Things to do at Maligne Lake

Maligne Lake is the longest natural lake in the Canadian Rockies at 22 km, reached by a scenic but genuinely long drive of just under an hour from Jasper townsite, not a quick afternoon detour. The lake's postcard, Spirit Island, cannot be seen from any shoreline trail or viewpoint on foot: it only comes into view from the water.

Most visitors book the commercial cruise, roughly a 90-minute round trip to the Spirit Island viewpoint, priced from around 100 to 130 CAD per adult depending on season. Renting a canoe at the boathouse instead costs less, but paddling the full distance to the island and back can take half a day and isn't guaranteed in wind.

This is separate from Maligne Canyon, further back down the same road, which has its own page and its own parking area.