Canada is one of the most photogenic countries on earth and the creme de la creme is definitely the Rocky Mountains. Banff’s photography spots are very well known, however many of the best in Jasper are often overlooked.
Their loss is your gain, there will be no 5am starts trying to set up your tripod before the masses arrive, Jasper photography is a much more laid back affair.
Here are our favourite photography spots in Jasper and exactly where to find them. It’s worth noting that Jasper National Park is huge so some of these photo spots are hours apart from each other.
The 12 Best Jasper Photo Spots
Athabasca Falls
Athabasca Falls make for a dramatic photo with the water gushing powerfully through the narrow canyon. The first view of the falls is just a few minutes walk from the parking lot, but there are several viewpoints to choose from so you’ll want to allow at least half an hour for your visit.
Our shot it actually taken from the grassy verge next to the bridge (you will drive across it on the way to the parking lot), which offers an incredible vantage point of this section of canyon. The ledge you can see in the photo is definitely not as narrow or precarious at it looks or I wouldn’t be standing there!
If you want a person in your shot, then they will need to walk down the hill for around five minutes from the road. You can easily see the ledge you’re heading for.
Watch your footing and don’t stand close to the edge, you do not need to be near the edge for it to look like you are in the photo. As always stay within your comfort zone and don’t attempt it after rain when it could be slippery.
Sunwapta Falls
The incredibly powerful Sunwapta Falls are a photographer’s delight. The main view of the falls is from the viewing platform which is just a couple of minutes walk from the parking lot, so it’s a very easy win.
It’s also cloudy here a lot of the time, which makes it ideal weather for waterfall photography, providing even light and no glare. If you want a person in your shot, then they’ll have to walk over the bridge and down through the forest and out on to the rocks.
It’s less than a five minute walk in total. There are no barriers here so you can walk right up to the falls and sit on the rocks.
Just watch out for the wet rock which can be slippery. Like the other spots on this post, be careful, don’t venture out if there’s ice.
Mount Edith Cavell Lake
Mount Edith Cavell Lake was a huge surprise for us! We couldn’t believe that in August there would be a lake that still had icebergs! It is a truly magical place and also very easy to get to. There are two main spots that we’d recommend for photographers.
The first is a close up (you’ll still need a good zoom lens) of the lake which can be found at the end of the 0.8km Path of the Glacier walking trail. Be warned: it is a fairly steep 0.8km though!
You can view the lake from the lookout which is a great vantage point. You used to be able to walk down to the lake from the view point but it’s currently closed, hopefully it re-opens by the time you get there!
The second spot, and our favourite of the two, is from the moraine just before the turnoff into the forest on the Mount Edith Cavell Meadows hike. It’s very close to the Path of the Glacier Viewpoint, you just have to backtrack a tiny bit and follow the meadows trail until you see the moraine (it’s huge so you can’t miss it!).
From the top of the moraine - which is easy to climb - you get another look at the lake and it feels more natural than the official view point.
You can take photos from there or if you want a person in the shot they can stay on the moraine and there are plenty of hilly spots behind it for the photographer to use to get a great view of the whole scene.
We’ve written a full trail guide with lots more photos here.
Mount Edith Cavell Meadow Viewpoint
Further along the Mount Edith Cavell Meadows trail you’ll come to a series of viewpoints. The second one is stunning and has a much higher up view of the lake (because of course the hike is steep!) but we actually like the perspective looking back on the trail from the final viewpoint.
The trail zig-zags down the mountain and the view ahead is a huge mountain panorama. Having a person in the shot really adds to the sense of scale for this one.
If you go to all the photo spots we’ve mentioned in this area you will have completed the entire hike which totals 8km. It’s easily one of the best trails in the whole of Jasper National Park.
Sulphur Skyline
You have to work to get the killer shot on the 8.8km Sulphur Skyline Track, but it is most definitely worth it. There are actually several wonderful photography spots from the summit of this hike but we had such violent wind that we were only able to get a few shots before beating a hasty retreat.
Our favourite is the one looking back on the trail from the summit. There is layer after layer of breathtaking mountains and the varying colours of the trees really add to the scene. Unfortunately the trees are this colour due to the dreaded pine beetle which kills the tree, so we’d rather it was all green really though.
This is a great spot for landscape photographers or you can add a person into the picture for scale. The first bit of track down from the summit is slippery so you end up with a good candid shot as no one can walk delicately down that shale!
For more details on the trail read this post.
Bald Hills track
As with the Sulphur Skyline Trail this is another one which requires a bit of effort but the views over Maligne Lake will have you forgetting that instantly once you reach the top.
It’s the longest trail on this list at 15km return, but if you’re looking for a birds eye view of Maligne Lake - especially as you can no longer fly a drone in Canada without a license - this one is for you!
There are several great photo spots, the good views of Maligne Lake begin about a kilometre or so from the summit and anywhere along the last section of the trail has views of the lake with the stunning snow capped mountain range behind it. The first photo is from the summit.
If you complete the short loop trail at the top you also get an opportunity for some lovely ridge line shots.
Here’s the full trail guide on what to expect.
Maligne Canyon
If you are lucky enough to visit Jasper in winter, then I think this would be the top photography spot of all. The water in the canyon freezes and it looks like an incredible winter wonderland, more than that, it looks like a scene from another planet!
If you’re visiting in summer it is still a beautiful spot, but nowhere near as dramatic. It’s another deep and narrow canyon which water thunders through. There are five main lookout points for the canyon but the best are the first three.
Our photo was taken between second and third bridge which seemed to have a lot less people around, making it easier to get a clear shot.
We had a rare sunny day when visiting the canyon so the light wasn’t brilliant for photos. We’d recommend visiting early in the morning for the best light, and the least crowds.
Moose Lake
This is one for the wildlife photography lovers and it’s not hard to see from the name what you’re looking for here! The best time to visit Moose Lake, which is in the Maligne Lake area, is dawn and dusk, but we actually found our moose in the middle of the day (we saw three in total!).
The loop track to the lake is 2.7km in total, but if you’re really lucky like us you might see them before you even hit the lake.
Just remember to bring a zoom lens and give them a wide berth, as they can actually be really dangerous.
Columbia Icefield
The Columbia Icefield has some beautiful photo opportunities. You can only visit as part of a guided tour and you’ll only get 20 minutes on the ice but it’s a must if you’ve never set foot on a glacier before. We particularly liked photographing the crevasses which had an other worldly blue light to them.
If you want a more Instagrammy style shot with a person there is plenty of opportunity to walk along the edge of the glacier area open to tourists and get a shot with a stunning mountain backdrop.
For prices and more information about visiting you can check out Get Your Guide which does cheaper tickets than you can buy direct.
Wilcox Pass Lookout
Wilcox Pass is a great alternative if you don’t want to pay to visit the Columbia Icefield but you still want to get a good look at the Athabasca Glacier. The viewpoint is only a 3km return walk and by Rockies standards it’s not that steep!
At the lookout you’ll find a couple of Park Canada’s iconic red chairs and a view to remember. The weather is notoriously bad along the Icefields Parkway but if you get a clear view you’ll see both the glacier and impressive surrounding mountain range.
It’s one of the stops we always recommend adding to your Icefields Parkway itinerary.
Parker Ridge
The Parker Ridge Trail is our favourite along the Icefields Parkway and a must for hikers and photographer alike. At 6km you’ll need to allow a couple of hours for this track.
The best photograph opportunities are just before the end of the trail (before the ridge), where the view opens up and you can suddenly see huge snow capped mountains and glacier.
It is a true wow factor moment. It was pouring with rain on our visit so the photo does not do this spot justice. If you are lucky enough to have decent conditions you cannot miss this spot!
Here is the full low down on the Parker Ridge Trail.
Maligne Lake
Maligne Lake is probably the most famous lake in the whole Jasper area and it’s easy to see why. The best place for photography is Spirit Island, which you can only access by taking one of the boat cruises or doing an overnight kayak journey.
Shooting Spirit Island in Maligne Lake looks amazing and is one of the most famous pictures you can take. Unfortunately we weren’t able to get a camping spot during our visit (it books out really early, so book as far in advance as you can), so we chose to photograph Maligne Lake from the shore.
There are many spots you can choose from the walking path which runs alongside the water but we chose to shoot right by the jetty. If you want to do the same it’s just a couple of minutes walk from the parking lot.
The light is best at sunrise but sunset is also pretty good. If you’re interested in more lakes in the Rockies check out this guide which has lots of options, both on and off the beaten path.
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Are you planning a trip to Jasper? Which is your favourite photography spot? Let us know in the comments below!
