Opal Hills Trail: Amazing Hike in Jasper National Park
Opal Hills Trail is among the best day hikes in Jasper National Park in the Canadian Rockies. Read our Opal Hills Trail hiking guide featuring what to expect, loop description, length, difficulty, trailhead, how to get, and tips on what to pack and where to stay.
Jasper National Park is one of the most beautiful places in the world, and all outdoor lovers and hikers will for sure appreciate the excellent trails this part of the Canadian Rockies has to offer.
Generally, the area around Maligne Lake is absolutely stunning. If you plan your Canadian Rockies itinerary, make sure you will allocate at least one day to explore Maligne Canyon fully, enjoy vistas over Maligne Lake, and do at least one hike.
Although the possibilities are for sure endless, once you're in the area, we would like to inspire you to hike Opal Hills Trail, one of the most rewarding treks in the Rockies.
There are many top day hikes in Jasper, Sulphur Skyline Trail is also very popular, but Opal Hills Loop, despite the incline, is a great option for everyone looking for a short half-day program and incredible views.
Because Jasper National Park offers a wide range of activities and places that are worth visiting, Opal Hills Trail is actually a bit overlooked, although the trailhead starts only several meters away from the super-busy shore of Maligne Lake.
As nowadays, more than ever, we appreciate traveling the lesser-known paths and avoiding crowds.
We do not take it for granted, and we are always super-grateful to find a place like this one - picturesque, wild, a place that allows us to reconnect with nature.
Here's our hiking guide on Opal Hills Trail, where you can read more in-depth information on difficulty, bear situation; we will share our experience from the hike, tips on what to pack, and where to find a hotel in Jasper.
OPAL HILLS HIKE TRAILHEAD
To get to the Opal Hills trailhead, drive for a while from Jasper along Yellowhead Highway, and then turn right to the Maligne Lake Road.
Follow the picturesque drive to the very end. In approximately one hour, you should arrive in the Maligne parking lot; parking is free.
The Opal Hills Trek trailhead starts on the top parking lot at its northeast corner.
Getting to the trailhead without a rental car is quite complicated as there's no public transport available, so your best bet, in case you do not drive, is to join a fellow traveler looking for a company (the best place to find friends are hostels).
Another option is to join Maligne Valley Tour that allows you to explore the area more thoroughly.
After the tour finishes, you could hike the Opal Hills Loop, and to get back to Jasper, you would either need to hitchhike or call a cab.
This alternative is far from perfect though, and renting a car makes more sense.
LENGTH
Opal Hills loop is 8 kilometers long trail that you should be able to finish in three to five hours. Because Opal Hills hike is relatively short, it is a great and rewarding activity for anyone who wants to spend all day in the Maligne area.
It is absolutely doable to see Maligne Canyon, Maligne Lake, and do Opal Hills trek in one day, in case your itinerary is packed. If you want to extend the hike, it is also possible because there are more trails nearby.
DIFFICULTY
Opal Hills Trail is a moderately challenging hike that is, according to us, doable by all types of travelers, and no special preparation is needed.
The first half of the hike goes straight up (elevation gain is 450 meters), but if you set your pace and walk slowly and steadily, we do not see why you should not finish it. The second half of the path leads back to the parking lot and descends all the way back.
The highest point of the trail is at an altitude of 2200 meters above sea level.
BEAR SAFETY
Be aware that Grizzly Bears frequently traffic this area, ask at the information center in Jasper how is the current situation, sometimes the trail may be closed when the bear activity is high.
Bears are most commonly to be seen in the berry season between June and August, which coincides with the main tourist season.
You can find an information board outside the Jasper visitor center with the most up-to-date information on where and when bears were spotted last time.
Buy bear spray (this is a must when hiking in the Rockies) and try to avoid the encounter with a bear as much as you can. Remember you are only a visitor in bear country.
When hiking, make noise (sing, talk loudly to avoid an encounter with a bear) and walk in a larger party of at least three people.
Travel Insurance
We never leave home without travel insurance that was designed to cover our expenses if something goes wrong during the trip.
Travel insurance protects against theft, flight delays, injury, illness, cancellations, and much more.
World Nomads provides travel insurance for travelers to cover their trip essentials, including sports and adventure activities.
SafetyWing is affordable travel insurance for backpackers, long-term travelers, and digital nomads.
Travel smarter and safer!
OPAL HILLS HIKE
The very beginning of the Opal Hills trek is an easy walk across a meadow, but do not be fooled. You will have to deserve the beautiful views as the profile changes rapidly.
After passing the warning sign telling us we should be aware of bears in the area, we continued straight until we found ourselves at an intersection where is the official start of the Opal Hills hike (until this point, the trail is shared with Mary Schaffer Loop).
From this point, we kept on the right side and climbed this trek counter-clockwise.
You can choose what direction you want to hike the trail, but as it is a loop, it really does not matter; both parts of the circle were similarly steep. The path started to ascend steeply, and we gained 466 meters very quickly.
This part of the hike is really not that easy. We breathed quite heavily here, but hold on, if you're moderately fit, you should be able to reach the open valley in less than one hour.
Finally, we emerged on the meadow fringed by the mountains on the right side.
This part of the trek was the most beautiful and the easiest to walk on, and we could finally see that the hard work paid off.
With no trees and only bushes, berry patches, and wildflower around, we continued along the clearly visible pathway, and at the end, we could see the path turning slowly to the left and back to the forest.
At this point, we had to leave the beautiful meadow and started the descent back to the parking lot.
After a few kilometers, we reached the intersection where we initially turned right and returned the same way to the parking lot.
Although the hike is close to the famous Maligne Lake and Maligne Canyon, we were surprised that we met only a few people along the trail, as the views were absolutely breathtaking.
WHERE TO STAY IN JASPER
The closest town from the Opal Hills Loop is Jasper, a base for many travelers visiting Jasper National Park.
Because of its popularity and considerably small size, if you plan on traveling to the national park, it is necessary to make a reservation well in advance, especially in the main season between May and October.
We've handpicked the three best accommodation options for every traveler.
Budget | Mount Robson Inn - It is almost impossible to find budget accommodation in the Canadian Rockies when not camping. This hotel is reasonably priced and offers clean facilities and excellent breakfast.
Mid-range | Jasper Inn and Suites - Convenient location, indoor pool, onsite restaurant, and clean and tidy rooms should convince you to stay here.
Luxury | Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge - You will hardly find better accommodation in Jasper. Beautiful surroundings, comfortable rooms, and great service are the main reasons to stay here.
WHAT TO PACK
Opal Hills Trail is an 8 kilometers loop, and although it should not take you more than a half-day to finish it, the weather in the Canadian Rockies is unpredictable, and you should come well-prepared.
Here are several essential things you should bring along when hiking Opal Hills Trail.
We never set off without a good daypack. For a day hike, bring along a smaller backpack where you can fit extra layers, water, a camera, bear spray, and a snack.
We wore hiking boots for every single hike in the Canadian mountains as it is much comfortable than classic sneakers.
A rain jacket is a must-have, no matter how promising the weather forecast looks.
We found trekking poles extremely helpful as the Opal Hills Trail goes first steeply up and then down, so it is comfortable to use them to protect your knees.
If there's a gear you should not forget, it is a reusable water bottle to stay hydrated. Avoid single-use plastic bottles to reduce your plastic footprint.
Last but not least. Opal Hills Trail is known for bear activity, especially in the berry season between June and August. For safety reasons, having bear spray is a must.
WHEN TO GO
As we've already mentioned, the real hiking season in the Canadian Rockies is June to September.
Outside these months, the weather can turn either way, same as anywhere else in the mountains; the only difference here is that the road to Maligne Lake can be blocked by snow, sometimes even from late October to early May.
Always ask in the info center about current conditions and check the weather forecast.
The Opal Hills trail features one of the most beautiful wildflowers in the Canadian Rockies. The best time to see it will probably be late June and July, so if you can, plan your visit accordingly.
If you want to see flowers in bloom, plan your visit for the early summer, but the meadow is very picturesque any time of the year.
We visited this area in early September and were not disappointed at all, although the flowers were no longer blooming.
Travel Resources
Here you can find links to all the travel resources we use and which you might find helpful when planning your next holiday.
Accommodation: When looking for accommodation, we usually search hotels via Booking.com or Hostelworld.
Tours: Although we love to travel independently, some places are better to visit with a guided tour.
We prefer GetYourGuide for its easy-to-use interface and solid reputation. Another great alternative is Viator.
Rental Cars: When going on a road trip, we always use Rentalcars.com, a reliable site for booking a rental car in advance.
Flight Tickets: When looking for flight tickets, you can search Skyscanner to find the best price.
Travel Insurance: World Nomads and SafetyWing cover against risks of travel.
