Horseshoe Lake Trail

Horseshoe Lake Trail is an easy lollipop loop from a roadside pullout on the Icefields Parkway. It is about 1.0 mile (1.6 km) with a short approach, the lakeside circuit and two small viewpoint detours; allow about half an hour. The route visits only part of the horseshoe-shaped shore, not the whole lake. It is a good leg-stretch for clear water and cliff views, not a long hike.

A dirt path leaves the lot and reaches a junction after roughly a tenth of a mile. The left branch makes a quick out-and-back along the cliffs; return to the fork, then take the lake-bound path. Small footbridges and a couple of short viewpoint spurs break up the shore walk. Roots make the tread uneven, and several faint side paths can be easy to confuse, so follow the main loop rather than wandering every branch.

Clear blue-green water sits beneath steep rock walls, with little coves and places to pause by the shore. The water stays cold even in summer. Parts of the path run close to unguarded cliffs, so keep back from the edge; Parks Canada warns against cliff jumping at the lake.

The 2024 Jasper wildfire changed the woods around Horseshoe Lake. Visitors in recent years describe scorched trees and fallen wood beside young regrowth. The main photo shows the cove in September 2019, before that fire, so the tree cover in the image is older than the current landscape.

From Jasper, take the Icefields Parkway (93N) south about 16.2 miles (26 km) past the junction, then turn left into the small Horseshoe Lake pullout. The highway sign has been removed; use a map and watch your odometer. Dogs are allowed on leash. No food service or potable water was verified at the trailhead, so bring what you need.