We were glad we visited Maligne Lake, even though it was a rainy, cloudy day and I'm sure we didn't get to experience the absolute beauty of this lake. We walked halfway around the Moose Loop trail to Moose Lake, about one mile. This loop keeps the lake on your left. Unfortunately, we did not see any moose. We retraced our steps back the same way to the parking lot because by continuing the loop, although about the same distance, we would have seen less of Maligne Lake on the rest of the loop. We also stopped at the Waffle Hut and had gelato in a waffle bowl. Waffles that we saw others purchased looked delicious and if it wasn't so far from Jasper, we would come back for just a waffle. There is also a nice gift shop next to the Waffle Hut that has really nice, flushing toilets.

We did the premium cruise which has a 1/2 stopover on Spirit Island. Amazing scenery and, on route, saw the only moose of our entire 3 week holiday. Claire and Greg were good fun as captain and guide

We visited Maligne Lake in May 2016 and did the Spirit Island cruise. This time, we popped over to see what, if anything, had changed and to grab some lunch. Both times we have visited we have been blessed with wildlife (bears in 2016 and elk in July 2023). We popped into the main café to find that it was very expensive. A basic sandwich had a cost of $17.50. So we gave it a miss and walked over to the Waffle Hut instead (see other review) and this was much better value. We took some pictures of the area and had to make a quick dash to shelter when a thunderstorm passed through. Once it had cleared, we retook the photos as blue skies appeared. It was an afternoon of two halves. The journey to the Lake is well worth it but I feel it has become over touristy (along with most of the Rockies now).

So many trails to choose from in varying difficulty! Many animal sightings: bears with cubs, moose, elk, bighorn sheep, deer, a bald eagle with her babies, and a fox. The lake is serene, especially in the early morning when it’s not full of visitors. Skip the Moose Lake Trail Loop. The lake is very low and not worth the time, and Upper Moose Lake is completely empty. The Canyon Trail is amazing, but it is a steep uphill from 5th bridge up to 1st bridge where the Wilderness Kitchen is located.