JASPER NATIONAL PARK - Canadian Rockies: Including Banff and Jasper National Parks - page 345

the crowds at the upper end of the canyon, an alternative would be to park at Sixth Bridge,
near the confluence of the Maligne and Athabasca Rivers, and walk up the canyon. The
Maligne Valley Shuttle (780/852-3370) stops at the canyon eight times daily along its run
between 627 Patricia Street in downtown Jasper and Maligne Lake; fare is $15 one-way
from town. In winter, guided tours of the frozen canyon are an experience you'll never for-
get.
Medicine Lake
From the canyon, Maligne Lake Road climbs to Medicine Lake, which does a disappearing
act each year. The water level fluctuates due to a network of underground passages that
emerge downstream in Maligne Canyon. At the northwest end of the lake, beyond where
the outlet should be, the riverbed is often dry. In fall, when runoff from the mountains is
minimal, the water level drops, and by November the lake comprises a few shallow pools.
Natives believed that spirits were responsible for the phenomenon, hence the name.
MM Maligne Lake
At the end of the road, 48 kilometers (30 miles) from town, is Maligne Lake, the largest
glacier-fed lake in the Canadian Rockies and second largest in the world. The first paying
visitors were brought to the lake in the 1920s, and it has been a mecca for camera-toting
tourists from around the world ever since. Once at the lake, activities are plentiful. But
other than taking in the spectacular vistas, the only thing you won't need your wallet for is
hiking one of the numerous trails in the area.
The most popular tourist activity at the lake is a 90-minute narrated cruise on a glass-
enclosed boat up the lake to oft-photographed Spirit Island. Cruises leave in summer
every hour on the hour 10am-5pm, with fewer sailings in May and September; adult $55,
child $27.50. Many time slots are booked in blocks by tour companies; therefore, reserva-
tions are suggested. Rowboats and canoes can be rented at the Boat House, a provincial
historic site dating to 1929, for $30 per hour or $90 per day. Double sea kayaks go for $35
per hour and $100 per day. The lake also has excellent trout fishing; guided fishing tours
are available.
All commercial operations to and around the lake are operated by Maligne Tours (616
Patricia St., 780/852-3370 or 866/625-4463, www.malignelake.com ) , based in downtown
Jasper. At the lake itself, in addition to the cruises and boat rentals, Maligne Tours oper-
ates a souvenir shop and large café with a huge area of tiered outdoor seating overlooking
the lake. At the adjacent Maligne Lake Chalet, which has been meticulously restored, the