Parking
Park at the Jacques Lake Trailhead on Maligne Lake Road, at the east end of Medicine Lake.
Overview
About Summit Lakes Trail
Why go
- Gentle forest grade with two lake stops
- Quiet, low-elevation outing with a clear turnaround
Heads up
- Muddy or flooded footing near the lakes after rain or melt
- Mostly forested, with limited big views
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Jasper map
Full mapElevation1,450–1,535 m
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
8 active Jasper alerts
- ClosureWildfire-impacted areas and facilities closedStay 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 Summit Lakes Trail, 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 trailhead
Jacques Lake Trail: A Gentle Forest WalkListen
“You're about to pass the Jacques Lake trailhead. This is the spot for a long but very gentle forest walk.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Jasper Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Tiny Travelers on the Road
- The Call of the Loon
- Maligne River’s Oxbows: A River that Rewrites Its Map
- Medicine Lake: The Disappearing Lake
- 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!!!!”
Trail guide
Hiking Summit Lakes Trail
A quiet lake walk6.1 miles round trip, out and back, takes about three hours at an easy pace.
6.1 miles round trip, out and back, takes about three hours at an easy pace. From the Jacques Lake Trailhead, the route climbs gently for 1.6 km to Beaver Lake, then continues another 3.2 km to the Summit Lakes. The stored line follows the one-way corridor; you return by the same route.
What you’ll seeThis is a broad, mostly shaded forest walk with a steady but modest climb.
This is a broad, mostly shaded forest walk with a steady but modest climb. Beaver Lake arrives early, while the Summit Lakes are the quieter payoff, with calm water, spruce and fir, and occasional mountain glimpses. The trail continues toward Jacques Lake beyond this outing, but that longer backcountry route is a different experience.
Before you goExpect muddy or briefly flooded footing near the lakes after rain or spring melt.
Expect muddy or briefly flooded footing near the lakes after rain or spring melt. Carry bear spray and give wildlife plenty of room. Dogs and horses are permitted, and winter travel can work well for cross-country skiing when snow coverage is reliable. Do not ski across the lakes, and bring a map or GPS for the junctions near the Summit Lakes.
Make time for the waterThe best reason to walk this far is the change from ordinary forest road to quiet lake country.
The best reason to walk this far is the change from ordinary forest road to quiet lake country. Stop at Beaver Lake if you want a shorter outing, or continue to the Summit Lakes for the fuller experience. For photos, include the near shoreline and the surrounding forest to show how enclosed and peaceful the lakes feel.
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.
