the majesty of the ROCKIES : Jasper National Park contains some of the most eye-catching scenery in North America. An unspoiled wilderness of jagged mountains, lakes and river, glaciers, waterfalls and huge ice fields greet the visitor.

Those grand old resorts, Banff and Lake Louise, may be the best-known jewels in Alberta’s Rocky Mountain crown, but the wonders are no less spectacular in adjacent Jasper National Park.

Arriving in Edmonton by jet,the province in spring or early summer resembles a giant tapestry in various shades of green. From jagged snow-capped peaks to the west, icy rivers twist and cascade into mirror lakes. Fertile valleys give way to cattle ranches and wheat fields that stretch for miles across the prairie.

Snuggled up against the Continental Divide, Jasper National Park, named after oldtime trapper and company clerk Jasper Hawes, was founded in 1907 and covers roughly 4,200 square miles of some of North America’s most eye-catching scenery.

Here, about a four- to five-hour drive west of Edmonton, Canadians and visitors alike can--depending upon the season--hike, fish, camp, climb, raft, ride, ski or simply gaze in awe at the beauty around them.

“The last wild elk, bighorn sheep, mountain goats, grizzly and black bears will live in these national parks,” naturalist and writer Ben Gould once said. “In the near future, the only wilderness left in the world will be protected in such parks.

“People will learn to enjoy not having roads up the canyons, not seeing buildings of any kind. Visitors who experience the grandeur, the pungent aromas, the silence, the refreshment of having a mountain virtually to themselves, become wilderness activists.”

There is no better introduction to the majesty of the Canadian Rockies than by taking the aerial tramway up The Whistlers Mountain. The 20-minute ascent in the gondola delivers passengers to a restaurant at the upper terminal, where breakfast, lunch and dinner are served on three glass-enclosed terraces.

From there, at 6,700 feet, visitors can climb the alpine hiking trail to the summit for an eagle’s-eye view of 12,929-foot Mt. Robson, the highest peak in the Canadian Rockies, the Athabasca Valley and the Columbia Icefield. Also visible from the windswept ridges are spectacular Maligne Canyon and the turquoise waters of Maligne Lake, the second-largest glacial lake in the world.

Dropping back down below the timberline, take the Icefield Parkway, which links Jasper to Lake Louise, for a close-up view of the glaciers. Sights not to be missed include the Athabasca Glacier and the Sunwapta and Athabasca falls.

At the Athabasca Falls, river-rafting guide Mike Szkorupa and his colleagues, passionate environmentalists all, take visitors on foaming, roller-coaster rides in inflatable boats.

Seven to a boat, participants in rubber suits and life jackets are given a brief orientation from their helmsman/guide, then find themselves paddling through the rapids or coasting in quiet pools for three hours before pulling up on a beach for a lunch break.

For some, the most exhilarating wilderness experience is an afternoon hike up to Athabasca Glacier, one of dozens of glaciers making up the Columbia Icefield, which, at 150 square miles, represents the largest accumulation of ice and snow south of the Arctic Circle.

Although Athabasca Glacier can be viewed from the comfort of a snow coach, on a fine day the gradual climb with mountain guide Peter Lemieux is much the best way to go.

The Columbia Icefield is a true “continental divide.” Its meltwaters feed streams and rivers that pour into the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic to the east and the Pacific to the southwest.

An information center houses a scale model of the entire ice fields area, and the audiovisual display, too, is worth a look-in.

In all, Jasper National Park is crisscrossed with more than 625 miles of backcountry trails, each one of them offering something new around the next bend.

The town of Jasper itself lies in a broad valley where the Athabasca and Miette rivers meet. Less hectic than Banff, even in the high season, it did not really begin to develop until the railway reached town in 1911.

Souvenir and crafts shops line the main street but, not surprisingly, it is the countryside and not the town that visitors come to Jasper to see.

Those who want to prolong their enjoyment of the Rockies can leave Jasper on the 8 p.m. train and enjoy the mountains from their table in the diner. In summer, en route to Vancouver, a late-setting sun affords hours of pleasurable travel while the scenery rolls by.

Still lakes reflect evergreens and peaks aglow in orange light. The track follows the swift Fraser River with its islands of dense fir and spruce, its beaver dams, moose drinking at the water’s edge, caribou and elk grazing in the meadows and solitary Indians spearing salmon, their nets drying on rock outcroppings.

At one place, a waterfall is cantilevered across the tracks.

Compartment windows are wide and clean, but if you want a bigger picture find a seat in the dome car, where the conductor might even have a tale or two to tell about the passing country.

Canadian passenger trains can be sidetracked for a freight. Being late is only a bonus for true train buffs. Later at night, passengers can watch the constellations swing into different positions as the train winds through Yellowhead Pass and across scores of high bridges. The 18-hour trip costs $128 Canadian.

The colorful 190-page “Scenic Rail Guide to Western Canada” by Bill Coo is a perfect companion, providing maps, history and local lore. Coo, a lifelong railroader, includes locations of the Hudson’s Bay Company trading posts, a description of the blind mice that live in one five-mile tunnel, stories of the monumental struggles to lay these tracks (camels and mules were used to climb “the hill of despair,” where the last spike was driven), plus facts on pioneers, wildlife and side trips with the Canadian National and Canadian Pacific system.

The paperback can be obtained for $10 plus $2 for postage and handling by contacting VIA Collector’s Corner, P.O. Box 1418, Postal Station B, Downsview, Ontario, M3H 5W3.

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Jasper can be reached by air from Los Angeles by flying either to Edmonton or Calgary. The regular round-trip fare to either city is approximately $470, but can be as low as $225, based on 30-day advance purchase.

Prices below are all quoted in Canadian dollars.

From Edmonton, Jasper is about 220 miles due west on the Yellowhead Highway. From Calgary, take Highway 1 west and then head north on Highway 93 through Banff and Lake Louise. The distance from Calgary is 248 miles, but the scenery along the way is sure to make you stop more than once.

Car rentals are available in most cities in Alberta, with rates for a mid-size car being $35 to $40 per day. Motor homes that sleep four or five can be rented from Pathfinder Vacations.

Rates during July and August are approximately $122 per day, plus mileage, insurance and other charges. For more information, call (403) 438-0774 in Edmonton, or (403) 291-1000 in Calgary.

There is also a bus that runs from Edmonton to Jasper. The journey takes five hours and costs $27.60 one way.

Jasper accommodations range from 10 campsites to bed and breakfast inns, apartments, chalets and bungalows. Leggett’s Loft at 218 Patricia St., owned by Kathy Matthews, is a second-floor apartment with its own entrance, windows on three sides and a kitchen. Rates: $40 per night.

Rambling and elegant Jasper Park Lodge, open year-round, is a 400-roomhotel that offers formal and casual dining rooms, wide verandas, a swimming pool, an 18-hole golf course, tennis, horseback riding, bicycling, kayaking, boating, sleigh rides and skating.

Summer rates, in effect from June 1 to Sept. 30, range from $228 to $404 per person. In winter, Oct. 22 to April 20, the rates are $62 to $207. For more information, write to Box 40, Jasper, Alberta TOE OCO or call toll-free (800) 642-3817.

There are 119 rooms at the Chateau Jasper, where June 1-Sept. 30 summer rates are $115 to $140; $80 to $115 in winter, Oct. 1-May 31. For further information, write to Box 1418, Jasper, Alberta TOE OCO, Canada.

The Black Cat Guest Ranch has 16 double rooms with bath. It keeps 34 saddle horses, stages barbecues and fishing trips, and provides hot-tub relaxation in winter after a wearying day of cross-country skiing. Prices: $60 per person in summer, $50 in winter. Write to Box 976, Hinton, Alberta TOE 1EO or call (403) 865-3084.

Horseback Trips

Two stables in Jasper offer one-hour, half-day and full-day sightseeing on horseback.

Jasper Wilderness & Tonquin Valley Pack and Ski Trips offers five- to 14-day pack trips through the park. The costs, which cover saddle and pack horses, guide service, boats or fishing, meals and accommodations, range from $425 to $1,300 per person, depending on the length of the trip. For more information, write Box 550, Jasper, Alberta TOE 1EO, Canada, or call (403) 852-3908.

Tonquin Valley Amethyst Pack Trips offer 3- and 4-day journeys at $290 and $370 per person, respectively. Contact Box 508, Jasper, Alberta TOE 1EO, Canada.

Horseback Adventures runs pack trips into the Willmore Wilderness out of Hinton and returning through the northern part of Jasper National Park. Write to General Delivery, Brule, Alberta TOW OCO, Canada, or call (403) 865-4777.

For cyclists, Glacier Cycle Tours offer guided mountain bike tours of various duration. Including bike rental, the cost for the first hour is $15. Each additional hour is $13. The minimum age is 12 years. Glacier Cycle Tours, P.O. Box 2079, Jasper, Alberta TOE 1EO, Canada.

Maligne Tours offer boat cruises and guided fishing trips on 14-mile long Maligne Lake. Available are 1 1/2-hour cruises at $22 for adults, $11 for children, $20 for seniors; full-day guided fishing packages for $150 single, $125 per person, double, and 3 1/2-hour guided trail rides or 8-mile guided raft rides, both at $40 per person.

Hours of operation for The Whistlers Mountain tramway are 8 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. between June 16 and Sept. 4. Cost is $7.50 for adults, $3.50 for children.

Ice-Walk Reservations

Reservations for the snow coach can be made from now to Sept. 28 at a cost of $13 for adults, $6 for children, (403) 762-2241. For Ice Walks, June 24 to Labor Day, the costs are $12 and $6, respectively. Write to P.O. Box 2067, Banff, Alberta, Canada.

The Jasper Chamber of Commerce is a source for additional information. Contact it at P.O. Box 98, Jasper, Alberta TOE 1EO, Canada, (403) 852-3858.

The “Alberta Adventure Guide” covers costs and descriptions of all activities. It can be obtained free by calling (800) 661-8888.

For rail tours and schedules, write to Public Affairs, VIA Rail Canada, P.O. Box 8116, Station A, Montreal, Quebec H3C 3N3.

For general information on travel to Alberta, contact Travel Alberta, 333 S. Grand Ave., Suite 3535, Los Angeles 90071, or call (800) 424-3687 or (213) 625-1256.

Ditmars is a free-lance writer living in Palos Verdes.