The Athabasca River in Jasper National Park in Alberta, Canada

© Ron Harris/Offset

The Athabasca River in Jasper National Park in Alberta, Canada

The waters of the Athabasca River come from the Columbia Icefield here in Jasper National Park, so they’re already cold. In the winter months, everything turns colder still, as ice, snow, and plunging temperatures are visited on the Canadian Rockies. But that doesn’t mean the park is closed up. The whitewater rafters may have left the foamy rapids of the Athabasca, but Athabasca Falls still offers a dramatic scene, and for those with the right gear, snowshoeing, skiing, and ice climbing are world-class.