Jasper is one of the most beautiful mountain towns in the Canadian Rockies and is home to Jasper National Park. Although there are many things to do in Jasper, hiking is one of the best ways to explore the area. Whether you want to hike easy trails to beautiful overlooks or strenuous trails to the top of mountains, Jasper has a hike for everyone to enjoy.

When we visited Jasper, we only hiked easy trails because we wanted to explore as much as we could. And let me tell you, they did not disappoint! Even the shortest trails in Jasper offered stunning views.

I created this guide to have everything you need to know about the best easy hikes in Jasper that need to be on your itinerary! I loved every single one of these hikes, so I know you will fall in love with them like I did.

NOTE: Jasper was impacted by wildfires in July 2024. To stay updated, please visit here.

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Tips For Hiking in Jasper

Although these hikes are easy, you still need to plan and prepare! These tips are super helpful to know about before heading out to hike.

Start your days early. Most of the popular hikes in Jasper can get crowded, and I recommend arriving at the most popular trails before 9:00 AM, especially if you are visiting in summer. When we visited in summer, we had to arrive at trailheads early to secure a parking spot. Sometimes we could not even find a spot that early and had to come back later.
Buy a park pass for the total number of days you will be there. Buying the park pass ahead of time allows you to quickly go in and out of the park without spending time waiting in line to buy passes each day. If you want to visit Banff National Park or the surrounding parks a couple of times a year, you can buy the Discovery Pass, too! We avoided the long wait lines because we bought our park pass ahead of time!
Be prepared with the appropriate layers and gear. The mountain weather in Jasper is unpredictable, and I recommend packing layers just in case the weather changes. I also recommend packing the appropriate hiking gear, depending on the time of year you visit Jasper. I will include what I pack on hikes in the next section!
Be aware of bears. Jasper has many grizzly bears, making it crucial to keep an eye out for them. I recommend packing bear spray, making noise when you hike, and hiking in groups. If you have questions or concerns, I recommend speaking with a local park ranger! We luckily did not see any bears while hiking, but we saw many while driving through the park.
Always remember to leave no trace.It’s crucial to pack out what you pack in and leave no trash. Some spots have trash bins, so you can easily throw your trash away. If they don’t have trash bins, you can throw your trash away at a nearby gas station or convenience store.

What to Pack for Hiking in Jasper

As I mentioned, even though these are easy hikes, it is still important to be prepared. Mountain weather is unpredictable and can change instantly. We had a day that started out warm and sunny and quickly turned into a cold and rainy day. We were thankful we packed warm layers and a rain jacket!

This is a great baseline for what to pack, and you can adjust as needed:

Best Easy Hikes in Jasper

Maligne Canyon

Trail: Maligne Canyon Trail

Length: 2.3 miles

Elevation Gain: 500 feet

One of the most hikes in Jasper is Maligne Canyon. Maligne Canyon is a limestone slot canyon with incredible waterfalls, and it is the deepest canyon in the Rockies, with the deepest spot being over 160 feet! It is pretty cool.

There are many ways to explore the canyon, with the easiest being a 2.3-mile loop to the fifth bridge. I loved this trail because it brings you past beautiful viewpoints in the canyon without a strenuous hike.

If you want to hike a longer trail, I highly recommend hiking the 4.5-mile trail, starting at the sixth bridge. The trail travels over six bridges, through Maligne Canyon, and past many beautiful waterfalls, springs, and viewpoints. And although the trail is longer, it is not overly strenuous.

Athabasca Falls

Trail: Athabasca Falls Trail

Length: 0.6 miles

Elevation Gain: 80 feet

If you are looking for an easy hike in Jasper to more waterfalls, this trail is for you! Athabasca Falls is a beautiful 75-foot waterfall and has a stunning backdrop of Mt. Kerkeslin. It is incredibly photogenic!

The 0.6-mile roundtrip hike brings you next to Athabasca Falls and a canyon downstream. The waterfall and surrounding mountains are stunning, and I was in awe of the blue waters. I love that the Canadian Rockies have bright blue lakes and streams!

Athabasca Falls is one of the most popular hikes in Jasper, but you should be able to find parking even if you visit midday. And then you do not have to travel too far to start seeing the beautiful views!

Horseshoe Lake

Trail: Horseshoe Lake Trail

Length: 1 mile

Elevation Gain: 150 feet

Horseshoe Lake is a hidden gem!

It is one of the deepest lakes in Jasper National Park and is surrounded by cliffs making it the perfect swimming hole. Even though it is a deep lake, you can see far into the water because it is incredibly clear.

And the best part? All you have to do is hike an easy 1-mile trail to get to the horseshoe-shaped lake. You can simply enjoy the beautiful lake or swim on a hot day. We did not swim when we visited because it was too cold, but the views of the lake were worth the hike!

Pyramid Island

Trail: Pyramid Island Trail

Length: 0.4 miles

Elevation Gain: Minimal

Pyramid Lake is a stunning lake in Jasper and has an easy hike to a small island. It is one of my favorite hikes in Jasper, so I know you will love it!

The lake is surrounded by mountains, with the most beautiful mountain being Pyramid Mountain. The best view of Pyramid Mountain is Pyramid Island, which is only a short walk from the parking area over a bridge.

If you are up for an early wake up call, I recommend coming here during sunrise because the sun shining its morning glow on Pyramid Mountain is stunning! Your camera will be able to capture Pyramid Mountain in its prime with a beautiful reflection of it in Pyramid Lake.

Sunrise is also a great time to see wildlife! On the drive to the parking lot, we saw a few moose and elk, which was so cool!

Edge of the World

Trail: Edge of the World Trail

Length: 0.7 miles

Elevation Gain: 200 feet

If you want to hike a short trail to a stunning view overlooking Jasper and surrounding mountains, the Edge of the World Trail is for you! You will be surprised by the lack of people on this hike once you see the views.

The short 0.7-mile trail starts out flat before gaining about 100 feet in under 0.1 miles. It is steep, but I promise the extra effort is worth it for the beautiful views!

Once you reach the viewpoint, you get stunning views of downtown Jasper and the surrounding Canadian Rockies. And my favorite part about this hike is it feels like a hidden gem because it is much quieter than other nearby trails.

Beauvert Lake

Trail: Beauvert Lake Loop Trail

Length: 3.3 miles

Elevation Gain: 400 feet

One of my favorite hidden gem easy hikes in Jasper is Beauvert Lake.

It is another stunning lake in Jasper, with emerald-green waters, and it has beautiful views of the surrounding mountains. It is often overlooked because it is not as well known as the nearby lakes, but trust me, it does not lack beauty!

The best way to enjoy Beauvert Lake is to hike the 3.3-mile loop that starts at Jasper Park Lodge and loops around the lake. It is one of the longer hikes on this list, but it is worth the extra effort!

Lake Annette

Trail: Lake Annette Loop

Length: 1.7 miles

Elevation Gain: 300 feet

I hope you are not over beautiful lakes because I am going to recommend a few more!

Lake Annette is a blue lake and one of the most beautiful swimming spots in the area. You can enjoy the views near the parking lot, but I recommend hiking the 1.7-mile paved trail around the lake. You can also bike it!

The Lake Annette Loop offers beautiful views of the lake and gives you a great opportunity to see some wildlife. Make sure to keep your eyes out for Elk because we saw quite a few while on the trail!

Fun Fact: Lake Annette and Lake Edith are also known as “kettle lakes” because they are from one large lake that covered the Athabasca Valley during the ice age!

Valley of Five Lakes

Trail: Valley of Five Lakes Trail

Length: 3 miles

Elevation Gain: 530

And last but certainly not least is my favorite easy hike in Jasper! Trust me when I say that you will LOVE this trail.

The Valley of Five Lakes is easily one of the most beautiful trails in Jasper because it has five stunning blue-green lakes. Similar to other lakes in the Canadian Rockies, the color is from glacial rock dust.

Although you can hike a longer 6-mile rail, you can make it shorter for an easy 3-mile trail. If you have time, I recommend hiking the longer trail to explore everything this area offers!

All the lakes in the Valley of Five Lakes are pretty, but I think the third and fourth lakes are the most beautiful. The third is a stunning deep-green lake with beautiful mountains in the background, and it is a great place to stop and take a break. It has red chairs at the top of the lake, giving you the best views and the perfect snack spot! The fourth lake is similar, with a deep blue/green color and a beautiful mountain view.

If you can hike the Valley of Five Lakes for sunset, I highly recommend it! The lakes are stunning in the golden sunset light, and the trail will be less crowded.

If you are visiting Jasper, I recommend adding these easy hikes to your itinerary! Although Jasper has hikes for all levels, we loved enjoying the easy trails because they were stunning.