Maligne Lake (22 km Long), the Spirit Island Boat Cruise, Canoeing & Bald Hills Hike

Located 48 kilometres (50 minutes' scenic drive up Maligne Lake Road, with free open parking at the lake, or reachable by shuttle from Jasper Townsite) south-east of downtown Jasper at 1,670 metres elevation, Maligne Lake, known to the Stoney Nakoda First Nation as Chaba Imne ('Beaver Lake') and mapped in 1908 by explorer Mary Schäffer Warren using Samson Beaver's map, stretches for 22.3 kilometres as the largest natural lake in the Canadian Rockies.

1. Crucial Fact: You Cannot See 'Spirit Island' From the Car Park

Many visitors drive to the Maligne Lake car park expecting to see the postcard islet of Spirit Island from the boathouse dock, only to discover that Spirit Island sits 14 kilometres (9 miles) further down the narrow, fjord-like lake around a mountain bend, with zero hiking trails or roads leading to it. There are only two ways to reach Spirit Island:

• Way 1, The 90-Minute Maligne Lake Boat Cruise (Early June to Early October): glass-enclosed, heated boats depart from the historic boathouse pier from morning until late afternoon (check the official schedule). During the 35-minute narrated voyage, the boat enters the dramatic 'Hall of the Gods' (a ring of 3,000-metre peaks and hanging glaciers: Mount Paul, Monkhead, Mount Charlton and Mount Unwin) where the water turns neon turquoise. The boat docks at a wooden jetty for 15 minutes (or 30 minutes on the evening Classic Cruise) so you walk a nature path to viewing overlooks facing Spirit Island. (Spirit Island is sacred to the Stoney Nakoda Nation; visitors stay on the mainland viewing trail and never step onto the island).
• Way 2, Paddling 28 Kilometres Round-Trip by Canoe or Sea Kayak: rented at the historic 1928 Donald 'Curly' Phillips Boathouse (allow 6 to 8 hours of strong paddling).

2. Two Hikes at the Maligne Lake Car Park (No Boat Ticket Required)

1. The Mary Schäffer Loop (3.2 km Flat Walk, 45 to 60 Minutes): stroll the eastern shoreline past the boathouse to viewpoints looking down the lake.
2. The Bald Hills Hike (10.4 to 14 km Round-Trip, 3.5 to 4.5 Hours, 500m Gain): climbs a former fire-lookout road to open alpine tundra ridges at 2,300 metres elevation overlooking all 22 kilometres of Maligne Lake.