Maligne Canyon - Winter & Summer 3km Each Way (Easy)

Authour: Braedyn Brosda

First off, let me say that Maligne Canyon is gorgeous, and if you have not been there do not let my opinions stop you from checking it out. Now that being said, you have to go in the winter! Maligne Canyon is a sight in the summer but a spectacle in the winter. One of the reasons I would recommend going in the winter is a guided ice walk we did with Maligne Adventures (https://maligneadventures.com/winter-tours/), which allowed us to go right onto the ice. Sarah and I have done the hike in both winter and summer.

Both in summer and winter we started at Sixth Bridge, which is clearly marked along Maligne Lake Road. From there you follow the river for a bit, arriving at Fifth Bridge. Now, there are two options for how to proceed. The trail splits and comes back together before the touristy spot. In my opinion, the lower trail is best. So if you are going on the upper trail and stopping at the top you will miss out. However if you are doing a round trip, maybe save that lower section until the end. I will write as if you did the upper trail and then came back along the lower trail.

The upper path is a bit boring, but during the summer, it provides the only views of mountains along the trail. After about a kilometer you will meet up with the touristy area. If you are there in the summer you will recognize it by the hordes of people that appear seemingly out of nowhere, but that will not cross the imaginary line that signifies going down to the river. If you are there in the winter you will notice the rails that appear everywhere along the trail (hint hint, it gets a little icy!).

This is a very cool area, but unfortunately with all the people it is hard to take a good picture. It also does not help that the canyon is like a hundred feet deep right off the trail, so it is hard to capture the enormity of it all. You will climb along the canyon with viewpoints and bridges that allow you to look all the way to the bottom. The upper trail ends at a large parking lot with a cafe and gift shop, and probably five or so tour buses.

The lower trail holds all the beauty of this hike (in Braedyn’s opinion, although Sarah agrees). You will walk along the canyon floor next to the running water. If you do this hike in winter with a tour, you will be right on the ice walking through the canyon, which is spectacular. We even checked out a cave and slid down the frozen water on our butts! My favourite part of the trail is Bridalveil falls (shocker right, waterfall is favourite part). Again, I think this hike is nicer in the winter but it is still pretty great in the summer.