This article presents a shortlist of several hikes in Jasper National Park, that show you the stunning nature of the Canadian Rockies(as you can see here).
When visiting, the weather turned out a little different than expected, as it was snowing a lot during our trip at the end of September, so we couldn’t do all the hikes we wanted to. However, figuring out the best-looking hikes and balancing the level of the hikes took quite some time.
I’m happy to share the impressions of both the hikes we did and the hikes we planned on doing and I would still recommend you to try! Jasper National Park was one of the locations we visited during our 3-week RV trip exploring the Canadian Rockies.
Easy | 4,5 km | 1,5 – 2 hours
The Valley of the Five Lakes hike is an easy hike right outside of Jasper, at the start of the Icefields Parkway, that takes you around 5 lakes in a loop. Generally, the hike is fairly easy, although there are some uphill and downhill paths. You’ll find some of the red chairs that are located in several parks in Canada along the way. Try to get here early, as it is a popular hike and the parking lot might fill up quickly.Β
Easy | 6 km | 1,5 – 2,5 hours
Head to the P7 parking lot to find the trailhead of the hike. Several hikes do start from the trailhead, but we decided to start following the 2B hike. Honestly, I didn’t expect that much from the hike, but my favourite pictures of the holiday were shot here!
Cruise to Spirit Island – 1,5 hours or Moose Lake Loop – 2,7 km | 1-2 hoursΒ Β
We didn’t hike around Maligne Lake due to severe muscle pains, and therefore just did the Maligne Lake Cruise, which is highly recommended! I would love to come back once in summer, rent a canoe and paddle the lake. There is the opportunity to take a tent and camp on the side of the lake. A hike around the lake is the Moose Lake Loop to spot some moose (which probably doesn’t come as a surprise given the name). Interested in more visuals and information about Maligne Lake? Check out this post!
Easy | 1,5 km | 30 minutes – 1 hourΒ
It started snowing like crazy the day before we wanted to visit Horseshoe Lake while driving south on the Icefields Parkway. As the first ones to arrive at the lake, it was very hard to see the snow-covered tracks. Still, the lake was stunning!
Two popular waterfalls that are worth visiting are Athabasca Falls and Sunwapta Falls. You can barely name this a hike, as it takes you about 15 to 30 minutes to find the waterfalls.
The next couple of hikes, I haven’t been able to do myself. However, they look amazing and when you have the time and the weather is good. I wouldn’t doubt putting them on your list.
Moderate to difficult | 13,4 km | 3,5 to 6 hoursΒ
Unfortunately, we haven’t been able to do this hike. From Maligne Lake, two main hikes are starting – Bald Hills and Opal Hills. After a lot of research, I concluded Bald Hills would be the prettier one of the two. Mainly because the scenery is changing more along the way.
Path of the Glacier trail | 1,6 km | 1 hour or Edith Cavell Meadows Hike | 8 km | 2,5 – 4,5 hoursΒ
The road to Mount Edith Cavell was closed because of the weather, so we haven’t been able to visit. The road up there is very steep and hard to access with an RV, so the weather circumstances must be good. Therefore, it is recommended to visit in the summer months.
Moderate | 8 km | 2-3 hoursΒ
The Sulphur Skyline trail was a little bit too far off for us, taking the risk of it not being accessible into account. However, a great thing about the hike, is that there are hot springs nearby, so you can properly relax after the hike.
Easy | 10 km | 2 – 3 hours return
This hike doesn’t belong here, as it is based in Mount Robson national park instead of Jasper National Park. It is a back-and-forth trail, that you can also access by bike when you are done with all the hiking.Β
Β A website I liked and used for more detailed hike reports when in the destination is www.10adventures.com.
