Maligne Canyon Falls | World Waterfall Database

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This waterfall has been surveyed, mapped and measured in person by the World Waterfall Database.

Maligne Canyon represents a geologic oddity not seen elsewhere in the greater Pacific Northwest but is fairly common in the northern Rocky Mountains. Limestone is a prevalent rock in this area, and due to its easily soluble nature Karst Topography – a general term for the presence of sinkholes and underground rivers and passages – is common in the region. What happens at Maligne Canyon is the Maligne River flows out of Medicine Lake, about 15 kilometers upstream as a full size river, but very quickly disappears into seeps in the ground and completely vanishes from the surface not far from the lake for most of the year. The smaller streams that feed the valley below that point rebuild the river by the time it reaches the top of the canyon, so the river is more like a small stream where it enters the gorge. As the river drops down the canyon, however, it intersects the bedrock layers where the underground river flows, and several large underground streams join and greatly amplify the flow. In the 2 kilometer walk from the top to the bottom of the canyon, the river increases in volume tenfold.

Maligne Canyon Falls is both the tallest waterfall in the canyon and maybe the best example of the drastically increasing depth of the gorge. The falls chute out of a keyhole slot in the gorge and plunge about 75 feet straight down, almost directly beneath the first bridge over the canyon. Just upstream from the bridge, the canyon is about 40 feet deep, but below the bridge, it is over 130 feet straight down. Just downstream from the bridge, the rim of the canyon narrows to as little as 2 feet wide (less than a meter) in some places. It’s literally narrow enough that if fencing weren’t lining the gorge, you could straddle the canyon (please don’t try this). At the second bridge a short distance downstream, the canyon reaches its maximum depth of 167 feet.

HISTORY AND NAMES

Maligne Canyon Falls is the Unofficial name of this waterfall

Our thoughts

Maligne Canyon isn't so much a destination worthy of visiting for its waterfalls, but it is among the epitomal examples of the slot canyons of the Canadian Rockies and because of its unique - and spectacular - geology coupled with its ease of access, its a destination that absolutely should not be missed. This waterfall, however, is quite scenic and provided one has wide enough lenses makes for some fantastic photographic opportunities.

Location and directions

Within Jasper National Park take the Yellowhead Highway east from the town of Jasper to the Maligne Lake Road and follow it for 6km to the signed parking area. The waterfall is found immediately below the 1st bridge along the trail, not more than a minute from the parking lot.

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Maligne Canyon Falls is shown in the center. The 10 closest waterfalls within a 8km radius are shown as well (if any). Click any icon or see the list below for more information.

Additional Nearby Waterfalls

Name of Waterfall	Distance
Upper Maligne Canyon Falls	0.07 mi / 0.12 km
Lower Maligne Canyon Falls	0.18 mi / 0.29 km
Fan Falls	0.44 mi / 0.7 km

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Photography tips

Because of the extreme angle one must look down upon the falls from, photographing the waterfall in the context of the canyon is almost impossible without a super wide angle lens or shooting with a stitched panorama in mind. The falls occur within a very dark section of the canyon, so visiting with even light is most conducive to good photographic results.

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Maligne Canyon Falls Alberta, Canada