Hike the Valley of the Five Lakes

Jasper, Alberta

5.0/5
based on 3 reviews

Details

Distance

2.8 miles

Elevation Gain

216.5 ft

Route Type

Loop

Description

Added by Sachith Siriwardane

Easy, scenic hike in Jasper National Park that gives amazing view of 5 different lakes, all different shades of blue/green

Getting There:

The beginning of the trailhead is super easy to find, with the parking lot for the hike located directly on the Icefields Parkway.

The Hike:

The hike itself is super easy, but extremely scenic and beautiful. There's no real elevation climbs or technical sections, and a lot of people had their dogs on the trail. I will say if it's just rained, the trail can be slippery at parts so plan accordingly. 

The trail begins with a short section through the forest before reaching a bridge, which crosses the Wabasso creek. The path will then lead you through the valley stopping at each of the five lakes (each different shade of blue/green). The 3rd and 4th lakes are considered the highlights, but I personally really enjoyed the 2nd lake. There's a dock there that's pretty fun to jump off/hang out for a while. The waters a bit cold in the lakes, but definitely swimmable and feels super good after hiking in the sun. Overall it's not really a hard trail, but one that's definitely worth a visit.

We saw a few black bears when we were hiking, so bring bear spray if you feel so inclined.

What we wish we knew:

  • Go early or go late. This is considered one of the treasures of Jasper National Park so gets pretty crowded as the day goes on
  • You can rent mountain bikes in town and do the hike as a mountain biking trail, which would have been pretty dope
  • Seriously, get in the water
  • The third lake has a nice little rocky beach area that could be a good snack break spot.
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Features

Chillin
Photography
Swimming
Hiking
Bathrooms
Easy Parking
Family Friendly
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Lake
Scenic
Swimming Holes

Hike the Valley of the Five Lakes Reviews

I did this trail in October of 2020. Even when iced over, the lakes were amazingly blue. Was an easy trail as there wasn't too much snow at this time and any snow was tracked over. Easy loop, all 5 lakes are amazing. Great for all experience levels

This was a easy hike with some nice views and the water at First Lake was unbelievable, I'm not sure photos do it justice. It looked like I was in the Caribbean with snowcapped mountains for a backdrop!

Beautiful, easy hike to do early in the morning before people start hiking on it!

Leave No Trace

Always practice Leave No Trace ethics on your adventures and follow local regulations. Please explore responsibly!

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