The Perfect Day Trip to Maligne Valley

Inside Jasper National Park, Alberta is the gorgeous Maligne Valley area. We've visited this spot a couple of times, and this year we took our three daughters to enjoy the perfect day trip filled with a scenic drive, a boat cruise, hiking, and an incredible meal. Interested in taking your family to Maligne Valley to explore? Let me share our adventure and some tips on what do do in Maligne Valley with you!

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Pursuit Banff Jasper Collection. As always, all of the opinions here are my own.

To get to Maligne Valley, drive East from Jasper, Alberta on Highway 16 and then South on Maligne Road. For us, it was about a 45 minute drive to get to the Maligne Lake Cruise area which was where we began our adventure, but you could also turn off the road earlier and start with the Maligne Canyon hike.

Maligne Lake Cruise

We began our day with the Maligne Lake Cruise where you sail 14 km along Maligne Lake and enjoy all the scenery - the mountains, the vegetation, the wildlife, the deep turquoise water and the glaciers.

Not only did we enjoy this last year as a couple, but our kids (age 5, 7 and 10) loved it this year, too! It's definitely suitable for all ages, and the tour guide did a fabulous job of including my kids in learning about the area.

The cruise leads you to the beautiful and spiritual Spirit Island, where you can hop off the boat and explore the area on foot. It's a quick hike (only a few minutes), and there are washrooms if you need them. The views are incredible!

After heading back on the boat, we zipped off to the Maligne Canyon for hiking and dinner, but you could also stay and enjoy lunch or dinner at the Maligne Lake Chalet here like we did last year.

Maligne Canyon

Heading back towards Jasper from the Cruise on Maligne Road is Maligne Canyon. This is the perfect place to have a delicious dinner and explore the deepest canyon in Jasper National Park.

This is also a family-friendly destination - you don't have to go on one of the long hikes, there's short ones for little legs! My girls were impressed with the Canyon, and so were we. It's absolutely stunning and truly exciting to explore!

There are lots of signs throughout the hike that share the history of the area and all of the interesting facts about Maligne Canyon.

Maligne Canyon Wilderness Kitchen

Maligne Canyon Wilderness Kitchen is a cozy and delicious spot to enjoy a hearty supper after a hike, and boy did we ever love it!

I definitely enjoyed the rustic decor and the pillows EVERYWHERE. My kind of atmosphere! When we were there, there was even a live drummer & singer that entertained us while we ate.

The dinner is served family style, and there's something for everyone. Our kids enjoyed rustic mini pizzas, chicken and fries, and my hubby and I ordered an amazing meat platter and a salmon dish.

A collection of side dishes came soon after our mains which included garlic fries and the best mac & cheese I've ever had. There was SO much food, that we even took a few boxes home to enjoy at our campsite in Jasper later.

Some tips I have for you if you want to take a day trip to Maligne Valley:

• give yourself time to drive up to the lake: every time we've driven on Maligne Road, we've seen black bears and other wildlife, and you may have to slow your vehicle right down to enjoy them. There are also gorgeous spots to pull into, enjoy the views and snap some photos.
• wear good shoes and layers: there can be as much hiking as you want, so nice hiking shoes will help keep you comfy. The weather can vary from hour to hour, so layers is also a good idea!
• buy advance tickets: you can purchase advance tickets with a cruise time for the Maligne Valley Cruise to help schedule your day in advance and make boarding a snap

Now tell me: Have you ever visited Maligne Valley while in the Jasper area? What are your favourite things to do there?