Jasper or Lake Louise?

Neither has a sea, but Jasper at least has a summer swim. Lake Annette and Lake Edith, a few minutes' drive east of town, are shallow enough to warm up in July and August. They have small sandy beaches and picnic lawns where local families spend hot afternoons.

Lake Louise has nothing like this. Its glacial lakes stay near 4°C all summer, and the nearest water warm enough to swim in is near Banff, about 45 minutes' drive away. In both places a swim is a bonus, not a reason to go.

Both eat like mountain resorts, with Alberta beef on most menus and tables to book in summer, but the setting differs. Jasper is a real small town, with a brewpub, burger and pizza places, Asian kitchens and grocery stores that make self-catering easy.

At Lake Louise you eat almost entirely in hotel dining rooms and lodges, where the choice is narrower and the prices higher. Its trail teahouses at Lake Agnes and the Plain of Six Glaciers are something Jasper has no match for. Keen eaters staying at Lake Louise drive to Banff.

Neither is a place for sights, and you can see what each has in an hour or so. Jasper's short walk takes in the 1914 stone and timber information centre, a small museum of fur-trade and railway history and the heritage station. Lake Louise has the Chateau and its old log railway station, and for museums and galleries you go to Banff.

Jasper has the livelier evenings, though only modestly. Seasonal staff and skiers gather in a brewpub, a few pubs and a late bar or two, and there is some noise on summer weekends. Its dark-sky preserve also makes stargazing a real night out.

Lake Louise has a hotel lounge, a lodge pub with a fireplace and après-ski in winter, and nothing more. Anyone wanting a late night drives to Banff.

Both have some of the finest mountain scenery in North America, and the difference is in how you reach it. At Lake Louise you walk from the shore below the Victoria Glacier up to Lake Agnes, the Plain of Six Glaciers and Larch Valley. Moraine Lake and Yoho are close, and the ski area is one of Canada's largest.

Jasper's park is wider and wilder. Elk wander into town, and bears, bighorn sheep, mountain goats and sometimes wolves are seen along the valley roads. Its highlights, Maligne Canyon, Maligne Lake and Mount Edith Cavell, are spread out and need a car. The Icefields Parkway links the two towns, with the Columbia Icefield in between.

Lake Louise is far better placed for a change of scene. Banff, about 45 minutes away, makes a full day out with its museums, the Banff Springs hotel and the Cave and Basin hot springs site. Canmore, Field and Golden are smaller stops, and Calgary is about two hours away.

From Jasper almost every outing stays inside the park. Hinton and Valemount are practical towns rather than places to visit, and Banff and Lake Louise are too far to get there and back comfortably in a day.

Both suit outdoor families with children who are happy to walk, and both are safe and calm, with no zoos or play attractions. Jasper does a little more for younger children in summer, with paddling at the lake beaches, elk-spotting from the car and campgrounds. Lake Louise offers canoeing, the gondola, the walk to the Lake Agnes teahouse and ski lessons, though rainy days are harder to fill there.

Lake Louise is easier without a car. Park shuttles go up to the lake and Moraine Lake, a regional bus runs from Banff and tour coaches are everywhere. That matters, because parking at the lakes fills very early in summer.

Jasper is easy to walk around and you can arrive on the transcontinental railway. But its lakes, canyons and trailheads lie along long valley roads served only by seasonal shuttles and tours. Without a car you see the town rather than the park.

Jasper has a little more. Its two main streets have outdoor gear and rental shops, souvenirs and a few galleries of Canadian and Indigenous art and wildlife photography. Lake Louise has a small village mall and a few boutiques in the Chateau, and anyone wanting clothes shops goes to Banff.

Both are expensive, but Jasper is easier on the wallet. As a proper town it has more rooms, campgrounds and grocery stores for self-catering, and costs drop noticeably in the shoulder seasons and winter, though a car and a park pass add to the bill.

Lake Louise has only a few places to sleep, its meals are priced for a resort with almost no competition, and the gondola and lift passes add more. Many travellers on a budget sleep in Banff or Canmore and come up for the day.

Neither can offer an evening of performance. Jasper has the odd guitarist in a pub and a few concerts during its seasonal festivals. At Lake Louise you might find a pianist in a hotel lounge, and the nearest real programme is the summer season at the arts centre in Banff.

Neither is a spa resort, and in both the calm comes from the mountains. Jasper has a proper soak at Miette Hot Springs, the hottest in the Canadian Rockies, an hour east of town and open only in the warmer months. It also has quiet streets and dark night skies.

Lake Louise relies on the spas in its lakeside hotels, and the historic pools on Sulphur Mountain in Banff are about 45 minutes away. Its lakeshores are crowded in July and August, so it is quietest in winter.