Parking
Start at the signed hiker parking area inside Waterfowl Lakes Campground, off the Icefields Parkway. The hiker lot is small.
Overview
About Chephren Lake Trail
Why go
- Turquoise lake below Mount Chephren and Howse Peak
- Mostly shaded approach with brief mountain openings
Heads up
- Rooty tread can be muddy
- Steep final descent means a climb back out
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Icefields Parkway map
Full mapElevation1,657–1,768 m
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
2 active Icefields Parkway alerts
- ClosureWildfire-impacted area closures in JasperStay out of the closed wildfire-impacted areas in Jasper National Park; access is prohibited or restricted to protect public safety.Official details
- ClosureOpal Hills hiking area closed for grizzly bearThe Opal Hills hiking area is closed because a female grizzly bear with two offspring is in the area. - The closure took effect September 25, 2026, and remains in effect until further notice.Official details
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Icefields Parkway Tour Guide
Your drive to Chephren Lake Trail, narrated.
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Icefields Parkway (Highway 93). As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
See the Icefields Parkway audio tourRecorded for this trailhead
Upper Waterfowl Lake: The Short Shore Walk0:00 / 0:32
“You're approaching the Waterfowl Lakes campground access, where a short walk leads to Upper Waterfowl Lake's turquoise shore.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Icefields Parkway Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Lower Waterfowl Lake: The Roadside View
- Built for a Loon’s Dive
- Pink Peaks After Sunset
- An Aspen Grove’s Shared Roots
- 141 audio storiesacross Icefields Parkway’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Grizzly Bear, Black Bear, Moose, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 54 trails, 57 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Trail guide
Hiking Chephren Lake Trail
The walkChephren Lake Trail is a 5.1-mile (8.
Chephren Lake Trail is a 5.1-mile (8.2-km) out-and-back from the Waterfowl Lakes Campground hiker parking to the lake and back. Allow about 2½–3 hours for a mostly wooded walk with a modest climb, a rooty middle stretch and a steep drop at the end. The payoff is turquoise water beneath Mount Chephren and Howse Peak. Start on the campground footpath, cross the wooden bridge over the Mistaya River, then climb gently through forest to a signed fork. Turn right for Chephren Lake; the left branch is the separate Cirque Lake hike.
Under the treesThe first part climbs gently, then the tread becomes rootier beyond the fork.
The first part climbs gently, then the tread becomes rootier beyond the fork. Forest hides most of the peaks, though small openings give brief views of Mount Chephren and Howse Peak. The rough, sometimes muddy surface can slow the walk even where the grade feels manageable.
At the lakeThe final slope drops steeply to a natural, rocky shoreline with boulders and a fallen log…
The final slope drops steeply to a natural, rocky shoreline with boulders and a fallen log rather than a formal viewing platform. The route returns the same way, so save energy for the climb back up from the water. From shore, the clear water and steep mountain wall make a strong frame; the weathered log in the foreground adds scale.
Trailhead and dogsUse the signed hiker parking area inside Waterfowl Lakes Campground, off the Icefields Parkway.
Use the signed hiker parking area inside Waterfowl Lakes Campground, off the Icefields Parkway. The hiker lot is small. Dogs are allowed on Banff trails when kept on leash and under physical control.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Icefields Parkway
12 sightingsGrizzly BearMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
127 sightingsBlack BearMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
16 sightingsMooseMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
100 sightingsElkMost seen around 8 PMSighting map
34 sightingsMountain GoatMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
53 sightingsBighorn SheepMost seen around 6 PMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Icefields Parkway. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
