I normally wouldn’t write a full blog post on such a short hike, but the Beauty Creek to Stanley Falls hike is so beautiful and so much fun, I felt compelled to share it with you. In just 2 km (one-way) this Jasper hike packs in a ton of mountain scenery, before turning uphill to follow Beauty Creek up a tight slot canyon. On the way to Stanley Falls, you’ll pass an endless stream of beautiful waterfalls.
The Beauty Creek to Stanley Falls trail is like a mash-up of the very popular Johnston Canyon and Marble Canyon attractions, but without the crowds! It’s an amazing hike and one I’d highly recommend for people travelling along the Icefields Parkway!
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Beauty Creek to Stanley Falls Trail Highlights
The hike to Stanley Falls begins alongside Beauty Creek, with Tangle Ridge (3,001 m) looming up high above on the right. It’s a very scenic way to start the hike, walking along a tranquil river looking up the Sunwapta River valley with towering mountains as far as the eye can see.
After a few hundred meters the trail turns right at a junction. The trail here was paved once, suggesting that it used to have a bigger prominence in Jasper National Park than it does today. When we hiked the trail in mid-August, this stretch had thousands of Hippy on a Stick flowers (Western anemone) lining the sides of the trail – I’ve never seen so many of them at once!
Looking ahead to Tangle Ridge, there’s a massive waterfall in the distance ahead of the trail. Across the highway, Stutfield East (3,442 m) looks majestic across highway as well. Even if all you do is this flat part of the hike, it’s worth it – the scenery is so impressive.
But, if you have the time and ability, I highly recommend turning left at the 0.7 km / 0.4 miles mark to begin the ascent up to Stanley Falls. Here the trail starts following Beauty Creek as it runs through a stunning & dramatic slot canyon. The trail can be pretty steep in spots, but it’s not very far to Stanley Falls, so it’s worth the effort, even if you need to take many breaks.
It doesn’t take long before you hear the first powerful waterfall next to the trail. There are little spur trails you can take to get a better look at the waterfalls along the Beauty Creek to Stanley Falls trail.
The waterfalls along Beauty Creek come fast and furious, one after the other. It’s really amazing that this hike isn’t more popular than it is – these waterfalls are stunning! And there’s so many of them!
And before you know it, the hiking trail arrives at Stanley Falls – the tallest waterfall along Beauty Creek on this hike. It’s a dramatic straight freefall waterfall, and is easily worth the effort to see it. I recommend continuing on a little, as you can see the Stanley Falls from the side as well.
There are very few 4 km / 2.4 mile hikes which pack so much scenery and fun into such a short distance! I’m so glad we stopped on here on our trip up the Icefields Parkway to Jasper!
Beauty Creek to Stanley Falls Trailhead
The Beauty Creek to Stanley Falls trailhead is on the east side of the parking lot along the Icefields Parkway. The parking lot is really small, with room for roughly 10 cars, so arrive early to secure a spot.
The Beauty Creek to Stanley Falls parking lot is just 12 minutes from the Columbia Icefield, but it’s a bit of a drive if you are coming from elsewhere. It’s 1 hour from Jasper, 105 minutes from Lake Louise and 2 hours and 20 minutes from Banff.
Don’t let the length of the drive scare you off – the Icefields Parkway is one of the most scenic drives in the world! To learn more, check out our complete guide to the Icefields Parkway.
Directions to Beauty Creek to Stanley Falls Parking Lot
For long drives in Banff and Jasper National Park, we recommend picking up the GuideAlong audio driving tour. It’s one of our favorite apps for visiting Banff as it’s very entertaining and full of great info on the Icefields Parkway!
Recommended App
This GPS activated Canadian Rockies Audio Driving Tour is the perfect companion to your Banff vacation. It’s both entertaining and educational and will greatly enhance any drive in Banff National Park.
Beauty Creek to Stanley Falls Hike Stats
How Long is the Beauty Creek to Stanley Falls Hike?
The round-trip distance of the hike to Stanley Falls is 3.9 km / 2.4 miles (one-way distance of 1.95 km).
How Hard is the Hike to Stanley Falls?
Despite a bit of a steep trail at the end, we rate the Beauty Creek to Stanley Falls as “easy”.
At 3.9 km / 2.4 miles return, the Beauty Creek hike to Stanley Falls is not very long, but where some hikers may have difficulty is when the trail turns to follow Beauty Creek. Over the course of 1 km / 0.6 miles , the trail gains 125 m / 420 feet in elevation. That’s a 12% average incline, which will get your heart pumping a bit. That said, this is still an easy Jasper hike and it should be a doable hike for nearly everyone.
How Long Does the Beauty Creek Hike Take?
It should take a typical adult about 70 minutes to enjoy the hike up Beauty Creek to Stanley Falls. We recently did this hike with our two kids (12 and 10 years old) during our two night stay at the Glacier View Lodge near the Columbia Icefield Adventure, and it took us 58 minutes.
Read More
The Parker Ridge hike is one of the most scenic hikes in Banff National Park. It’s just 20 minutes away from Beauty Creek, so you can combine the two in a single day. Get all the details in our post on the Parker Ridge hike.
Beauty Creek to Stanley Falls Trail Map
The Beauty Creek to Stanley Falls hiking trail isn’t the most well-marked trail in Jasper National Park. There are several trail junctions along the way, so having a trail map on your phone is not a bad idea.
To find the trail map in the AllTrails app, simply click here for the “Beauty Creek to Stanley Falls Trail”. There is no reliable cell service along the Icefields Parkway, so be sure to download your trail map prior to leaving.
A recent App of the Year winner, AllTrails is also one of the best apps for visiting Banff! Enjoy map downloads and many more premium features with a 7-day free trial of AllTrails+!
Hiking The Beauty Creek Trail with Kids
If you are visiting Banff with kids, this is a highly enjoyable hike for the entire family. The first half of the hike is super-easy and wide open, giving your kids plenty of room to run around and have fun, while you soak in the mountain views. Then, the uphill section to Stanley Falls is so scenic and so much fun, your kids won’t even notice the effort!
Our kids (10 & 12) had a ton of fun the last time we hiked Beauty Creek to Stanley Falls with them. At this age, they tend to grumble about going on a family hike, but they didn’t complain at all on this hike – they were having too much fun!
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The Canadian Rockies are full of amazing family hikes. If you’d like more suggestions, don’t miss these the best Banff day-hikes with kids and the best easy hikes in Jasper.
Beauty Creek to Stanley Falls Hiking Safety
Your biggest safety concern on this fun Jasper hike is the lack of guard rails along the slot canyon. There are many little spur trails which take you to the edge of the slot canyon for a better view of the waterfalls – the drop to the bottom can be quite high at spots, so watch your step carefully.
Wildlife Safety
When hiking in Banff National Park, you are responsible for your own safety. Before hitting the hiking trails we highly recommend you read our Essential Banff Hiking Tips for information about bear safety, trail conditions, wildlife warnings and possible closures.
Beauty Creek to Stanley Falls Trail Logistics
On-leash dogs are allowed on the Beauty Creek to Stanley Falls hike.
Mountain biking is not allowed.
There are no toilets in the parking lot.
You won’t get cell service for the entirety of your hike, so don’t count on it for your safety. Download your trail maps beforehand.
Read More
The Wilcox Ridge Viewpoint Hike is one of the most scenic hikes on the Icefields Parkway. It’s just 15 minutes away from Beauty Creek, so you can combine the two in a single day. Get all the details in our post on the Wilcox Ridge hike to the red chairs.
What to Bring for Hiking the Beauty Creek to Stanley Falls Trail
This Jasper hike is reasonably short, but as with any outing in the mountains, you should be prepared for any eventuality. Check out our list of Banff hiking essentials and Banff hiking clothes to get the most enjoyment out of your hike, regardless of the variable weather and trail conditions.
The Beauty Creek to Stanley Falls hike is short, but it packs in a ton of scenery in a short amount of time. It’s one of the most fun short hikes in Jasper National Park!
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Dan Brewer, a life-long Alberta resident, calls Canmore home along with his wife and two kids. He is the co-owner of Travel Banff Canada, where he gets to share his passion for the Canadian Rocky Mountains. Dan, along with his family, love being outdoors doing one of the many activities they enjoy in the mountains: hiking, mountain biking, paddleboarding, skiing, snowshoeing and cross-country skiing.
When he's not in Canmore enjoying one of his favourite local hikes, you can find him hoping on a plane to explore a new country with his family or working on one of their other two travel sites: Family Can Travel and Baby Can Travel.