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Maligne Canyon Ice Walk in Jasper National Park

ByMelissa

Winter transforms Maligne Canyon in Jasper National Park into an icy wonderland. As the water hides underground and freezes over, the inside of the canyon becomes accessible to adventurous souls.

You can discover a world of ice formations, frozen waterfalls, and hidden caves waiting to be explored.

For me, booking a trip for this adventure was a no-brainer. Playing behind frozen waterfalls and sliding down a small icy slide made me feel like a kid again.

But you want to make sure you are safe on the ice by wearing a helmet and ice cleats.

Let’s get right into what you need to know to plan your Maligne Canyon Ice Walk, whether you’re joining a tour or exploring on your own.

Maligne Canyon Icewalk Overview 

Distance: 3.5 km | 2.1 miles

Elevation Gain: -164 ft | -50 m

Trail Type: Out-and-Back

Difficulty: Easy-Moderate

Duration: 2.5-3.5 Hours

Parking: Fifth Bridge lot

When to Hike: late December to late March

Maligne Canyon Icewalk Map

Map of Maligne Canyon in Jasper National Park, in a light brown color. The Header says "Malign Canyon's Mysteries", and under is the French translation "Les mystères du canyon Maligne" (everything in the map has a French translation under the English text). Underneath the header, it says "Explore the longest limestone gorge in the Canadian Rockies". Underneath, there's a body of text that says "Start here to walk up through the canyon to the upper parking lot. The Fifth Bridge is also an excelent starting point for winter activities like hiking, ice climbing, and guided 'canyon crawling' along the frozen canyon floor. Check at the Information Centre for a list of guides". Then below, there is a graphic illustration featuring the whole Maligne Canyon, with surrounding trees, creeks. There are dotted pathways indicating the trails one can walk on. On the upper left corner, of the graphic, it's labeled "You are here". indicating that a visitor is on that specific corner the map is. Below on the left corner, there are sections showing you 3 different levels of walks: In a blue rectangle, text says "Short, easy walk:" and below, it says "Access trail from the upper canyon parking lot (20-40 minutes: In a brown rectangle, it says "medium, harder walks", and below: "Venture through the lower canyon to the Third Bridge and experience the mossy interior of the canyon (45 minutes return" Below that, an orange rectangle has text that says "longer walks", and under: "Trail becomes steep and moderately difficult after the Third Bridge, but the cliff and waterfall views are worth it (up to 2 hours return) or start from the Sixth bridge (up to 3 hours return). Parking is available. The French translations of the trail levels are on the right side of the map. On the bottom left corner, there is a photo of a woman walking through the ice canyon. Below, the caption says "Winter in Maligne Canyon" (and "le canyon Maligne en hiver" in French). To the right, there are 3 warning symbols, which indicate: -A child needs an accompanying adult to hold their hand -There is a risk of falling down the canyon -To not climb on the barriers or gated areas

Hiking the Maligne Canyon Ice Walk

Start your hike at the Fifth Bridge, a short drive from Jasper. From the parking lot, you’ll walk across the bridge and go up the hill while following signs for the Canyon Trail. 

Before you get to the Canyon Trail, the path is going to fork off twice. I made a wrong turn, and to help you not make the same mistake, I went back to the fork and included pictures of where the path splits so you won’t make my mistakes: 

Fifth Bridge, a trail in Maligne Canyon in Jasper National Park, Canada. The ground is covered with snow and patches of dirt, but it's a sunny day with blue skies, and the trail is surrounded with trees

At the first fork, keep left. I accidentally went right here, and that lead me to some tricky spots.

when you reach the second fork you will keep right and walk along the upper rim of Maligne Canyon Upper rim of Maligne Canyon, located in Jasper National Park, Canada, on a sunny day with minimal clouds. It's on an incline covered in snow, but there's less and only patches of snow beyond the distance. There are trees and bushesin the photo, and two signs with an arrow, showing visitors the next trail to go to.

At the second fork, keep right.

After the second fork, you will begin an incline along the Canyon Trail. 

To access the Ice Walk, enter the third gate located between the Fifth and Fourth Bridges on the north side of the river. This is the third gate you will see along the way. 

Melissa wearing a blue winter coat standing while learning on a metal barrier between her and a waterfall in front of her. It's a waterfall seen while on a snowy winter hike in Jasper at Maligne Canyon

The first gate leads to a dead end and displays a beautiful waterfall. 

the second gate on the Maligne Canyon Icewalk. The gate has a warning sign in bright orange and says DANGER in big bold letters, with some text beneath. In between the DANGER text, there are two triangle-shaped icons indicating that a person can fall. The ground is covered in snow, and behind the gate, there are tons of trees scattered around

The second gate looks like an entrance, but it leads to the whirlpool rapids which are too challenging to climb up. Don’t worry, there’s no water in them during the winter.

This gate is close to the third gate, so you know you are close.

If you accidentally go through this gate you will quickly find out when you get to the rapids and can’t continue up them. Everyone we saw who made this mistake had to turn around and continue to the third gate.

Melissa wearing a blue jacket and a black helmet wedged between rock formations and patches of snow at the whirlpool rapids in Maligne Canyon in Jasper National Park, Canada. There was no water in the rapids.

I spent some time playing in the whirlpool rapids. It was so cool to be able to be inside them without water! Definitely one of the most fun winter activities in Jasper National Park.

Melissa looking away from the canyon hiking at the third gate in Maligne Canyon Ice Walk located in Jasper National Park, Canada. The ground and rock formations are covered with snow except for a few spots. Beyond the distances, there are some tall trees, with a sunny sky above with minimal clouds

At the third gate, you will carefully climb down with your tour group into Maligne Canyon and the actual Ice Walk begins. Make sure your ice cleats and helmets are on tight.

⚠️ CAUTION ⚠️

If you hike Maligne Canyon Ice Walk without a guide, please be careful. Hike it on your own at your own risk. Wear a helmet and ice cleats.

Melissa with her arms raised up, admiring ice formations during the Jasper Ice Walk Tour at Maligne Canyon in Jasper National Park, Canada. Behind her are waterfalls frozen over during the winter, over a large rock formation.

Exploring Inside Maligne Canyon

When hiking down you might be wondering where all the cool ice formations are. And please know that they are coming up soon. 

Once you carefully cross over some rocks, logs, and a small running stream, you reach the depths of Maligne Canyon and the views get even better. It’s this section of the canyon where you’ll see frozen waterfalls, beautiful rock formations carved by the water, and ice climbers. 

Melissa looking up at frozen waterfalls in Maligne Canyon in Jasper National Park, Canada. When the waterfalls freeze over, they turn into icicles.Some of the rock formations to the right have icicles covered. Above shows some trees and a bit of blue skies

There are some frozen waterfalls in Maligne Canyon you can walk behind, which you won’t want to miss doing on your Ice Walk.

Melissa standing behind a frozen waterfall on the Ice Walk in Maligne Canyon, which look like huge icicles. The ground is covered with snow and ice.

After you are done admiring the views, it’s time to head back to the same path you entered. You’ll admire mountain views along the Canyon Trail, while slowly descending back to the Fifth Bridge parking lot. 

If you’re hungry and want to stay longer, head to Maligne Canyon Wilderness Kitchen. I went back into town on a Food Tour I had booked, which was delicious. 

In total, it took me about 3 hours to leisurely hike the Maligne Canyon Icewalk.

I saw people hiking it on their own and with tours. People on tours were properly dressed in winter gear and safety gear, and those without a guide didn’t have ice cleats and struggled to walk on the ice. 

There was no space left on the tour I wanted, so I bought ice cleats and rented a helmet from a local shop in Jasper and did the Ice Walk on my own. It would’ve been nice to visit as part of a tour because they take you to caves only the guides know about, so I didn’t get to see them. Next time.

Melissa standing beside a frozen waterfall on a Maligne Canyon Ice Walk Tour. When these waterfalls are frozen over during the winter, they look like icicles. Melissa is touching one of them. On the left is a rock formation of the canyon.

Best Maligne Canyon Ice Walk Tours 

Here are the 3 best Maligne Canyon Ice Walk tours for if you don’t want to hike on your own: 

Maligne Canyon Ice Walk – a small group hiking tour into Maligne Canyon which is one of the deepest river canyons in the Canadian Rockies.

Maligne Canyon Icewalk Discovery Tour – discover one of the best things to do in Jasper during the winter on this guided tour of Maligne Canyon. This is one of the most remote tours of Jasper National Park, deep into the canyon and a great way to admire the impressive ice formations. 

Jasper Ice Climbing Experience – see a side of Maligne Canyon most visitors don’t on this learner-friendly ice-climbing adventure. Visitors will climb a frozen waterfall under the guidance of trained instructors.

ice climbing tour at Maligne Canyon in winter

Safety Tips for Visiting Maligne Canyon in Winter

  • If you choose to hike the Maligne Canyon Ice Walk on your own, please rent helmets and wear ice cleats. This is an important safety measure as the ice is slippery and icicles can fall loose from above you and hurt you. There are many shops in Jasper with helmet rentals and places that sell ice cleats
  • Only hike Maligne Canyon during the daytime. It is not safe to hike in the dark
  • Bring water with you for the hike, as you will get thirsty. This is most people’s biggest regret while doing the Maligne Canyon Icewalk

How to Get to Maligne Canyon

To get to Maligne Canyon you can drive, hike, or visit as part of a tour.

It takes 10 minutes to reach the parking lot by vehicle and 1.5 hours to hike there from downtown.

Here are driving directions to Maligne Canyon from downtown Jasper (Connaught Dr)

  • Head North on Connaught Drive / AB-16A
  • Turn Left onto AB-16 (signs for Edmonton)
  • Turn Right onto Maligne Lake Rd (signs for Jasper Park Lodge)
  • Turn Left following signs for the Fifth Bridge
  • Park at the Fifth Bridge parking lot and cross the bridge to start the hike
the Fifth Bridge over Maligne Canyon

Jasper National Park Admission Fee

While it is free to visit Maligne Canyon, there is an entry fee into Jasper National Park. Daily admission fees start at $10.50 per adult, $9 per senior, and $21 per family.

Tip: If you are staying in Jasper for a week or visiting other areas of Canada after, it’s the best value to buy a Parks Canada Discovery Pass. The pass is valid in any National Park and Historic Site in Canada for 12 months for a single vehicle with up to 6 passengers. 

going for a winter hike in Jasper National Park

Winter Things to Do Near Maligne Canyon

Where to Stay in Jasper near Maligne Canyon

Whistler’s Inn – a 3-star hotel in downtown Jasper with a hot tub 

Pyramid Lake Lodge – a 3-star lake resort with a hot tub, ice skating, and row boats

Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge – a 4-star eco-resort with a pool, spa, and water activities 

standing behind a frozen waterfall in Jasper National Park

FAQs About Maligne Canyon Icewalk 

Where is Maligne Canyon?

Malgine Canyon is a slot canyon located in Jasper National Park near Jasper, Alberta. It’s only a 10-minute drive from downtown Jasper, so it’s easy to hike in the morning or afternoon.

Is Maligne Canyon Open in Winter?

Yes, Maligne Canyon is open in winter. Visitors can hike the Canyon Trail along the upper rim of the canyon year-round. Even in winter, this is one of the most popular hiking trails in Jasper. 

Is Maligne Canyon Worth Visiting in Winter? 

Yes, Maligne Canyon is worth visiting during winter! While it’s beautiful to visit in any season, during the winter you can hike inside the canyon on an Ice Walk. This is a unique Jasper experience and something you won’t want to miss doing on your trip! 

What Time of Year is Maligne Canyon Ice Walk?

The Maligne Canyon Ice Walk is available from early December to late March when the ice is thick enough to walk on safely. The exact operating dates for accessing the canyon in winter are weather dependent. 

Can You Do Maligne Canyon Ice Walk on Your Own?

While you can do the Maligne Canyon Ice Walk on your own, visiting as part of a tour is highly recommended by Jasper National Park due to safety. Icicles in the canyon can fall at any time, and the last thing you want to do is get hurt while hiking in a remote area.

Where Do I Start the Maligne Canyon Icewalk?

The best place to start the Maligne Canyon Icewalk is at the fifth bridge in Jasper National Park. Visitors can park their car at the fifth bridge parking lot, put on ice cleats, and follow the hill upwards until reaching the gate to enter the canyon where they will start to descend.  

How Long is the Ice Walk in Maligne Canyon?

The Ice Walk in Maligne Canyon is 2.3 – 3.5 km long and takes 2.5 – 3.5 hours depending on the tour. During this time hikers can admire icy formations, go behind frozen waterfalls, and be at the bottom of the deepest canyon in the Canadian Rockies.

What Equipment is Needed to Do the Maligne Icewalk?

You need ice cleats to do the Maligne Icewalk. The ice is slippery and it’s difficult to walk without cleats strapped on the bottom of your boots. You should also wear a helmet to protect your head from any falling icicles, especially if you want to explore under the frozen waterfalls.

What is the Best Way to Walk on Ice Without Falling?

The best way to walk on ice without falling is by wearing ice cleats and taking small, slow steps while keeping your body centred over your feet. Ensure your whole foot makes contact with the ground on each step. And for extra support, bring some winter hiking poles.

Final Thoughts & Maligne Canyon Ice Walk Review

The Maligne Canyon Ice Walk was incredible! When I found out it was a thing, I immediately booked a winter trip to Jasper National Park just to go on this tour! 

In case you need another reason to visit Jasper in the winter that isn’t skiing or snowboarding, this is the perfect winter adventure activity for all ages.

While you can do the Maligne Canyon IceWalk without a guide, the best way to fully experience it is on a guided tour. But if you go alone, please wear a helmet and ice cleats for safety.

Whether you’re seeking an exciting experience or want to take enjoy some time outside, this Jasper Ice Walk tour is an unforgettable and magical journey that will leave you in awe of winter.

Happy travelling!

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Melissa is the founder of My Beautiful Passport. A Canadian who has explored 20+ countries on 4 continents, she enjoys combining soft adventure and affordable luxury. Through sharing her own experiences, travel tips, and destination itineraries, she helps others plan their unique adventures whether it be at the beach, in the city, or in the mountains.