Mt. Athabasca from a distance. Photo by John E. Marriott.

The Athabasca Glacier is one of the most popular sightseeing areas of the Columbia Icefields in the Canadian Rockies and at Jasper National Park. It’s the most visited glacier in North America, and a definite must for those looking for big, bold and beautiful natural scenery.

Easy to spot and jaw-droping in size, Athabasca’s impressive length of 6 kilometers is measured between 90 to 300 meters thick. What’s surprising to most is that the glacier actually moves several centimeters per day over the three bedrock steps and down towards the valley.

Both standard buses and snow coaches tote travelers up for a closer look, and the Icefield Interpretive Center is a lodge and ticket sales area for the glacier. However remember to follow designated path signs, as deep crevasses are hidden in the glacier.

Visitors shouldn’t miss a stop at Athabasca Glacier because it won’t be around forever. It’s estimated this glacier recedes at 20 to 30 meters per year, and has lost over half of its volume in the past 125 years due to a warmer climate.

Click here to find out more about Columbia Icefields lodging!

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Tags: columbia icefields, icefields parkway, jasper icefields, jasper national park, Maligne Lake
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Maligne Lake in the winter at Jasper National Park.

No summer experience at Jasper National Park is complete without a day on the water. From canoes to rowboats and motorboats, spending time gliding around the Canadian Rockies and Jasper’s pristine lakes only enhances the peacefulness outdoor lovers crave when vacationing at Jasper.

Maligne Lake is the center of boating activity and is a calm, enjoyable body of water to spend mornings and afternoons cruising on. Tour boats also travel around the lake, though both motor boats and paddle boats are welcome.

Boaters of all crafts should plan at least a night’s stay along the Maligne Lake. Visitors can stay up to four nights total along the lake while enjoying the daytime lake activities like boating around, fishing with friends or searching for local wildlife.

Rowboats and canoes are allowed on most lakes and ponds, though boaters with gas-powered boats have restrictions and should look into the according rules. Overall, boaters should remember that Jasper National Park lakes and rivers are sources for cold water, and to use extreme caution when swimming.

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Tags: boating, canoe, jasper national park, kayak, Maligne Lake, Pyramid Lake, row boat, summer activities
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Hiking and exploring around Jasper National Park can sure work up an appetite. Stop into this eatery for breakfast or lunch without even leaving the park! Sandwiches include Black Forest ham and cheese, tuna salad, egg salad and chicken salad. Soups include a very healthy vegetarian chili. Get a salad or a vegetable platter for another healthy choice. In the mood for a treat after all that touring? The bakery department has fresh breads, tortes, pastries and sweets just waiting for you. Top it all off with a cup of coffee, glass of wine or a micro brew and you’ll be refueled and ready to head back out!

Maligne Lake Lodge
End of Maligne Lake Road
Jasper, AB T0E 1E0
(780) 852-3370

Tags: bakery, beer, coffee, Jasper, jasper national park, Maligne Lake, Maligne Lake Lodge, salad, sandwich, Soup, tea, vegetarian, wine
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By Amanda May
Staff Writer
JasperNationalPark.com

Floating along, surrounded by high mountain peaks, boating in Maligne Lake in Jasper National Park is one of the most beautiful vacation activities in Canada.

Calm skies and calm waters at Maligne Lake.

The lake is at the foot of Mount Charlton, Mount Unwin, Mount Mary Vaux, Llysfran Peak, Lea Peak, Samson Peak and Mount Paul. With so many peaks in the area, you’ll want to bring your camera to remember this view in the wilderness of Jasper National Park.

The lake was created by a landslide that came off the surrounding Opal Hills. The 700 million cubic yards (500 million cubic meters) of dirt and rocks created a natural dam in the lower valley. The water backed up an voila, you’ve got Maligne Lake.

A variety of boat types are allowed on the lake’s pristine waters. Rent a canoe or a rowboat to take in the scenery in real time, or get a powered boat to really cruise around.

Electric motors without on-board generators are allowed on most of Jasper’s road-accessible lakes like Maligne Lake.

To get used to the lake, we recommend getting an early start your first day. The lake is usually calm around 9 a.m., a great time to observe the morning beauty and calm.

It’s a good idea to get used to the lake before you shove off because it is a very cold lake year round. Hypothermia can be a concern if you capsize. Because of this, it’s also a good idea to always paddle close to shore and wear a life jacket.

Good boaters live by a strict set of rules, including always wearing life jackets, never overloading the boat and always leaving at least a foot (30 cm) of free board (space between the water level and the top of your watercraft).

While you’re exploring the lake, keep in mind that small watercraft have right of way over powered tour boats, but avoid crossing in front of the big ones just in case.

The larger tour boats generally travel down the middle of the lake from 9 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. This is a good point, in that you probably won’t need to worry about right of way if you stay close to the lake edges, but watch out for the waves that the boats create. They are best taken head on (bow first).

Wind is another wave-maker that you should keep an eye out for. Because the weather in the Canadian Rockies is fairly unpredictable, always be ready for a sudden storm, drop in temperatures and even snow in the middle of summer! Head inland if you start to see the weather taking a turn for the worse. Check the live Jasper Web Cam for current weather conditions in the area!

Also, be aware while loading and unloading that black bears and grizzlies live in and are present in the area. Give the bears, as well as all the smaller animals enough space to live naturally in their habitat. Remember: you’re the tourist in their house!

Tags: black bears, boating, canadian rockies, canoeing, grizzlies, Jasper, jasper national park, Maligne Lake, motorboat, rowboat
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Jasper National Park, Alberta

No trip to Jasper National Park, or the Canadian Rockies, for that matter, would be complete without a side trip to Maligne Lake. Separated from the Banff/Jasper Highway by the rugged Maligne Range, this 46 km. (29 mi.) road follows the glacial valley separating this range from the neighbouring Queen Elizabeth Ranges. The main access is along Highway 16, approximately 5 km. east of Jasper.

The Basics

Medicine Lake, one of the most beautiful sights in the Maligne Lake area.

Highlights: Jasper Park Lodge Road, Hanging Valley Viewpoint, Maligne Canyon, Medicine Lake, Whitewater Rafting, Rose Marie’s Rock, Maligne Lake.
Activities: Sightseeing, photography, walking, hiking, canoeing, whitewater rafting.
Location: 5 kilometres East of Jasper.
Time: Minimum of two hours.

Camera-ready

As you drive this winding road, keep your eyes open for wildlife. Many a grizzly has been seen wandering its isolated hillsides and lakeshores. There are also potentials for black bear, elk, moose, mule and white-tail deer, bighorn sheep, and mountain goat. A camera and film are essential, but please stay in your vehicles when you see animals, and please keep a safe distance between your vehicle and the wildlife.

The resorts

Immediately after crossing the bridge, the road to Jasper Park Lodge branches off to the right. Beginning as a tent camp, it is now a destination resort operated by Canadian Pacific Hotels & Resorts. Along the road to the lodge, the road to Lakes Edith and Annette exits to the left. These spring-fed lakes are a popular day use are for locals and visitors alike. Technically, known as kettles, they were formed when huge blocks of glacial ice were buried by debris. As the ice melted, the overlying material collapsed into the depression, and the melting ice formed a small lake. In the summer, the lakes warm up to allow swimming—warm lakes are a luxury in the Rockies.

As you approach Jasper Park Lodge, you skirt the shores of Mildred Lake, locally known as Laundry Lake because of its proximity to the lodge laundry department. Watch for a large water spout in the centre of the lake. As the golf course tightens the taps on its irrigation system, the water backs up and sprays high into the air on Laundry Lake.

Continuing on the Maligne Lake Road

As you pass the road to Jasper Park Lodge, tune in your radio to AM 1490 (AM 1230 for French) for a Parks Canada radio broadcast on early adventurers in this area. For a pleasant picnic, take the side road to Fifth and Sixth bridge picnic areas, or continue on to Maligne Canyon.

Hanging Valley Viewpoint

At kilometre 6 (mile 4), an easy to miss sign indicates a viewpoint to the left. Take this exit for an excellent panorama of the Athabasca Valley and the town of Jasper. The Maligne valley is a classic hanging valley. Large glaciers are able to carve large valleys, and conversely, smaller glaciers carve smaller valleys. Since the Maligne valley glacier was merely a tributary of the much larger Athabasca valley glacier, it left behind a shallower valley. When the ice melted, the difference became obvious as the smaller Maligne valley was left stranded high above the much lower Athabasca valley.

From this viewpoint, near the lip of the valley, you get a wonderful view of the vastness of the valley left behind by the Athabasca valley glacier. Across the valley, Pyramid Mountain looms with its CNCP telecommunications tower on the summit. To the left of the townsite, Whistlers Mountain and its ever-present tramway rule the skyline. In the valley bottom, Jasper lies peacefully.

Maligne Canyon

Shortly after leaving the Hanging Valley Viewpoint, turn left into the Maligne Canyon day-use area. Don’t miss this opportunity to see one of Jasper’s geological marvels. When glacial melt left the Maligne valley stranded high above the Athabasca valley, the Maligne River needed to find a way to drain its runoff into this lower valley. To accomplish this task, it began to rapidly erode this narrow canyon to reduce the difference in altitude between the two valleys. In some cases, the canyon is only a few metres wide, but as much as 50 m. (160 ft.) deep.

The trail is well maintained, but gets steep in places, so take your time and enjoy the magic of the place. Despite its beauty, the canyon has an almost hypnotic effect on visitors, particularly photographers. Avoid the temptation to climb past barriers for the perfect image. Many photographers have died here doing just that. Enjoy the magic, but please stay behind the barriers. They are there for good reason.

Medicine Lake

Much of the drainage from the surrounding mountains leaves this valley through a hidden drainage network of underground caves. Medicine Lake dramatically illustrates the effectiveness of this underground drainage system, and gains its name from its curious habit of vanishing every autumn. It acts like a large bathtub with the plug pulled. If you add water fast enough, the tub will fill with water despite the water running down the drain.

In the case of Medicine Lake, upwards of 24,000 litres (4,000 gallons) of water go down the drain every second. During the runoff of summer, enough water is flowing into the lake from local streams to surpass the drainage. Before long, the lake bed begins to fill, and by late spring, Medicine Lake is in its full glory. By September, the runoff has dropped off, and the lake rapidly drains.

The cave drainage system beneath Medicine Lake resurfaces below Maligne Canyon, more than 17 km. (11 mi.) downstream. This qualifies it as the longest underground drainage system in the country. On two different occasions, attempts were made to plug the drain, once using old mattresses, the other using magazines—neither had any effect.

Medicine Lake also provides excellent opportunity to catch your dinner. Its quiet waters teem with eastern brook trout. These fish were originally stocked in 1927, and since then have thrived. Prior to this, there were no fish in the lake—after all, how would they have gotten there? With its underground drainage system, Medicine Lake has no above ground outlet to allow fish to migrate upstream. It is formed strictly from glacial runoff.

Whitewater Rafting

Be ready to see lots of wildlife on this trip.

At kilometre 35 (mile 22), the road passes the takeout point for whitewater rafters and kayakers. Keep your eyes open for some of these icy adventurers. The frigid waters of the Maligne River rarely surpass a few degrees above freezing, but despite its chilly nature, the stretch between Maligne Lake and this pullout represents one of the provinces most popular rafting destinations.

Rose Marie’s Rock

At kilometre 41 (mile 25), the road crosses a bridge over the Maligne River. Looking upstream, a large rock is visible in the middle of the river. This rock was showcased during filming of the 1953 classic Rose Marie, starring Howard Keel and Ann Blyth. No, Nelson Eddy didn’t sing to Jeanette Macdonald here, despite the sign in the Maligne Lake Restaurant! It was the remake of this classic movie that was actually filmed here.

Maligne Lake

Welcome to one of the most picturesque spots in the Canadian Rockies. Nestled between Leah Peak, Samson Peak and Mount Paul on the left, and Mounts Charlton, Unwin, Mary Vaux and Llysfran Peak to the right, it offers unlimited photographic potential. The lake was created when a landslide off the surrounding Opal Hills released almost 500-million-m³ (almost 700 million-yd³) of material into the lower valley. This natural dam caused the water to backup forming the present lake. Like Medicine Lake, fish stocking in the early part of the century has created a fisherman’s paradise. Don’t forget to pick up your National Park fishing license before hand.

History

In 1875, railroad surveyor Henry MacLeod recorded the first non-native exploration of this valley. Looking for a route for Canada’s planned transcontinental railway, he found the valley to be blocked at its eastern terminus. Perhaps the best reflection of his expedition can be found in his dubbing the lake at the valley’s eastern end “Sore Foot Lake” (now Maligne Lake).

The lake remained quiet until 1908 when a Quaker from Pennsylvania, Mary Schäffer, hired local guide Billy Warren to take her to Chaba Imne (Stoney for Beaver Lake). Along with her was long-time friend Mary Adams. The party had explored Jasper the year prior, but had not been able to reach the lake before snowfall. Mary wrote in her journal:
“Indians, of course, had been there, but, unless a prospector or timber-cruiser had come in by way of the Athabaska River, we had reason to feel we might be the first white people to have visited it.”

As you drive this winding road, keep your eyes open for wildlife. Many a grizzly has been seen wandering its isolated hillsides and lakeshores. There are also potentials for black bear, elk, moose, mule and white-tail deer, bighorn sheep, and mountain goat. A camera and film are essential, but please stay in your vehicles when you see animals, and please keep a safe distance between your vehicle and the wildlife.

Crossing the Athabasca River over the H.J. Moberly Bridge, you pay tribute to one of Jasper’s earliest pioneer families. Henry Moberly worked as a Factor for the Hudson’s Bay Company, settling in the Jasper area in 1858. He lived until 1931, and this bridge, built in 1940, is dedicated to his memory.

Maligne Lake

Boat tours along the lake are a must for visitors to the area. Culminating with a visit to world famous “Spirit Island”, they offer endless views of the surrounding ranges, and provide the most civilized way to see the further reaches of this magnificent lake.

Tags: Jasper Activities, jasper national park, Maligne Lake
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