some sites feel exposed. Larger rigs can fit in places, but the layout favors tents, trailers, and small-to-mid RVs; big units may find some pads tight or tricky to level.
Wildlife
174 sightingsGrizzly BearMost seen around 8 PMSighting map
43 sightingsCaribouMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
40 sightingsGray WolfMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
12 sightingsCanada LynxMost seen around 8 PMSighting map
315 sightingsMooseMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
1,028 sightingsElkMost seen around 7 AMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Jasper. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
Keep exploring
EasyWabasso Lake6.8 km · 2.5 hr · 1 km awayGentle forest walk on Trail 9 to a quiet, marsh-edged lake.ModerateMoab Lake Trail15.1 km · 4 hr · 5.7 km awayA quiet, moderate road walk to a Moab Lake viewpoint via the Whirlpool valleyModerateLeach Lake Trail15.4 km · 4.5 hr · 5.7 km awayWinter route to Leach Lake with Mount Hardisty and Mount Kerkeslin views.
ModerateValley of the Five Lakes Loop7.7 km · 2.5 hr · 5.7 km awayFive bright lakes, with a quieter outer loop for extra space.
ChallengingPortal Creek Trail20.1 km · 8 hr · 6.3 km awayForest slog to alpine meadows and Maccarib Pass—the Tonquin gateway.
ChallengingMaccarib Pass Trail24 km · 8 hr · 6.3 km awayBig Ramparts views after a long, often muddy approach
EasyTrail 9b1.1 km · 24 min · 6.7 km awayScenic shortcut between First and Second Lakes on the Five Lakes loopParkwolf’s Jasper ranking
The audio tour guide for the drive, plus offline maps, trails, and wildlife heatmaps for when the signal drops.
