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Medicine Lake Landscape, Jasper National Park, Canada

Golden trees and grass lining either side of a trail around Medicine Lake with a swath of bare trees and tall mountains in the background, Jasper National Park
Rebecca Latson
Thursday, November 30, 2023

"Approximately 20 km (12 mi) southeast of Jasper townsite in Jasper National Park, Medicine Lake is part of the Maligne Valley watershed. Approximately 7 km (4.3 mi) long, it is famous for its disappearing water. In summer, it looks like a normal alpine lake but in fall and winter the water disappears and it becomes not much more than a mudflat. Think of pulling the plug in the bathtub – the water that pours into the lake from the Maligne River drains out through sinkholes in the bottom, travelling through a cave system and resurfacing 16 km (10 mi) downstream."

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