Last updated on March 31st, 2023 at 03:25 am
The Maligne Canyon Ice Walk is one of the most popular winter activities in Jasper, Alberta and for good reason! This trail is wild, requires more than just a pair of hiking boots and at times will make you feel tiny and take your breath away. If you find yourself in Jasper in winter the Maligne Canyon Ice Walk is an absolute must.
This is not a standard hike, for anyone looking to head into Maligne Canyon, you’ll need ice spikes for your shoes but also helmets are recommended as well in case of things falling into the canyon.
The Maligne Canyon Ice Walk
Rather than heading to the main Maligne Canyon parking area, the best way to head into Maligne Canyon to do the ice walk is by parking at the Bridge Five parking area. This is clearly signposted from the Maligne Lake Road.
Once parked we headed across the bridge and the path is clearly visible. Just before the trail heads upwards there is a right hand worn trail which follows the river bed, we took this option on the way out, otherwise look for a gate off the main trail to start the Maligne Canyon ice walk.
We soon hit our first no pass point, a frozen waterfall which took up the width of the canyon. It looked like some people had tried to climb up the side. This both looked dangerous and when we visited would have been a waste of time since there was running water at the top! Instead we headed up the side and exited back onto the main trail.
Shortly after we found a gate and reentered the canyon, as the walls started to grow on either side of us we reached a pinch point. We could see people sliding down the icy rock squeeze, not recommended! Some of our group made it up the icy rock using the walls to buffer off of, they didn’t make it look easy, so the rest of us headed back to the closest gate and hit the main trail again. There was another gate just up the path and we quickly rejoined the rest of our group.
From here on in the canyon just gets more and more spectacular, the ice falls coming down the canyon walls are incredible and often covered with ice climbers. A helmet here is a must as you never know what people above may knock down on you. The main trail is way up, running along the top of the canyon.
The trail also becomes more of an ice walk the further into the canyon we got, almost completely impassable without the use of traction devices for our feet. I used yacktrax which worked perfectly and are reasonably priced and easy to get hold of.
We did the Maligne Canyon ice walk during a fairly warm spell, somewhat later in the winter and the ice was starting to get slushy and melt in places. We could see spots where people had obviously sunk deep and come out with a wet foot. Eventually we got to a spot where the ice had broken up and a Parks Canada sign was ahead saying we could go no further. We turned around and headed back to the nearest gate.
Once back on the main trail we followed it all the way across the rest of the bridges to the main Maligne Canyon parking area. It felt good to be back in the sunshine and insane to look down into the canyon we had just been walking through the bottom of!
We took the main trail all the way back to the car, it was easy to follow but still rather slick so we left our ice cleats on even for this part.
All in all the Maligne Canyon ice walk is an unforgettable experience and a real must do for anyone visiting Jasper in the middle of winter!
Guided Tours
By far the safest way to experience the Maligne Canyon ice walk is on a guided tour, these tours provide you with all the gear you need as well as lots of incredible, informative information and the guides know the best way to navigate the canyon so you don’t end up with wet feet! There are a number of companies in Jasper who offer guided tours, I’ve listed two below.
Jasper Hikes and Tours
Sundog Tours
With both companies you’ll get a fantastic experience but they both offer something a little different so check both of them out for more information!
