Current Status: Closed for 2026
Maligne Canyon, the most popular winter ice walk in Jasper National Park, is closed. Parks Canada says the canyon will remain closed for the 2026 season while it assesses conditions and plans rehabilitation work. Tourism Jasper also lists the canyon as closed until further notice.
The closure follows the 2024 Jasper Wildfire Complex. The area around Maligne Canyon saw significant fire activity and damage. In December 2024, Parks Canada announced that the canyon would stay closed for the 2024–25 winter because of falling debris, rockslides and damaged infrastructure: trails, bridges and staircases had been destroyed or needed urgent repairs. The canyon did not reopen for winter 2025–26, and major tour operators listed their Maligne Canyon ice walks as closed.
If you are planning a winter trip to Jasper, check Parks Canada's Jasper bulletins for the current status before booking anything around the canyon.
What the Canyon Is
Maligne Canyon is a narrow limestone gorge a short drive east of the town of Jasper. In places it is more than 50 m deep and only about 2 m wide. The Maligne River has cut it into limestone of the Palliser Formation, rock laid down in a shallow tropical sea.
The canyon is part of an unusual karst drainage system. Upstream, the Maligne River leaves Medicine Lake and, for much of the year, disappears underground. Water travelling through the limestone re-emerges from springs in the canyon walls, which is why the canyon carries water even when the river above has dried up.
In summer, a trail along the rim crosses the gorge on a series of footbridges. In winter, the river level drops and the canyon floor freezes, which made the ice walk possible.
How the Ice Walk Worked
Before the fire, the ice walk was one of Jasper's signature winter activities, usually running from about December to March depending on ice conditions. Visitors walked along the frozen floor of the canyon, between walls hung with frozen waterfalls and ice formations.
Most people went with a licensed guide, who provided ice cleats and helmets and judged where the ice was safe. Independent visitors could enter at their own risk. Parks Canada's safety advice for the canyon remains a useful guide to the hazards if it reopens:
- Thin or breakable ice over cold, fast-moving water.
- Falling rock and ice from the canyon walls.
- Unreliable cell coverage. In an emergency, call 911 from the main parking lot or the Maligne Canyon Hostel.
- Parks Canada recommends a guide, a helmet and ice cleats, a headlamp, telling someone your plans, and not travelling at night.
Alternative Canyon Ice Walks
While Maligne Canyon is closed, some Jasper operators have run guided ice walks in Pleckaitis Canyon instead. Availability changes from year to year and depends on ice conditions and operator permits. Tourism Jasper's listings are the most reliable place to find out which tours are running in a given winter.
Do not attempt to enter closed areas or unfamiliar canyons on your own. Ice conditions in narrow canyons are hard to read, and rescue is slow in winter.
Other Winter Activities in Jasper
Jasper has plenty to do in winter even without the canyon:
- Snowshoeing and cross-country skiing on groomed and marked trails around the town and in the surrounding valleys.
- Skating on frozen lakes when conditions allow; check with Parks Canada or local outfitters about which surfaces are maintained.
- Downhill skiing at Marmot Basin, south of town.
- Fat biking on designated trails.
- Dark skies. Jasper is a designated dark-sky preserve, and long winter nights give good conditions for stargazing and, occasionally, northern lights.
- Wildlife viewing from the roads, where elk, deer and bighorn sheep are often seen in winter.
Planning a Winter Trip to Jasper
- Getting there: Jasper is about four hours by car from Edmonton. The Icefields Parkway from Lake Louise is open in winter but has no services, no cell coverage and mandatory winter tires from November 1.
- Park pass: a Parks Canada pass is needed for all visits.
- After the fire: the town of Jasper is open, but rebuilding continues and some trails and day-use areas remain closed. Check Parks Canada bulletins before you go.
- Clothing: temperatures well below freezing are normal. Bring insulated boots, layers, and ice cleats for icy trails and sidewalks.
