Sharing is caring!

Valley of the Five Lakes: absolutely incredible trail to hike on your Jasper, AB family travel

Explore Valley of the Five Lakes trail with your entire family: an easy, yet stunning hike well worth a visit when you travel through Jasper National Park 

Valley of The Five Lakes easy kids-friendly hiking trail is also absolutely incredible and is definitely a must-see and well worth a visit when you travel through Jasper National Park, Alberta, Canada. In this post, we are happy to share our own travel notes and tips. We will also share a secret TIP on the best time to go to get stunning, almost magical photos.

***This post may contain affiliate links and we may earn compensation when you click on the links at no additional cost to you. All product recommendations and feedback are ours and based on personal experience. Please refer to our Disclosure Policy. 

.

Quick links:

• About the Lakes
• How to Get to Trailhead
• Summer hiking
• Notes and Photos
• FAQ
• Tips for your visit
• Conclusion

.

About Valley of The Five Lakes 

Valley of The Five Lakes is a popular easy hike that is located in Jasper National Park, Alberta Canada just off the Icefields Parkway highway. 

As can be judged by its name, the hike offers magnificent views of the five lakes: First, Second, Third, Fourth, and Fifth. (I know, lol. Still had to list them) Jokes aside, these stunning lakes are definitely a must-see and well worth a visit when you travel through Jasper National Park, Alberta. 

This 5km loop trail is extremely popular with visitors to Jasper, AB, and therefore is heavily trafficked. It is primarily used for hiking, running, and less so for mountain biking. Although it is best used from June until October, Valley of The Five Lakes is open throughout the year and is usually accessible during winter. So you can enjoy a cool snowshoeing trip too!

.

.

.

How to Get To Valley of The Five Lakes Hike Trailhead?

GPS / Google Maps trailhead directions: Valley of the Five Lakes, Jasper, AB T0E 1E0

If you are heading to the trailhead from Jasper, it will take you about 15 min to get there.

.

Parking

There is a small parking lot located right off the Icefields Parkway. As you can guess, as with many popular hikes in Jasper National Park, parking is a problem. Once the lot is full – it is full. There is no parking at the side of the road. 

Our advice: come early or come late in the day. 

We passed the trailhead during the day and it was packed! Came back at 6 pm, and it was almost completely deserted. Evening hike proved to be an awesome idea. As with no people around and with the soft light of the setting sun, the experience we had was magical and the photos turned out to be phenomenal. 

.

.

Hiking Valley of The Five Lakes trail in the Summer

One of the easiest, yet truly scenic hikes in Jasper National Park, Valley of the Five Lakes offers an incredible view of five different lakes (actually we have counted six), all different shades of turquoise blue to deep green. 

.

Valley of The Five Lakes – Quick Facts & Trail Map

The hike starts off by leading you through the iconic and pristine forest, crosses a wooden footbridge over a little marsh (watch for beavers!), and then back into the thick forest and towards the loop trail. Here you have a choice: if you go clockwise, as we did, you’ll see the First Lake first. 

Valley of The Five Lakes hike is rated Easy within the AllTrails app, and indeed our experience matches the expectations. The hike is not accessible with wheelchairs and strollers, and we have found a few steeper sections to climb. Yet, our then 4.5 yo son Cosmos was able to do it with no complaints whatsoever – that is after we have already visited Maligne Lake and Maligne Canyon earlier the same day. 

We have arrived in the evening at around 6:00 PM and were back in Jasper by 8:30 PM to have dinner. The hike is an easy 5km loop. It took us about 2 hours altogether with our 4.5 son Cosmos. In our opinion, Valley of The Five Lakes is one of the easiest trails you can hike with kids on your Jasper National Park family visit. 

.

.

Our Personal Notes and Photos

As already mentioned, we have arrived to Valley of The Five Lakes in the evening – the parking lot was empty, and hardly met anyone while hiking the trail.

We started off, as everyone does, along the wild path through the forest, then through the marsh and then up and over the hill.

Once we reached the loop, the decision was made to go clockwise. Hence, the First Lake was First.

.

First Lake

It is incredible how the colors change based on the place you are shooting from. Below are two photos of the First Lake along Valley of The Five Lakes. The second photo was taken about 10 min AFTER the first one.

.

Second Lake

Second Lake was tiny, cozy, yet a great photo opportunity. I'm just loving the colors of Valley of The Five Lakes in the evening! Definitely, the absolute best time to visit this gem of Jasper!

.

.

Third Lake

Third Lake was jaw-dropping stunning. We got lucky with the weather and the cloudless sky – you can see the moon!

The photo above was shot while sitting on these Red Muskoka chairs. Too bad the photos of the actual chars did not turn out well.

While hiking along the trail, our then 4.5yo son Cosmos found something interesting to do. I keep forgetting how young he was. Blowing off dandelions and discovering all sorts of wildflowers must have been so much fun for him!

.

.

Fourth Lake

We have found the Fourth Lake to be the smallest, yet the most charming of them all. At some point I go the feeling we got trapped in an enchanted forest, and one can expect a fairy jump out at us at any moment….

.

.

Fifth Lake

Unfortunately by the time we reached the Fifth Lake, it was already getting darker. The sun was rapidly going down, and we did not have much time to hong out here. Loved it nevertheless.

.

[Bonus] Sixth Lake

Surprise surprise! Yes, I know it is a common belief that Valley of The Five Lakes has ..five lakes. Wrong. There is another smaller lake you can find on the right-hand side of the trail just as you are leaving the Fith Lake and returning to the path back to the parking lot. It is much smaller than all the other lakes – a little pond really. And it is hard to come close to it. Yet it is there. The Sixth Lake has the most stunning water of almost black color that perfectly mirrors the nearby trees.

—

As you hike back to the beginning of the trailhead at sunset, the most stunning golden landscapes emerge.

Alpine meadows turn into golden fields at sunset.

.

.

.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are there bugs, black flies, mosquitoes at Valley of The Five Lakes trail?

YES. Valley of The Five Lakes is swarming with mosquitoes. Bring bug spray (DEET-free repellent of course).

If you travel with an infant baby, and your baby must sit in your hiking backpack, ensure there is some kind of mosquito net covering the backpack. It is perfectly fine to use one of those mosquito nets made for strollers. 

We hiked Valley of The Five Lakes trail in the evening, right before the sunset: mosquitos were especially brutal at that time. I wish we had hiking hats with mosquito nets on us. Strongly recommend bringing these hats with you when you pack for your Jasper National Park road trip. 

.

Can you meet a bear when hiking Valley of The Five Lakes?

Yes. Both black bears and grizzly bears live all around Jasper National Park, and frequent the Valley of the Five Lakes in the spring and late summer. 

Exercise caution, and you definitely want to carry bear spray especially when traveling with kids. Grizzly sightings in the meadow are rare since Valley of The Five Lakes is so very close to Jasper town, but it’s always good to be prepared. 

Check out tips posted by the Jasper Park Services on what to do if you see a bear, and other safety tips.

.

Are dogs allowed on Valley of The Five Lakes trail?

Dogs are able to use this trail but must be kept on leash.

.

Is Valley of The Five Lakes trail accessible with strollers or wheelchairs?

Unfortunately no. Valley of The Five Lakes is a narrow path through the forest, going up, down and around hills and lakes. There is no paving, nor accessibility. 

If you travel with a baby, bring a baby carrier along. 

.

.

Are there toilets near Valley of The Five Lakes trailhead? 

Yes, there are toilets right at the parking lot of Valley of The Five Lakes hike. However there are no more washrooms anywhere along the trail. 

.

Is there food available near Valley of The Five Lakes?

There are no concession stands nor cafes of any kind anywhere near Valley of The Five Lakes trailhead parking lot. However Jasper town is only about 15 min away! 

.

Are drones allowed at Valley of The Five Lakes?

No. Valley of The Five Lakes trail is located within Jasper National Park. All of the Canadian National Parks have restrictions against flying recreational drones. You can face a hefty fine if caught flying a drone.

.

Can you swim in lakes along Valley of The Five Lakes hike?

There is no restriction on swimming in the lakes when hiking Valley of The Five Lakes trail. Depending on the season, the water can be ice-cold. Also beware, there are no beaches except for a small rocky path at the Third lake, nor any safety accommodations for swimming. The lakes are wild. Hence swimming is at your own discretion and you must accept full responsibility should anything happen. 

.

.

.

Practical Tips Visiting Valley of The Five Lakes Trail in Jasper National Park, AB with Kids

Hiking Safety

Safety must always come first, especially when hiking with kids. Check out our Safety Tips: Hiking With Kids: 12 Simple Safety Rules Every Parent Should Follow.

.

Best Time To Visit – Early Evening 

Go early or go late. This is considered one of the treasures of Jasper National Park so gets pretty crowded as the day goes on. We have visited in the early evening, which proved to be a truly enchanting experience. 

.

Bring a Mountain Bike

Bring mountain bikes, and do Valley of The Five Lakes hike as a mountain biking trail, which could be pretty cool. If you did not take these with you on your Alberta road trip, you can rent mountain bikes in Jasper town. 

Beware, however, the trail is heavily used by families with little kids, and dogs are also allowed on the trail – hence exercise extreme caution. Hikers will have the right of way on the trail. The best time to mountain bike the Valley of The Five Lakes is as early in the morning as possible, or in the evening.

.

Bring Swimsuits

Yes, as of the time of this writing there were no restrictions, and you could swim in the lakes! The third lake has a nice little rocky beach area that is probably safest to use. Beware, however that the lakes are wild: swimming is at your own discretion and you must accept full responsibility should you decide to do it. 

.

Get Kids Engaged

Some parents, while active eager hikers themselves, may find it challenging to engage and interest their kids in outdoor activities such as long-distance hiking. Not to worry, let us help you: Five Tried-And-True Outdoor Activities To Get Kids to Absolutely Love Hiking

.

Covid-Related Precautions

The years 2020-2021 presented a true challenge to all travelers, including outdoor-loving families. We even had some Canada National Parks and some BC Provincial Parks closed for some time. Now that the parks have reopened, we need to ensure they stay open. 

When hiking Valley of The Five Lakes trail, and Jasper National Park in general, please keep the distance from other hikers, bring sanitizer any time you use the bathrooms, and try not to get lost in the backcountry. Here are more covid-related hiking safety tips: Social Distancing Outdoors Rules: Responsible Hiking During The Pandemic

.

Leave No Trace – Always. I mean it. 

You’ve likely heard the phrase “Leave No Trace” at least once. What does it mean? Simply put, Leave No Trace Principles is a set of Outdoor Ethics and best practices outdoor adventurers should follow to enjoy natural spaces with the zero-impact goal in mind and to protect Mother Nature for future generations. 

Here is our comprehensive introduction to Leave No Trace principles: your actionable guide to exploring the Great Outdoors with your kids and pets with minimal to no impact. Leave No Trace & Outdoor Ethics – Zero Impact Family Adventures

.

.

.

Concluding Notes

All five lakes are absolutely beautiful and awe-inspiring and users will love the vibrant colour of the water in unique shades of blue and green and how crystal clear they are. There are beautiful reflections of the surrounding mountains and pine trees on the calm water's surface which makes for some lovely photos. These lakes are among some of the most breathtaking in the Rockies, and definitely come back during the fall hiking season to witness the fall colours!

These stunning lakes are definitely a must-see and well worth a visit in Jasper National Park. 

Check out these next: 

.

Don’t miss out on the new exciting outdoor adventures and popular family destinations in Alberta or anywhere else in the World! Sign-up for our newsletter!

.

Latest outdoors and travel experiences in Alberta, Canada:

.

Enjoy!

Cheerfully yours,

Alexandra, Alex & Cosmos

.

Share your pictures on social media! tag #PerfectDayToPlayHike to be featured on our Instagram! 

Sharing is caring!