JASPER NATIONAL PARK - Canadian Rockies: Including Banff and Jasper National Parks - page 344

The Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge has been the premier accommodation in the park since
it opened in 1921. Back then it was a single-story structure, reputed to be the largest log
building in the world. It burned to the ground in 1952 but was rebuilt. Additional bunga-
lows were erected along Lac Beauvert (“beautiful green lake” in French), forming a basis
for today's lodge. Rows of cabins radiate from the main lodge, which contains restaurants,
lounges, and the town's only covered shopping arcade. Today up to 900 guests can be ac-
commodated in 446 rooms. A large parking area for nonguests is located on Lodge Road,
behind the golf clubhouse; you're welcome to walk around the resort, play golf, dine in
the restaurants, and, of course, browse through the shopping promenade—even if you're
not a registered guest. On the lakeshore in front of the lodge is a boat rental concession;
canoes and kayaks can be rented for $25 per 30 minutes. From the main lodge, a walking
trail follows the shoreline of Lac Beauvert through the golf course, linking up with other
trails at Old Fort Point. To walk from town will take one hour.
MM Maligne Canyon
Maligne Lake, one of the world's most photographed lakes, lies 48 kilometers (30 miles)
southeast of Jasper. It's the source of the Maligne River, which flows northward to Medi-
cine Lake and then disappears underground, eventually emerging downstream of Maligne
Canyon. The river was known to the natives as Chaba Imne (River of the Great Beaver),
but the name by which we know it today was coined by a missionary. After his horses were
swept away by its swift-flowing waters in 1846, he described the river as being “la tra-
verse maligne.” Driving up the Maligne River Valley to the lake is a 600-million-year-old
lesson in geology that can be appreciated by anyone.
As the Maligne River drops into the Athabasca River Valley, its gradient is particularly
steep. The fast-flowing water has eroded a deep canyon out of the easily dissolved lime-
stone bedrock. The canyon is up to 50 meters (165 feet) deep, yet so narrow that squir-
rels often jump across. At the top of the canyon, opposite the teahouse, you'll see large
potholes in the riverbed. These potholes are created when rocks and pebbles become
trapped in what begins as a shallow depression; under the force of the rushing water, they
carve jug-shaped hollows into the soft bedrock.
To get here, head northeast from town and turn right onto Maligne Lake Road. The
canyon access road veers left 11 kilometers (6.8 miles) from Jasper.
An interpretive trail winds down from the parking lot, crossing the canyon six times.
The most spectacular sections of the canyon can be seen from the first two bridges, at the
upper end of the trail. In summer, a teahouse operates at the top of the canyon. To avoid