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    Valley of the Five Lakes

    4.7 (6 reviews)

    Valley of the Five Lakes Photos

    Recommended Reviews - Valley of the Five Lakes

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    Starting the 4.5 kilometer Short Loop hike on a boardwalk.
    Seth A.

    Wow...just 2 reviews for this Valley of the Five Lakes? That's a crime, lol. Yes, Valley of the Five Lakes is awesome. To get straight to the point, while hiking about 4.5 kilometers exploring along the 5 lakes, you'll have moments to witness incredible reflections in the waters. Not only were the settings and hike within the woods so calming and peaceful, but the lakes were colorful and exuded immaculate moments to capture photographs. I was very happy with my experience. And I just ventured along the shortest of all the hikes, being the Short Loop! Along the way you'll actually confront the lakes from 5th Lake all the way down to 1st Lake. My only just eh/okay moment was 2nd Lake not being too scenic. Also, 1st Lake was without a doubt the most colorful in terms of being turquoise blue, but from the trail looking down at the lake, there really wasn't any clearance as to capture perspectives of the lake without being hindered by the extended growth of the trees. As my photos suggest, there was tremendous potential for the sceneries of 1st Lake but due to nature and the tall growing vegetations, I never found the perfect instance of viewing the lake in its entirety. Just to back up a few steps... Valley of the Five Lakes is situated right off famed Icefields Parkway located about 10 kilometers south of downtown Jasper. In fact, you can't miss the signs for it. Another interesting note...I had done my research prior to arriving here and Valley of the Five Lakes is said to be the most popular hiking spot for all visitors and tourists when in Jasper. I could understand why. The trails aren't really elevated so all families and children can come here and venture about. Also, there's enough spacing to roam around for everyone to feel like they're far away from reality. The parking lot was pretty big. When I showed up here in early morning around 9am back in the middle of June, 2022, there was barely anyone here. But by the time I departed around noon time, the lot had filled quickly. Before starting out on the trails, there's a trailhead sign stating all the possible hikes you can explore upon. I chose the Short Loop like I had mentioned and I'd suggest it to everyone else out there. For 4.5 kilometers you'll have enough exposure to the lay of the land and opportunities to take pictures with all the lakes (except for 1st Lake which was difficult to see). Otherwise, if you choose a longer loop, there's the... - First Lake Loop - 7.3 kilometers. - The Outer Loop - 8.4 kilometers. - Wabasso Lake - 13 kilometers. Starting out at 5th Lake, there was a wooden platform pier extending out onto the waters. It's here where you'll have time to soak up the setting of the lake. When I stopped by, I had incredibly good reflections in the lake but due to the overcast and cloudy conditions, this 5th Lake didn't have the most coloring to it that I was hoping for. And btw, the lake was so calm, I could have taken a nap while looking at it, lol. 4th Lake was terrific! Here the waters were clear, clear green and the reflection of the forest trees onto the waters was like a painting from some professional artist! I mean, really, I was loving this 4th Lake. Stunning! 3rd Lake - my favorite lake! The reflection here again...was this unreal, futuristic aspect where the mountainside surrounding the lake converged down towards the middle and the reflection was symmetrical. You got both angles of the trees coming at you from both sides. And while walking above this 3rd Lake, the center of it was dark green with a light blend of turquoise green on the outer sections of it. It was too good to be true! I was impressed! 2nd Lake was sort of a downer. Weird. Out of nowhere coming across this lake, it was like a pale brownish. But still, it was clean enough at the bottom to where you could still see the reflections of the trees. So, ultimately, it wasn't too colorful, but the reflections were good enough. And honestly, it was sort of a nice change of pace from the rest of the others. Finally 1st Lake. This had the best coloring in terms of real good turquoise blue but just unfortunately the trees overtook the perspectives from the trail. If they only did some maintenance around it...1st lake would be everyone's favorite, lol. 1st Lake is the biggest of them all and will take you the longest amount of time to navigate around. Lastly, I guess I took a wrong turn somewhere and after passing 1st Lake the trail sign said I still had 3 extra kilometers to go. So instead of hiking 4.5 kilometers, I believe I probably trekked a total of 7 altogether. But it was okay because I was so in awe of the lakes and just thinking about how hypnotic they were...I was happy having a little longer time to keep enjoying them. Alright, well, this Valley of the Five Lakes. It deserves a ton more recognition! It's beautiful here! And who doesn't love colorful and reflective lakes to post photos of on their Instagram Pages?

    Paisley T.

    This is a must-see hike while in Jasper. We did the popular small loop 9a-9b so we could see all the lakes in one go-around. Unless your heart is set on doing the big First Lake then I think this small loop hike is the best option here. Bring a light pack and plan ahead with sunscreen and a hat for some bald spots on the trail. There is some elevation change up and down in the valley once you pass the long boardwalk. But its very do-able. Each lake has its own shape and natural beauty. But I loved Fifth Lake the best. It has such a lovely crystal blue color and benches and a boardwalk. It's very pictoresque. A great spot for photos and a snack and journaling or meditation..or anything. The loop trail is estimated for a total of 2 hours but it took us closer to 3 hours since we did a lot of relaxing and photo-taking along the way.

    First lake

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    2 years ago

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    Sunwapta Falls - Exploring beyond the falls

    Sunwapta Falls

    4.3(12 reviews)
    7.8 km

    Like many of the falls in the area, you will find a breathtaking view if you just go a little bit…read morefurther than the average tourist. Do yourself a favor and hike to the lower falls! A little bit farther and a little bit more of a work out, the lower falls offer a crowd-free experience. My husband and I visited shortly after visiting Athabasca falls and pretty much had the entire place to ourselves. It was an overcast day, but that did not take away from the beauty of everything we saw. There is plenty of parking as well as a public restroom when you get to Sunwapta Falls.

    The falls are located about 42 miles south of Jasper on the Icefields Parkway. At the road is a…read more'resort' / motel and a restaurant, I think. You turn there and go less than a half mile to a loop / parking area near the falls. When we went (early afternoon on a Monday in the summer), it was a bit challenging to find a parking space. Overflow appeared to be along the approach road. We did find a space that was being vacated by another car, but later it appeared this was likely a less-than-legitimate parking space. Oh well. The falls are quite close to the parking area (maybe 100 yards?). There are actually two falls connected by a narrow / deep canyon of about 100 feet in length. There are several viewing areas and it pays to visit all 3 - 4 of them, to get the best overview of both falls. I'd recommend visiting in the afternoon for better lighting. Also, if you are visiting both, I'd recommend coming here *before* going to Athabasca Falls (which is further along the road towards Jasper), as the latter is more impressive. That is not to say that Sunwapta is not worthwhile; I just think you'll be more impressed with it if you see it first and are not comparing it at the time with Athabasca. The trails to overlooks are fairly short. Seeing the whole place took on the order of 30 - 45 minutes, for us. YMMV. Definitely a worthwhile stop, though.

    Photos
    Sunwapta Falls - Just above the first falls.

    Just above the first falls.

    Sunwapta Falls - The first falls.

    The first falls.

    Sunwapta Falls - Another perspective of Sunwapta Falls.

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    Another perspective of Sunwapta Falls.

    Mount Robson Park - Playing Around...

    Mount Robson Park

    5.0(3 reviews)
    84.5 km

    Must stop place. Not only it's beautiful location but also have all the things that a road trip…read moreperson would need. Gas, food, drinks, picturesque views, washrooms, drinking water, clothing n hats , huge parking for RV's , park trail to walk n stretche a bit, dog walk area, kids slides ... Museum gives you very educational tour of the times of summit. You can actually register here to climb the mountain, watch videos of the previous climbers, find some artifacts or just enjoy the view of spectacular robson mountain. Cafe has vegetarian and vegan choices. Fresh fruit , yogurt n cheese also available but little more pricey then regular drive throughs. N why not? Its in the middle of nowhere. I mean far away but definable reachable and accessible from highway. All staff at the museum, cafe n gift shop are nice and friendly. As a single traveller i had my time here. Enjoyed the views over a cup of soup. Freshen up quickly n on my way to edmonton.

    Whenever I come out to Mount Robson Provincial Park, I always stop and take a gander through the…read moregift shop. This is a family owned and operated business for more than 40 years. In many tourist areas, the souvenirs are pretty similar. This shop also has the regular garb - pens, mugs, knick nacks, tshirts, books on the area, etc. However, it also has some unique items that in the past, have motivated me to purchase. A few years ago, they had a bunch of hoodies that are a bit more expensive, and they were artistically inspired. They were not logo'ed from the area. I remember talking to the gal who was working, and she mentioned it was someone local. I paid about $45 for the hoodie, and I have not seen another one anywhere, so needless to say, I'm pretty pleased. When I headed back there today, I saw a few more of these unique hoodies, but sadly, there were none on my size. However, there was a large rack of unique scarves, that were selling for only $10. Game on! Definately check out this little shop. I know that tourists are inundated with the same old stuff everywhere you go. Just be advised that this shop does offer a few reasonably priced, unique items.

    Photos
    Mount Robson Park
    Mount Robson Park - Wow... BC and Alberta are BIG.

    Wow... BC and Alberta are BIG.

    Mount Robson Park

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    Sulphur Skyline Trail - On the way up

    Sulphur Skyline Trail

    4.5(8 reviews)
    40.0 km

    This was one of my favorite hikes that we did between Banff and Jasper…read more The trail starts to the left by the heated pool house. It's about a 4-5 mile hike and it took us about 3.5 hours to do. The hike up was pretty steep, but not unmanagable. You start out on a horse path for a bit before it turns into a dirt path. About half way to the top the path takes a turn to the right and then there are a bunch of switchbacks. Close to the top you get above the treeline and it starts to get windy. The trail turns into gravel there and gets a lot steeper. The climb is worth it though. The views at the top are amazing. You can see 360 degrees around you. It's incredibly windy at the top. We almost got blown over while we were taking a picture. It's about an hour drive from Jasper and definitely worth the trek to the top!

    STEPH JUDGEMENT: Tough but rewarding hike with some of best views of the area…read more This was the first hike of our trip so we were all excited and rarin' to go! The trailhead is right next to the Miette Hot Springs parking lot and very easy to find. We'd gone for a pre-hike dip at the springs and felt nice and relaxed. Which was good, because it was pretty much a straight uphill climb for 2.2 miles and the last quarter mile or so was pure agony, but you feel so good when you finally make it! We lingered at the summit with the other hikers, eating our packed lunch and taking in the breathtaking views. There were a lot of really cute chipmunks at the summit that were obviously used to being fed by people (which you're not supposed to do, and we didn't) and were bold enough to come right up to your feet to look for scraps. The other best part was rolling right into the hot springs again after our hike and soaking the aches away.

    Photos
    Sulphur Skyline Trail - View from the summit

    View from the summit

    Sulphur Skyline Trail - View from the summit

    View from the summit

    Sulphur Skyline Trail - On the way up

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    On the way up

    Cavell Meadows Trail

    Cavell Meadows Trail

    4.7(3 reviews)
    13.7 km

    The Edith Cavell hike overlooking Angel Glacier was breathtaking. The hike was a bit strenuous in…read moreparts but that was also due to the cold winter air blowing it. The hike is worth it! I could have sat on the rocks looking unto the glacier for hours had the temperature not dropped significantly and the snow fall. It is a beautiful area and didn't have many tourists so it was perfect!

    The meadows trail is a must-see and must-do for people who visit Jasper. It's a little challenging…read morebut not that difficult. Takes a couple of hours to get all the way to the top for someone like me who is not at all fit and is suffering from knee problems on both knees. The greatest thing about this trail is that it is completely rewarding. You climb up to point number 3 on the trail (which is roughly 4 km from the start and an elevation gain of 500 metres) and the views of the Angel glacier, lake and the Cavell meadows are beautiful. While climbing up, you'll have the opportunity to see some really pretty wild flowers that grow in this sub-alpine forest. It's totally worth half a day's work and the best part is, when you get back down, you can complete the Glacier loop and get really close to the glacier. Leave that for the end and you'll enjoy your day thoroughly. I would go on to recommend starting this trail a little early in the day. 9 a.m.m would be great. You'd reach the top with the sun shining nicely on the face of Mt. Edith Cavell and with a terrific color of the Angel lake.

    Photos
    Cavell Meadows Trail
    Cavell Meadows Trail

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    Wilcox Pass - The trailhead for Wilcox Pass.

    Wilcox Pass

    4.5(2 reviews)
    86.8 km

    This is Wilcox Pass Trail located in the Columbia Icefield section of Jasper National Park…read more It's an 8 kilometer (or 5 mile) moderate, roundtrip hike offering rewarding views of Athabasca and Snow Dome Glaciers set in the distance. Basically...if you'd like to capture a landscape/panoramic perspective of this ultra popular, Icefields Parkway area from high above...then you'll appreciate venturing along Wilcox Pass Trail. The hike ends when you have reached Wilcox Ridge, the "pinnacle of it all" where you'll have undisturbed, vista point sceneries. Here at Wilcox Ridge...some hikers were taking selfies as well as sitting and relaxing while having water and snacks. Btw, an added bonus midway through the hike was...passing by a family of bighorn sheep while they were lying and grazing in the grass right along the path towards Wilcox Ridge. Now...I highly recommend you proceed onto Wilcox Pass Trail in the morning to be afforded time with the sun at your back and making for worthwhile picture opportunities. Funny...unfortunately for me, the first time I arrived here, I stopped in the afternoon and the sun was staring me straight in the face. I was barely able to admire the setting because I was blinded by the sun and couldn't see. Welp...with a 2nd chance to make things right, lol, I woke up the following morning (at 6am!) and was the first hiker onto the trail. This made all the difference. With the sun's positioning in the sky exactly where I wanted it, I was now able to have wonderful moments breathing in the fresh Canadian air while enjoying the glacial surroundings. Overall, it made for a fulfilling morning and first half of my day. One extra note...right nearby here (just a few kilometers down the road) is another 1/2-day hike I'd recommend called - Parker Ridge Trail. And, of course, don't forget to spend time at the Columbia Icefield Lodge and taking a tour out onto Athabasca Glacier (which almost every tourist does). Alright, well, this is Wilcox Pass trail situated in the heart of Jasper NP, Alberta, Canada.

    This trail is probably the nicest short trail in Banff-Jasper area, especially when there are no…read moreforest fires or low clouds, so you get perfect views of mountains Athabasca, Andromeda, North Twin, and Columbia icefields. I don't think any other trail in the Rockies is that rewarding in terms of the views from the top. We didn't see any wildlife except for lone elk and some pikas, but people report seeing marmots and mountain goats. Someone told us that there are some fossils right at the top, we tried to find them but couldn't. I recommend starting your hike early in the morning as by 2pm the sun will be right behind the mountains and you would see anything. Also, by noon, the trail will be crowded, we met over 30 people on the way down.

    Photos
    Wilcox Pass - 1.5 kilometers away from Wilcox Ridge.

    1.5 kilometers away from Wilcox Ridge.

    Wilcox Pass - Appreciating the morning sunrise setting with the snowcapped mountain in the background.

    Appreciating the morning sunrise setting with the snowcapped mountain in the background.

    Wilcox Pass - The road sign for Wilcox Pass.

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    The road sign for Wilcox Pass.

    Valley of the Five Lakes - hiking - Updated July 2026

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