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Visitors to Medicine Lake in Jasper National Park may think they’re looking at a typical mountain lake, but there is a lot going on under the surface. This 7-km-long (4.3 mi) lake is famous for its disappearing waters. The lake sits 20 km (12 mi) southeast of the Jasper townsite. It also sits atop an underground limestone cave system that continually drains its waters. As long as meltwater pours in from the Maligne Valley watershed, the lake pools up. But as the snowmelt slackens in fall, the lake begins to drain. The water flows through the underground caves and emerges 16 km (10 mi) downstream. Eventually, the lake isn’t much more than a mudflat until the following spring. At the height of summer, Medicine Lake is a great place to swim, paddle and fish. You’d never know it had a hole in it. It’s ideal for families, but maybe not for those people with an enduring fear of going down the drain with the bathwater.
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