Jasper National Park and the Canadian Rockies are well known for water. The lakes here are brilliant shades of blue and green, thanks to glaciation. There are amazing waterfalls, gigantic icefields and glaciers. But there’s more to do than just look at this water. You can raft it, fish it, skate and swim it.

The Canadian Rockies and Jasper have some of the most amazing lakes in the world.

Right now, we’re going to talk about those last two.

The most popular swimming lakes in Jasper sit near the northeast end of the town. Just like pretty much everything in Jasper, you can get to them by foot if the mood strikes you.

These would be Lake Annette and Lake Edith. Lake Annette is glacially fed, which means that even in summer, it can be really, really cold. Still, if you happen to be here on a hot, humid day, and have maybe finished some hiking or biking, there’s no better way in the world to cool down.

The interesting thing about jumping into water this cold during the summer is that the feeling lasts. After jumping in some ice cold water, I’ve retained that cool feeling for several hours, even on a really hot day.

Lake Edith lies next Lake Annette and is equally deep and cold. For this reason, it tends to attract more kayakers than swimmers. The setting is stunning though with mountains all around and private cabins that were built in 1930 all around the lake.

Both of these lakes can make for great ice skating during the winter time, although it somewhat depends on the weather. If the snow has piled up on top of the ice, it’s not so easy to go skating. Another great place to try ice skating is Lake Louise, where a section of ice is specifically cleared off for skating.

Whether you’re here for the winter or summer, these are two great ways to experience the waters of Jasper National Park in a unique way and get more out of your vacation experience.