JASPER, ALBERTA—Canada—Maligne Lake in Jasper National Park is reachable by several impressive hiking trails, but the Bald Hills hike boasts the best panoramas. Located a little more than 40 kilometers from Jasper itself, the Bald Hills trailhead can be found in the farthest lot at the very end of the paved road.

Some Vital Numbers for the Bald Hills Trail—Jasper National Park

Hiking Distance: It is about 6km if you take the old fire road up and little over 4km on the shorter, steeper route to the ridge above the lookout point. Just over 10km round trip to ascend and descend the Bald Hills.
Hiking Time: The Bald Hills hike can take anywhere from 1.5 to 3.5 hours to reach the lookout. A little less time is required for the return hike.

Enjoying the Bald Hills Hike of the Canadian Rockies

Once you’ve reached the trailhead, cross the road to the gate next to the pay phone. The fire road leads you past the Bald Hills trail to Maligne Pass, which will be on your left. The Bald Hills lookout site is marked by the sign at kilometer 2.1, also on your left. Once you make it here, the real hiking begins. This trail ascends more steeply than the fire road and includes switchbacks that ultimately take you to the road again. From here, you turn right and hike 80 meters to the lookout of Maligne Lake.

For hikers who want to continue to any of the other three Bald Hills summits from here, cross the road and take the hiking path up a hill to meet the main road. There, you can turn right and continue to the next switchback. The trail from here is steep and leads to a cairn, which marks the hiking route to the Evelyn Creek lookout on the right. The northern and middle Bald Hills summits are also attainable by turning left at the cairn and continuing onto the rougher hiking trail south.

Tips For Jasper, Alberta Hikers

Higher summits often leave hikers breathless, and the trails in Jasper National Park are no exception. Hikers continuing on to Evelyn Creek ought to be especially careful to focus on their breathing as well as the trail. If you experience any issues with heights, take it slow and pace yourself.

Weather may also be an issue in the Canadian Rockies. Heavy snowfall has been known to occur in the Bald Hills and snowshoes are often required in the winter. Snow at the trailhead is typically deep and compact, piling up as high as three feet some seasons. Check for specific information relating to weather if you’re planning to travel to Jasper National Park in the spring or early summer. You can even get a live look at Jasper weather conditions by checking out or user-controlled, live streaming camera in downtown Jasper.

Keeping that in mind, your Jasper, Alberta hiking vacation will be an awesome adventure. Make sure to bring your camera along to capture the splendor of the Bald Hills hike.

When hiking and looking for things to do in Banff and Jasper, book all of your Canadian Rockies activities at Jasper Vacations, the official activities provider for Jasper National Park.