Hike Alberta
Maligne Lake 250 m N
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Mary Schäffer Loop

Near Jasper · Jasper National Park

Easy · Loop · Official trail

Maligne Lake and the boat house near the start of the loop
Maligne Lake and the boat house near the start of the loop. Photo by Raman Patel, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Trail score 81 out of 100, from popularity, scenery and trail quality

Maligne Lake 500 m Open the map

About this trail

Mary Schäffer Loop is a 2.9 km loop trail near Jasper in Jasper National Park. The route gains 65 m in total and tops out at 1,728 m. Hike Alberta rates it easy. Allow about 55 minutes of moving time. It meets Opal Hills Loop at 2.7 km, and passes three other mapped junctions. Along the way you pass Maligne Lake, Parks Canada Red Chairs and a viewpoint. Also used for walking and trail running.

Length
2.9km
Elevation gain
65m
Estimated time
55min
Moving time
Route
Loop
Highest point
1,728m
Lowest point
1,679m

Elevation profile

1,679 m to 1,728 m
1,7271,679 0 km2.9 km

Highest point 1,728 m, lowest 1,679 m, 65 m of climbing in total. Steepest sustained grade about 15% over 100 m.

Predicted coverage: 0% of route

0% LTE · 0% 5G

Longest modelled gap
2.9 km
Model
2024 · Natural Resources Canada

Predicted coverage is not guaranteed. It varies by carrier, terrain, weather, device and network load, and it does not guarantee emergency service.

Along the way

  1. 0.0 kmOpal HillsTrailhead
  2. 0.4 kmMaligne LakeLake
  3. 0.5 kmParks Canada Red ChairsLandmark
  4. 1.0 kmViewpointAt 1.0 km

Good for

  • Hiking, Walking, Trail running
  • Dog friendly (on leash), Kid friendly
  • Lake, Views

Rankings

Trailhead

The trail starts at 52.7309° N, 117.6342° W.

Driving directions

Jasper National Park admission

National park admission required

Buy Discovery Pass

Pass details

Visitors spending time in a national park need valid daily admission or a Parks Canada Discovery Pass. Admission is separate from camping, reservations, parking and other service fees.

Information checked October 21, 2026.

Official details

Before you go

Carry an offline map and plan for no service in backcountry areas. Trails close for wildlife, fire, weather and construction. Check the official sources:

Nearby trails

All 273 trails in Jasper National Park

Trail data © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL
Parks Canada trail data, Open Government Licence Canada
Elevation © Mapterhorn from NRCan HRDEM (Open Government Licence Canada) and Copernicus GLO 30