Patricia & Pyramid Lakes and the Overlook Loop Trail (Jasper)

Patricia and Pyramid Lakes are located just north of the town of Jasper. To find them, follow the Pyramid Lake Road from town. The road dead ends at the Pyramid Lake, which has a small island you can walk out to and explore via a footbridge. Both lakes are scenic and backed by mountains, including the rust colored Pyramid Mountain. They are a good place to look for waterfowl. There is a side road that heads off to the left at the beginning of Pyramid Lake that takes you back to a beach and picnic area. You can rent canoes or paddle boats on Pyramid Lake. The areas behind Patricia and Pyramid Lakes is a wildlife areas that is closed to all human travel, so be aware of this restriction and heed signage.

Lake Patricia from above

Parks Canada offers red Adirondack chairs at numerous scenic spots in both Jasper & Banff

In 1943, Patricia Lake was the site of a bizarre WWII project known as Operation Habakuk, which attempted, unsuccessfully, to build a prototype aircraft carrier out of ice and sawdust. The plan was abandoned when the ship, unsurprisingly, melted and the wooden supports sunk to the bottom of the lake, where they remain a favorite haunt of visiting scuba divers.

The Overlook Trail climbs above both lakes

The Overlook Loop Trail starts from the final parking lot along the Pyramid Lake Road. The trail is 5.3 km and has 225 ft elevation change. The trail climbs steadily through a thick, lush forest until reaching the high point where views of the two lakes and the surrounding mountains are ample reward for your effort. As you continue along the ridge, you will have a great view of Jasper town, with Whistlers Mountain standing sentinel along with a myriad of other peaks. The Canada Park Service: “This loop accesses one of the best views in the area. High above town, the Miette, Maligne and Athabasca valleys welcome you.” The trail then continues through forest and back down to the level of the lakes. We saw elk on our drive up to the trailhead.