Jasper: Sunwapta River White Water Rafting Self-Drive

4.98

(235 reviews)

What’s the experience like?

The first thing I remember is the sound — that low, cold roar of the Sunwapta River before you even see it. We parked about 40 minutes south of Jasper, and honestly, my hands were already a bit shaky (nerves or excitement, who knows). Our guide, Jamie, handed out wetsuits and cracked a joke about “glacier fashion.” The river looked almost milky blue in the morning light. You could smell pine needles and wet stone everywhere.

I’d never tried white water rafting before — not real rapids anyway — so when Jamie said this was the only Class III white water in Jasper, I felt both brave and slightly out of my depth. The first stretch was calm enough for us to get used to paddling together. I kept splashing myself more than helping at first (sorry to whoever sat behind me). Then the river picked up speed so fast it felt like someone had turned up the volume. There was one rapid called The Whopper — can’t forget that name — where we all got completely soaked. My friend Anna lost her paddle for a second and just started laughing like crazy.

I liked how Jamie kept pointing out little things along the banks — animal tracks in the mud, a hawk overhead. He knew every twist of the river and shouted instructions that somehow made sense even over all that noise. The cold spray hit my face and I could taste something metallic from the glacier water. It’s weird what you notice in those moments when you’re just holding on tight.

We pulled out just above Sunwapta Falls, dripping wet and grinning at each other like kids who’d gotten away with something. I still think about that view back upstream: mist rising off the rocks, our raft bumping gently against the shore while everyone caught their breath. Not sure if I’ll ever look at rivers quite the same way again.