Maligne Canyon Loop

Rae here. Maligne Canyon is the short walk in Jasper that almost everyone passes through, and for good reason — it's a slot carved by the Maligne River into Palliser limestone, narrow enough in places that you're staring down into water you can hear but barely see. The 4.2 km loop is short, but it's not a throwaway. Pick the right hour and you can have the lower bridges to yourself.

The trail

From the upper trailhead near the teahouse, the path drops alongside the canyon rim and crosses a series of numbered footbridges — six in total, each one a different vantage on the gorge. The first two bridges sit directly over the deepest, narrowest cuts, where the river plunges through fluted limestone and the canyon walls close to a few meters apart. This is also where the crowds concentrate, because tour buses unload here and most visitors only walk as far as Bridge 2 before turning around.

Past Bridge 4 the canyon opens out, the gradient eases, and the river broadens. The trail descends through Engelmann spruce and Douglas fir to Bridge 6, the lowest point of the loop, then climbs back up the opposite bank. The full circuit is about 4.2 km with roughly 100 m of gain, and most people finish in about an hour and a half. It's well-graded, mostly hard-packed dirt with some paved sections and stairs near the top bridges.

When to go

Two distinct seasons here, and they're almost different trails.

• Summer (June–September): Easy walking, full water flow through the canyon, and serious crowds at the upper bridges between roughly 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Start before 9 or come back after dinner — Jasper's long summer light gives you until 9 or 10 p.m.
• Winter (mid-January–March): The canyon partially freezes and guided icewalk tours go down inside the gorge itself. The rim trail stays open and is genuinely worth the visit, but it ices up hard. Microspikes are not optional.
• Shoulder seasons: Spring meltwater can make the lower trail muddy and the bridges slick. Fall (late September) is the quietest window with reasonable conditions.

What to know before you go

• Park pass: A Parks Canada day pass or annual Discovery Pass is required to be in Jasper National Park. No separate trail permit.
• Parking: Two lots — the upper lot by the teahouse fills first and earliest. The Fifth Bridge lot, lower down on Maligne Lake Road, is a good alternative if you want to walk the loop in reverse and skip the worst of the upper-bridge crowds.
• Water: Don't drink from the Maligne — it's silty and there are upstream concerns. Bring what you need; it's a short outing.
• Navigation: Hard to get lost. The bigger hazard is wet stone and stairs near the upper bridges, plus the railing-leans for photos. People fall here every season.
• Wildlife: Black bears use the lower river corridor. Make noise on the quieter sections below Bridge 5.
• Wildfire impact: The 2024 Jasper wildfire affected parts of the park. Check Parks Canada's current trail status before you drive out.

What to bring

• Sturdy trail shoes with real tread — the stairs and rim sections get slick fast
• Traction devices (microspikes) from October through April, no exceptions in deep winter
• A light shell; the canyon holds cold air and mist even on warm days
• Bear spray if you're walking early morning or in the evening
• A headlamp if you're starting late in summer to dodge crowds

Variations

• Short out-and-back: If you only have 30 minutes, walk from the upper lot down to Bridge 2 and back. You'll see the most dramatic section of the canyon without committing to the full loop.
• Extended version via Fifth Bridge: Continue past Bridge 6 down the Maligne River to Fifth Bridge, adding several kilometers of quieter forest walking along the river. Shuttle or out-and-back.
• Overlander Trail link-up: For a longer day, connect from Sixth Bridge onto the Overlander Trail toward Cold Sulphur Spring. Adds significant distance and turns a tourist walk into a half-day outing on much quieter tread.
• Winter icewalk: Booked through licensed Jasper guides. You walk the floor of the canyon on the frozen river — a completely different experience from the rim loop, and the only legal way down inside.