Best time to visit
Visit when the trail is officially open; this spot stays quieter than most any time of day. If you’re adding it to the Valley of the Five Lakes loop, start earlier to enjoy that popular section with fewer people.
Overview
About Wabasso Lake
Wabasso Lake is a quiet, marshy lake tucked just east of the Icefields Parkway. It’s the kind of low-key spot people rave about for solitude: a gentle forest walk ends at a beaver-shaped lake with mountain backdrops, including distant views of Mount Edith Cavell.
Why stop
- Secluded, peaceful lake away from the crowds
- Beaver-shaped marshland with distant Mount Edith Cavell views
Heads up
- Routes have been closed recently; access changes with advisories
- Minimal amenities and mostly forested approach with limited views
Map
Where it is
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Full mapLocal know-how
Tips for visiting Wabasso Lake
Check Parks Canada advisories; the routes here have been closed recently.
The trailhead is about 14 km south of town on Highway 93; look for the signed turn on the left.
When open, link it with the Valley of the Five Lakes loop for a longer day.
Carry bear spray and expect muddy sections near the marshy lakeshore.
Don’t confuse it with Wabasso Campground—there are no facilities at the lake.
Plan your stop
Before you go
Best time to visit
Logistics & Amenities
8 active Jasper alerts
- ClosureWildfire-impacted areas and facilities closedMentions this placeStay out of closed wildfire-impacted areas and facilities in Jasper National Park; closures protect public safety after the 2024 wildfire and remain in effect while recovery and safety work continues.Official details
- Closure93A (Wabasso Road) no through travel during roadworkFrom mid-October to early November 2026, plan for 93A (Wabasso Road) to be accessible from the south entrance only; no through travel is expected during roadwork.Official details
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Jasper Tour Guide
Your drive to Wabasso Lake, narrated.
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Jasper National Park. 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 Jasper audio tourRecorded for this area
The Wandering Athabasca RiverListen
“The Athabasca River often looks like it can't make up its mind, splitting into a web of channels across wide gravel flats.”
Plays on the road 0.9 km from Wabasso Lake in the Parkwolf Jasper Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Valley of the Five Lakes: A Colorful Loop Hike
- Becker's Chalets and Restaurant
- Icefields Parkway: The Essential Briefing
- Wapiti Campground: Year-Round Riverside Camping
- 157 audio storiesacross Jasper’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Grizzly Bear, Caribou, Gray Wolf, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 91 trails, 129 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!!!!”
Guide
More about Wabasso Lake
What You’ll SeeExpect a mostly wooded trail with a lookout partway before the trees open to the lakeshore.
Expect a mostly wooded trail with a lookout partway before the trees open to the lakeshore. The lake itself is ringed by wetlands created and maintained by beaver dams—part of the charm here is seeing an active marsh ecosystem rather than a classic rocky alpine shore.
Trail & DifficultyPlan on roughly 8 km return with minimal elevation gain—easy to moderate and family-friendly…
Plan on roughly 8 km return with minimal elevation gain—easy to moderate and family-friendly when conditions allow. The path is well-marked, never strenuous, and can be muddy in places near the marshy lake.
WildlifeThis is prime beaver country, and the dams are a defining feature of the lake.
This is prime beaver country, and the dams are a defining feature of the lake. The surrounding forest and wetlands support birds and small mammals; larger wildlife is possible anywhere in the area, so standard precautions apply.
Status & ConnectionsRecent seasons have seen closures of the direct trail and the connector via the popular Valley…
Recent seasons have seen closures of the direct trail and the connector via the popular Valley of the Five Lakes loop. Always check Parks Canada advisories before you go. When open, you can link Wabasso Lake with the Valley of the Five Lakes for a longer day on mostly easy terrain.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Jasper
174 sightingsGrizzly BearMost seen around 8 PMSighting map
43 sightingsCaribouMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
40 sightingsGray WolfMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
12 sightingsCanada LynxMost seen around 8 PMSighting map
315 sightingsMooseMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
1,028 sightingsElkMost seen around 7 AMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Jasper. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
