Parking
Park at the Valley of the Five Lakes lot on the Icefields Parkway, about 9 km south of Jasper. Trail 9b starts about 0.7 miles from the lot at the signed 9a and Valley of the Five Lakes junction.
Overview
About Trail 9b
Why go
- Direct connector through the lake network with close water views
- A shorter, steeper alternative to the gentler 9a route
Heads up
- Not a standalone parking-to-parking hike
- Short steep grades and roots can be slick after rain
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Jasper map
Full mapElevation1,090–1,136 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 Trail 9b, 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
Valley of the Five Lakes: A Colorful Loop HikeListen
“The parking area coming up is for the Valley of the Five Lakes hike. This is one of the park's most rewarding short trails.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Jasper Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- The Wandering Athabasca River
- 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!!!!”
Trail guide
Hiking Trail 9b
Choose the shorter connectorTrail 9b is a 0.66-mile, one-way connector in the Valley of the Five Lakes network.
Trail 9b is a 0.66-mile, one-way connector in the Valley of the Five Lakes network. It runs between signed junctions rather than from the parking lot, so the 2.9-mile figure belongs to the 9a/9b loop, not this trail. Allow roughly 20 to 30 minutes for 9b itself.
What the walk feels likeExpect fir forest, dirt tread, roots, and a few short steeper grades.
Expect fir forest, dirt tread, roots, and a few short steeper grades. The reward is a direct link through the lake network, with close water views and a choice between this more direct option and the gentler 9a route. Wet weather can make the roots and exposed footing slick.
Make it workPark at the Valley of the Five Lakes lot on the Icefields Parkway, about 9 km south of Jasper.
Park at the Valley of the Five Lakes lot on the Icefields Parkway, about 9 km south of Jasper. Trail 9b begins about 0.7 miles from the parking area, at the Trail 9a and Valley of the Five Lakes junction, then rejoins the network at the lower 9a/Trail 9 junction. It is a connector, not a parking-to-parking hike. For photos, use the open lake edges near the junctions to frame turquoise water through the trees.
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.
