How to Get to Maligne Lake from Jasper

You drive the Maligne Lake Road from Jasper, about 45 minutes without stops, or take a guided day with hotel pick-up; Spirit Island itself is reached only by boat or paddle. There is no road or trail to the island, which sits 14 km down the lake from the boathouse.

Driving

Take Highway 16 east of Jasper and turn onto the Maligne Lake Road, which runs about 44 km up the valley to the lake. Much of it is signed at 60 km/h, so the drive is around 45 minutes without stops. Pursuit, which runs the cruise, advises allowing about an hour and a half from Jasper and arriving an hour before your sailing: there are wildlife jams, viewpoints, and parking that fills in summer. Boat seating is first come, first served.

• Road work. Pursuit notes Parks Canada safety work on the Maligne Lake Road, with single-lane traffic and periodic stoppages. Check Alberta 511 for current conditions before you leave (noted October 2026).
• Park pass. Every vehicle in Jasper National Park needs a valid Parks Canada pass.
• Wildlife. Moose, elk and bears use the valley. Parks Canada asks visitors to stay at least 100 m from bears and 30 m from other large animals, and to stay in the car rather than stopping in a traffic lane.

Without a car

The simplest option is a guided day from Jasper: it picks you up at your hotel, drives the valley with a guide watching for wildlife, and includes the cruise.

Check dates for a day with hotel pick-up

Prices are the lowest per-person fares on GetYourGuide when checked, not a quote; the calendar shows the live price for your date.

Stops on the way

• Medicine Lake, about two-thirds of the way up, drains through sinkholes in its bed every autumn, so in late season it can be a mudflat with a river running through it.
• Maligne Canyon is closed for the 2026 season while Parks Canada assesses slope hazards after the 2024 wildfire. See the canyon page for the latest.

Getting to Spirit Island

From the boathouse, the cruise is the way almost everyone goes. Experienced paddlers can make the 14 km trip by canoe or kayak; paddling to Spirit Island covers the distance, the campsites and the rules.