When Jasper National Park came into being in 1907, the area was a place of wild and rugged beauty, seldom visited by any but the most adventurous. Though approximately 2 million now come to the park each year, it remains wild and rugged; a pristine area where beauty and nature meet. When the railway came to Jasper in 1911, the town started to grow slowly but steadily. When a direct gravel road from Edmonton to Jasper was completed in 1937, greater numbers of tourists were able to come and enjoy the natural landscape. It was not until 1970 that the modern Trans-Canada Highway was constructed, finally allowing relatively easy access to Jasper's remote wilderness.