For the parking lot for hiking, make sure to go to the second lot that is at the end of Maligne Lake Road. You will pass the first parking lot, which is for the Lodge, Chalet, and boat cruise docks. Once you park, there are signs that point you in the direction to Bald Hills. There are multiple routes to get to the top. You can also complete two loops for a figure 8 to traverse all the paths. Doing all of those trails will add another 3 kilometers or approximately 2 miles to the hike. I took the most direct path to the summit up and the same direct route back down to the parking lot. The hike begins on an old fire road. At approximately 2.2 km (1.4 miles) on the path, it splits. The sharp left is a steeper 1 km (0.6 miles) trail up to the lookout point to see the Lake. You can continue on the fire road where the incline is more gradual but much longer. However, the steeper route is not overly steep. Moreover, there are a lot of tree roots that help with providing footing and keeping the ground together. Although it rained hard the day before my hike, I did not feel the trail was slick at all. That route also provides great views of the Lake as you ascend up to the Bald Hills. You can hike up one side on the trail and down the other side. However, I preferred to go on the shorter route with the views of the Lake. It took me an hour to hike to the Lookout point from the parking lot with this route.
After the lookout point, it is another 0.5 km (0.3 miles) before the trail splits into two directions again. It is the second loop. Either direction will get you to the summit. I went left (clockwise). From the lookout point, it was approximately another 2 km and took another hour to get to the summit. The trail is relatively flat on the Bald Hills before you take one of two sharp right turns to get to the summit. You will also see why it is called Bald Hills. On the way up, there are a lot of pine trees. At the top, there are no trees on the rolling hills. Accordingly, the hills are bald because there are no trees. The ridge line at the summit is rocky and there are some loose rocks. Consequently, it requires some minor rock scrambling. Moreover, there was a dusting of snow on the Hills and the summit in late August from recent flurries. Definitely be alert and make sure you are stepping on solid ground as you proceed towards the summit. In addition, definitely bring a jacket with you if you decide to hike to the summit. It can be very windy and cold at the top. My hands were frozen stiff even though I kept them in my pockets. If the skies are clear, the summit provides incredible panoramic views of Jasper National Park.
I went early in the morning to beat the crowds and have the trails basically to myself on the way up. I walked passed the crowds hiking up as I descended on the trails. On that morning, low lying clouds entered the mountains and valleys. Once they get stuck, they do not really dissipate until 2 PM in the afternoon. I sat at the summit for half an hour hoping that the clouds would clear for a moment so I could get a clear view of the Lake and the surrounding mountains. They partially opened up briefly for a decent view but I did not get the spectacular view I coveted. On other hand, the clouds did part for a brief moment on another side so that I got a view into the valley that Maligne Lake Road cuts through. Regardless, most of the panoramic views were blocked or partially obstructed by clouds. Accordingly, it may not be worth the hike up to the summit if low lying clouds are present since it is above the cloud line. In that situation, the lookout point is good enough unless you just want to complete the hike or want to roll the dice that the clouds clear or open up for a moment when you are at the top.
It took me 4 hours for the round trip hike to the summit. However, I sat at the top for 30 minutes. I could have completed the hike in 3 1/2 hours. It would have taken me half the time to only do a round trip to the lookout point.
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