Antisocial Tourist

The Maligne Lake Cruise to Spirit Island was the entire reason we planned our first trip to Canada, and it did not disappoint! We had seen photos and videos of Spirit Island online for years, and it looked like one of those places that couldn’t possibly be as beautiful in real life as it was on social media. But it was.

Standing on the shore staring at Spirit Island felt like looking at a painting. The blue-green water, dramatic mountains, even the clouds seemed to be painted perfectly into place. And then a tiny island with a gang of trees tucked into the middle of all of it… it was unreal.

The entire journey to Maligne Lake was memorable too. We drove through the Canadian Rockies along the Icefields Parkway, which is one of the most scenic drives in the wrold! Then the actual cruise to the island took us past some of the most peaceful and dramatic views we’ve ever seen. It was like being on another planet.

In this guide, we’ll walk you through exactly what to expect on the Maligne Lake Cruise, including the boat ride, the stop at Spirit Island, what it’s like when you actually get there, and whether we thought the experience was worth it.

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Everything You Need to Know About the Maligne Lake Cruise to Spirit Island

Just looking for a quick answer? The Maligne Lake Cruise to Spirit Island is a straightforward sightseeing tour that takes you across Maligne Lake to a remote shoreline that can’t be reached by road. You’ll dock, get off the boat, follow a very short trail to several viewpoints, and take in the famous view of Spirit Island. The scenery is insanely beautiful, and the tour is absolutely worth your time.

What is Spirit Island?

Spirit Island is a tiny, tree-covered peninsula located on one of the prettiest lakes in the Canadian Rockies: Maligne Lake, found in Jasper National Park. But when people talk about “going to Spirit Island,” they don’t actually mean stepping foot on the island itself. Visitors aren’t allowed to walk onto Spirit Island because it’s considered sacred land and is culturally significant to the Stoney Nakoda First Nation. Instead, you’re really going to a viewpoint overlooking Spirit Island.

And if that isn’t confusing enough, despite the name, Spirit Island isn’t always an island. It’s connected to the shoreline by a narrow strip of land, so depending on the water level, it can appear either as an island or a peninsula. But either way, it’s stunning.

What makes Spirit Island so famous is the setting. It sits in front of a dramatic wall of mountains, surrounded by bright blue-green water and some of the most beautiful scenery in the Canadian Rockies. It’s the kind of place that looks almost too perfect to be real, which is exactly why it has become such an iconic photo spot.

Where is Spirit Island?

Spirit Island is located on Maligne Lake inside Jasper National Park in Alberta, Canada.

If you’re not familiar with Canada’s geography, Jasper National Park is in western Canada, in the Canadian Rockies. It sits in the province of Alberta, roughly four hours west of Edmonton and about five hours northwest of Calgary by car.

The town of Jasper is the main base for visiting the park, and Maligne Lake is about an hour’s drive from town. From there, Spirit Island sits farther out on the lake and can’t be reached by road, which is why most visitors see it by taking the Maligne Lake Cruise.

If you’re doing a bigger Canadian Rockies trip, Jasper is also connected to Banff National Park by the Icefields Parkway, which is one of the most scenic drives in the world. That’s the route we took, and the drive to Jasper ended up being a huge part of the experience itself.

Driving to Maligne Lake Cruise Canadian Rockies

How Do You Get to Spirit Island?

Getting to Spirit Island is a bit of a journey, but that’s honestly part of what makes the experience so special.

First, you’ll need to get to Jasper National Park. From the town of Jasper, you’ll drive roughly an hour to Maligne Lake, where the road ends. From there, Spirit Island sits about 9 miles (14 kilometers) farther down the lake, and there is no road or hiking trail that will take you there.

That leaves you with two real options: take the Maligne Lake Cruise or paddle there yourself by renting a canoe or kayak. For most visitors, the cruise is by far the easiest option. Paddling to Spirit Island is possible, but it’s a serious outing that takes several hours each way rather than a casual little kayak trip.

And while Spirit Island may be the final destination, don’t think of the rest of the trip as simply transportation to get there. Maligne Lake is insanely scenic from beginning to end, and almost complete silence once you get farther out on the lake. By the time we reached the viewpoint, we already felt completely overwhelmed by the beauty of our surroundings. And once we laid eyes on Spirit Island, it was like stepping into an actual painting.

Best Time to Visit Spirit Island

The Maligne Lake Cruise operates seasonally, generally from late May through early October, with July and August being the warmest and busiest months.

If you want fewer crowds, June and September are great alternatives, though temperatures will be cooler. We visited in early September and loved the weather.

One thing to keep in mind during summer is wildfire smoke. It’s unpredictable, but it can occasionally affect visibility in Jasper. Don’t let this deter you from planning your tirp, but it’s important to be aware of.

As for the best time of day, we’d lean toward an earliest cruise possible. You’ll likely deal with fewer crowds, and the lake tends to feel especially peaceful in the morning. We took the first boat out, and the sun was still low enough in the sky to create a hazy glow behind the clouds. It was incredible.

Maligne Lake Cruise Parking Lot Showing Trail to Ticket Office

What to Expect on the Maligne Lake Cruise to Spirit Island

We took the Classic Maligne Lake Cruise to Spirit Island, so that’s the experience we’ll be covering in this guide. If you’d rather paddle there yourself, you can rent a canoe or kayak right at Maligne Lake. Just keep in mind that Spirit Island is just shy of 9 miles (14 kilometres) down the lake, so paddling there and back is a much bigger undertaking than taking the cruise.

For most visitors, the cruise is the more appealing way to see Spirit Island. It takes you all the way across Maligne Lake, drops you near the famous viewpoint, gives you time to walk out and see it for yourself, and then brings you back to the dock.

And you’re still getting those same incredible lake and mountain views along the way. So unless you’re an avid paddler and really want the experience of getting there under your own power, the Maligne Lake Cruise is a much easier way to enjoy the scenery and reach Spirit Island.

How to Book the Maligne Lake Cruise

The Maligne Lake Cruise is operated by Pursuit, part of the Banff Jasper Collection. They’re the only sightseeing cruise that takes visitors across Maligne Lake to the Spirit Island viewpoint. You may also see third-party Jasper tours that include the cruise as part of a larger day trip, but the actual boat ride itself is still the Pursuit-operated Maligne Lake Cruise.

There are currently two main cruise options: Classic and Premium. But despite the Premium name, the Classic Cruise is the more popular choice. It lasts about 1.5 hours and includes the guided boat ride to Spirit Island, about 15 minutes of free time near the viewpoint, and the return trip.

The only difference with the Premium Cruise is that it lasts about 2 hours and is adults-only for guests 16 and older. You’ll get an extra 15 minutes at the Spirit Island viewpoint and about 15 extra minutes on the water as the boat takes a slightly longer route past Pincushion Bay.

We took the Classic Cruise and felt like we had plenty of time, so we personally don’t think the Premium upgrade is necessary unless having a little extra time at the viewpoint matters to you.

Where Should You Stay Before the Maligne Lake Cruise?

For most travelers, the best place to stay before the Maligne Lake Cruise is in or around the town of Jasper. The place we stayed at closed a few months after our visit, but we did visit the Jasper Planetarium at the Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge, and we thought the lodge was stunning. We’ll definitely consider booking a room there next time we’re in Jasper.

A few good options include:

The Crimson – A solid mid-range option right in Jasper, within walking distance of restaurants and shops.
Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge – A bit of a splurge, with a beautiful lakeside setting, a pool overlooking the mountains, and more of a full Canadian Rockies resort feel.
Pine Bungalows – A quieter cabin-style stay along the Athabasca River, just outside town, if you want something that feels a little more immersed in nature.

No matter where you stay, if you’re taking an early Maligne Lake Cruise, we’d recommend sleeping in Jasper the night before rather than trying to drive in from Banff or another part of the Rockies that morning.

How Do You Get to the Maligne Lake Cruise?

The Maligne Lake Cruise departs directly from Maligne Lake, about an hour outside the town of Jasper. To get there, you’ll take Highway 16 east out of Jasper, turn onto Maligne Lake Road, and follow it all the way to the lake.

Even though the drive itself is usually shows around an hour when using GPS, we recommend giving yourself at least 1.5 hours. The road is incredibly scenic, wildlife sightings can slow traffic down, and parking at Maligne Lake can get busy during peak season. We ended up stopping at a few pull-offs along the way and even pulled over to watch some moose near the side of the road.

The public parking lot at Maligne Lake is large, so even when it’s at it’s businest, you shouldn’t have trouble finding a spot. From the lot, you’ll follow a short trail through the trees to the ticket office, restaurant, and gift shop. Once you check in, they’ll direct you down to the boat dock, where you’ll line up to board.

What Happens When You Arrive at Maligne Lake?

Arriving at Maligne Lake is pretty simple. Like we said above, you’ll park, walk to the ticket office, check in, and then head down to the boat dock.

Once you get there, our biggest advice is to get in line for boarding right away if you care about getting a window seat. Seating is first come, first served, and the window spots go quickly.

The boat is set up with bench seating along both sides, with room for roughly three people per bench. Once boarding begins, everyone files on and grabs an open seat.

You’ll be tempted to wander around or shop at the gift shop before the cruise, but you can do that afterward. With the views you’re about to see, trust us, a window seat is a game changer.

What Is It Like on the Maligne Lake Cruise?

The boats are enclosed and heated, which was especially nice on the chilly morning we went. Most people kept their windows closed, but we cracked ours open and hung an arm out to film the scenery as we cruised across the lake.

There’s also a small outdoor area at the back of the boat where a few people can stand at a time. We noticed people without window seats heading back there when they wanted clearer photos or video without shooting through the glass.

Each cruise has a boat driver and a tour guide, and the guide provides commentary throughout the journey. It’s surprisingly educational, too. We learned a ton about the history of Maligne Lake, the surrounding mountains, and the area itself while we cruised.

The ride takes about 30 minutes but it goes by very quickly, mostly because there’s so much to look at. Before we knew it, we were pulling up to the dock near Spirit Island. You can actually see Spirit Island as you approach, but the angle isn’t great, so don’t stress about trying to get your perfect photos from the boat.

What Happens When You Arrive at Spirit Island?

When the boat arrives, you’ll dock near Spirit Island, but you are not actually stepping onto the island itself. Remember, Spirit Island is sacred land and visitors aren’t allowed to walk on it. Instead, the boat drops you off nearby and you’ll follow a short trail to several different viewpoints of the island.

The walk is very short and easy, with a slight incline for the first half and a decline for the second. The first few minutes take you through the trees, and you won’t see much. Then the trail makes a U-turn and brings you back in the direction you came from, but this time along the water, where the views start opening up.

After just a couple minutes of walking, right when the trail turns, you’ll be at the first viewpoint. This viewpoint is also the famous one you’ve probably seen in most photos online. There’s a wooden railing, and the viewing area is fairly small, so people tend to take turns and offer to take photos of each other.

As you continue along the trail, you’ll have almost constant views of Spirit Island, but your perspective changes slightly as the path slopes back down toward the shoreline. Near the water, there are several large boulders that are easy to step out onto and make for some really cool photos with the island in the background.

By the end of the trail, you’ll be able to see the boat dock again, so it’s impossible to get lost. The path is essentially a short loop that starts and ends right where the boat drops you off.

How Much Time Do You Get at Spirit Island?

The Classic Cruise gives you about 15 minutes, which sounds short, and honestly, it is, but hear us out… The entire trail can be walked in about 5 minutes. So that leaves 10 minutes at the viewpoint. And while that is quick, after taking photos and staring at the island for 10 full minutes, most people are satisfied. We’re bloggers, so we’re always filming extra content, and even we felt it was enough time. It’s very comparable to a scenic pull-off on a road trip. You stop, hop out, admire the view, and take off again.

Could we have stood and stared at the view for several more hours? Absolutely! But as far as getting good photos and taking in our surroundings, we didn’t feel rushed at all. We even had time to take photos for a few solo travelers.

That said, this is not a place where you’ll want to move slowly or spend five minutes setting up every photo. If having extra time will give you peace of mind, the Premium Cruise may be worth the upgrade.

Maligne Lake Cruise Jasper National Park

What Happens When It’s Time to Leave Spirit Island?

Since the trail loops back toward the dock, you’ll already be heading in the right direction as your time is up. The best views appear after the trail turns and loops back to the boat, so you’ll probably be closer to the dock than you realize. The guide will be waiting at the dock and will give a little shout when it’s time to start heading back.

Everyone boards again, and the boat heads back across Maligne Lake toward the original dock. Roughly half the people in our group went back to their original seats, while the other half tried to snag window seats, so everyone shuffled around a bit. We were lucky and got our same seats on the way back.

The return ride follows the same general route, so try to sit on the same side of the boat you sat on during the ride out. That way, you’ll be facing the opposite side of the lake on the way back and get a different set of views.

The commentary is also much lighter on the return trip, and most people are in their own worlds just trying to process how ridiculously beautiful the whole experience had been.

Final Thoughts on the Maligne Lake Cruise

The Maligne Lake Cruise was the entire reason we planned our first trip to Canada, so our expectations were ridiculously high. Fortunatley, the experienced lived up to them.

Spirit Island is every bit as beautiful as it looks in photos, but what surprised us most was how much we loved the journey across Maligne Lake itself. The mountains, the water, the clouds, the silence… the entire experience felt unreal from beginning to end.

Yes, your time at Spirit Island is short, and yes, the cruise is a bit of a splurge, but we would book it again without hesitation. Even after traveling to more than 30 countries, this remains one of the most beautiful places we’ve ever seen.

If Spirit Island has been sitting on your bucket list, go! This is one of those places that actually lives up to the hype.

Thank you for reading our post! We hope it helps you plan the perfect trip! Check out our other guides here and follow us on Instagram (@AntisocialTourist) or on Facebook to see our latest adventures!