There are those places that take your breath away and you just stand in awe thinking…. Am I really here right now? Maligne Lake is one of those places.
Maligne Lake is the longest lake in the Canadian Rocky Mountains at 22.5 km’s and the second largest glacier fed lake in the world. It’s home to Spirit Island, a picture perfect spot that’s featured on calendars around the world.
The true attraction of Spirit Island is the backdrop: a ring of impressive peaks and glaciers circling the south end of Maligne Lake, and the deep turquoise water color not present at the North end of the lake. A short path forms a loop from the docks to viewing points overlooking Spirit Island. To preserve the area in its natural state, walking onto the island is not allowed.
The only down side of the tour is that you only get 15 minutes on shore by Spirit Island. The plus side is that it’s not over crowded and feels like you have it to yourself. A new boat arrives every 15 minutes. However, you could upgrade to a premium cruise and get 30 minutes and extra time on the Isand I believe..
Maligne Lake was Scotts favorite adventure we did in our 8 days in Jasper and Banff.
WHY WE CHOSE THIS TOUR
In this area Brewster Tours rules this area and have for 125 years, and they seriously know that they’re doing. And believe it or not, it’s very affordable. For the boat tour you get to choose between Lake Minnewanka in Banff or Lake Maligne in Jasper. After lots of research and reviews I chose Jasper. The reason is because there was no way to see Spirit Island any other way than by boat, unless you wanted to row your canoe for 8 hours. (Which Scott and I have added that to our Bucket List) Details for booking listed below.
You get the choice of riding inside the heated boat or step out with the wind on your face. Both are great. The boat has a lot of windows so both ways you get to see the majestic view around you. Inside the guide retells Maligne’s history and explains its geology, wildlife, and weather.
The lake is surrounded by the Queen Elizabeth mountain range on one side and the Maligne range on the other.
COST
We purchased the JASPER ULTIMATE EXPLORER COMBO PACKAGE from Brewster Pursuit which included: Maligne Lake Cruise, Ice Glacier Explorer, Sky Walk, and the Banff Gondola
The Total cost for all 4 excursions was $552 for all 4 of us. Which came to $184 /per adult and $92 per kid, however if you divide that by 4 excursions then it comes to $46 per person per excursion.
ALA CARTE BOAT CRUISE PRICING:
- Rates for adults are $65 and for children $33 (ages 4 and under are free)
- There’s a boat tour geared towards photographers with longer time at Spirit Island. The total cruise is 2.5 hours instead of 1.5 hours. A local professional photographer comes along to assist in getting photos. They run on selected days only from early July to mid-September. The cost is $145 per person.
LENGTH
Spirit Island is located 14km’s down the lake from where the boat launch is located.
Classic Cruise: 1.5 hours total. 15 minutes on Spirit Island.
Premium Cruise: 2 hours total. 30 minutes on Spirit Island.
LOCATION
The drive is just under 50 km’s from Jasper, it takes approximately an hour to reach Maligne Lake. For the return trip and taking in a pre-reserved boat cruise you would want to allow for a minimum of 4 hours. Longer if you want to make any sightseeing stops along the way, do any hiking or have a meal at the cafe at the lake.
Allow yourself time to leisurely drive Maligne Lake road stopping at places like Medicine Lake along the way. It is such a beautiful area you can spend all day exploring.
DIRECTIONS
From the town of Jasper head north on Yellowhead Hwy 16 and watch for signs for Maligne Road where you will turn right and follow the road for approximately one hour until it ends at Maligne Lake.
GEAR/ CLOTHING WE NEEDED:
BOOKING DETAILS:
BEST TIMES:
The best time to visit Maligne Lake is in the morning before the first cruise. The light is typically better. The crowds are much less populated. And, you will improve your chances of seeing wildlife.
OPEN:
The boat tours usually start towards the end of May or early June depending on the weather conditions and when the lake thaws. They run into the first week of October.
Boats leave on the hour from 10 am to 5pm from early July to early September. During the early and later part of the season the last boat of the day leaves at either 3pm or 4pm. See their site for the current schedule.
BOOK YOUR EXCURSIONS:
The first thing I did when I got to town was go and purchase my excursion package. You can also do this online ahead of time as well. The pricing is very reasonable.
We recommend doing the JASPER ULTIMATE EXPLORER COMBO PACKAGE that includes Maligne Lake Tour, Columbia Icefield Glacier Discovery that includes the Icefield Skywalk, and the Banff Gondola. They were all amazing.
OTHER IDEAS:
If your time is limited in Jasper you may want to make other areas your priority such as walking or hiking in Maligne Canyon and driving the Icefields Parkway. We would not recommend rushing out to Maligne Lake just to take the boat cruise and come back again. It’s an hour drive in each direction from town. Options for other lakes closer to town are Annette or Edith Lakes. It’s a short drive to the pretty setting of Pyramid Lake. It also has it’s own version of an island with a wooden boardwalk to access it.
Getting To Spirit Island On Your Own
The only other option for getting to Spirit Island is by kayak or canoe. Rentals are available through Curly’s boathouse located just a bit further down the shoreline from where the boat tours leave. From the boathouse to Spirit Island is approximately 14 km’s one way. It wouldn’t be something to take on unless you are a well experienced paddler. The lake is subject to strong winds and rough conditions. It can be accomplished in a day, but if you run into foul weather or rough conditions you may have to be prepared to wait along the shoreline hoping it passes. It can be anywhere from 3 to 6 hours to reach the island depending on the conditions. There is a campsite te at Fisherman’s Bay at the 13km mark just before Spirit Island and another at the 21.5km mark at Coronet Creek.
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