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Lake
Louise
is a hub for the best hikes in the
Canadian Rockies
because of its central location and its proximity to the Great Divide
– the
tallest glacier-clad peaks. Trails in the area start at high
elevation, so you
quickly arrive at open
views
and
rewarding scenery!
To
get the stories behind the scenery, book a walk or hike with Great
Divide Nature Interpretation. Our many fabulous TripAdvisor reviews say it all.
Not
just a simple list of the top ten hiking trails, we
have given you the "Top 9 1/2," which turns out to be longer than you
might think...
1.
The Plain of Six Glaciers Teahouse
and Viewpoint
The "Plain of Six" is probably the most famous
Lake
Louise hike, and for good reason. No other trail gives you so much
satisfaction for
a moderate effort.
Starting at the Chateau Lake Louise, the path
follows the lakeshore and continues to the back of the valley where the
views just get better and better. Glaciers, vaulting peaks, avalanche
paths, high mountain wildlife and a possible teahouse visit are all on
the menu.
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Moderate
full day hike
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12-14 km
(7.5-8.5 mi) return trip
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365 m (1200
ft) elevation gain
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Banff National Park
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Note: this
trail is busy and also used for horseback riding trips.
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On private trips, we offer a special
geology theme hike to the
Plain of Six Glaciers.
2. Helen
Lake
The Helen Lake trail, off the Icefields Parkway,
takes
you into some of the most extensive alpine meadows in Banff.
Wildflowers cover the ground from mid-July to mid-August. There are
wonderful views of the Crowfoot Glacier and Dolomite Peak, and a good
chance you'll see marmots.
For stronger hikers the trail continues to
Helen Lake headwall where glimpses of the Wapta Icefield can be had.
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Moderate
full day hike
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12 km (7.5
mi) return trip
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457 m (1500
ft) elevation gain
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Banff National Park
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On private trips, we offer a special
grizzly bear theme hike to
Helen Lake (July 25 to August 15).
3. Paget
Lookout
Located right on the Great Divide, the old Paget
fire
lookout boasts impressive views of the surrounding peaks,
including one of the biggest drops in the Canadian Rockies - the north
face of Mt. Stephen.
The trail winds its way up through a varied
subalpine forest and across avalanche paths, ending high above the
valley. This is a quiet, beautiful trail perfect for those seeking
solitude.
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Moderate
full day hike
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7 km (4.5
mi) return trip
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518 m (1700
ft) elevation gain
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Yoho National Park
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Fondue with a View
available
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On private trips, we offer a special co-evolution theme
hike to
Paget Lookout.
3½.
Sherbrooke Lake
Despite its short length, Sherbrooke Lake is a
quiet
trail with a wilderness feel. The lake's aquamarine waters
are fed by the Wapta Icefield and the forest has many stories to tell -
of past fires, powerful winds and grizzly bear life.
Because of the
wide variety of habitats along the way, the trail boasts an amazing
diversity of wildflowers in mid-summer. A must-do trail for flower
lovers.
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Easy
half day hike
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6 km (4 mi)
return trip
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190 m (630
ft) elevation gain
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Yoho National Park
4. The
Valley of Ten Peaks
The
famous Valley of Ten Peaks surrounding Moraine
Lake is seen to its best advantage on this trail. All ten summits, each
over 10,000 feet high, loom over the Wenkchemna glacier below. The
trail crosses meadows filled with wildflowers during the mid-summer
season. This trail is also referred to as the Eiffel Lake trail,
but the spectacular mountain views are what really
count.
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Moderate
full day hike
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9-11 km
(6-7 mi) round trip
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365 m (1200
ft) elevation gain
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Banff National Park
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Current
park regulations may
require a
group size of 4 or more people on this trail due to grizzly bear
activity.
5. Bow Glacier Falls
If you
love water, this is the trail for you! A slot canyon, old
moraines, blue glaciers, braided
streams, beautiful Bow Lake and spectacular Bow Glacier Falls all
combine to create a lot of scenic beauty.
With little effort you can make it to the
viewpoint in front of the falls, or you can take on
the "adventure" of crossing a
rocky landscape to reach the waterfall itself. A good family
trail.
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Easy
full day hike
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8-10 km
(5-6 mi) round trip
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152m (500
ft) elevation gain
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Banff National Park
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private trips, we offer a special
wonder of water theme hike at
Bow Glacier Falls.
6. Bow Summit Lookout
Another great family trail, but this time it's all
about
the alpine - alpine meadows, alpine flowers and alpine wildlife! Bow
Summit is the highest place you can drive to in the park and so the
trail quickly gets you above the trees and to expansive views,
including two of the most famous lakes along the Icefields Parkway:
Peyto Lake and Bow Lake.
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Easy
full day hike
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6.5 km (4
mi) round trip
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245 m (805
ft) elevation gain
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Banff National Park
7. Stanley Glacier
As of 2003, the Stanley Glacier trail has become
one of
the most interesting day hikes in the Rockies. A wildfire set the
ecological clock back in time. The result is surprisingly
beautiful!
Flowers bloom prolifically in the newly fertilized
soil, their
brilliant colours standing out against a black background. Unusual
plants like liverworts thrive and each trip yields new surprises. The
trail leads from fire to ice, ending in a dramatic setting with the
Stanley Glacier hanging above.
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moderate
full day hike
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8.4 km (5.5
mi) return trip
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365 m (1200
ft) elevation gain
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Kootenay National Park
7½.
Stanley Glacier Valley
The Stanley Glacier trail can be done as a half
day trip
that still features fire, flowers and fine views of the glacier.
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Moderate
half day hike
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6 km (4 mi)
return trip
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230 m (750
ft) elevation gain
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Yoho National Park
8. The Lake
O'Hara Area
This
is a lovely hiking destination in Yoho National Park, but extra effort
is required to get
there.
Lake O'Hara concentrates many of the best features
of the
Canadian Rockies - towering peaks, alpine lakes, larch
groves,
rock gardens - into a small area. Animals that specialize in
the
high alpine are often seen: dippers, pikas, marmots and sometimes goats.
Lake O'Hara Hiking On Your Own
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Lake O'Hara
is only available by making bus reservations. This destination is so
"in demand" that you must make reservations 3 months in advance - to
the day! Guided trips, however, can be arranged with less
advance
planning (see below).
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Season runs
from about June 18 to October 6, varying slightly from year to year.
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There are modest fees to make a bus reservation.
Group size is limited to six.
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The phone
number for reservations is 250-343-6433, Monday to Friday. They open at
8 am Mountain Time. The phone will ring busy, so plan to redial many
times until you get through.
Lake O'Hara Guided Hiking Trips
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In Lake
O'Hara, we take only full day private
hikes. There
is a group limit of 4 people, plus guide.
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Season runs
from July 1 to September 30.
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Lake O'Hara is a hiking destination, not a sightseeing
destination. Even the most moderate full day hike involves walking in
rocky, uneven terrain. Good footwear is essential.
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Note that we cannot absolutely guarantee that O'Hara will be our
destination for the day. Please email us
for more information.
8½.
Consolation Lake
This pretty and short trail seems to capture young
kid's imaginations. It
begins at one exquisite mountain lake — Moraine — and ends
at another — Consolation. The forest in between is
filled with a magical miniature world of lichens, mushrooms,
moss-covered logs, grouseberry and maybe
even... grouse!
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Easy
half day hike
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6 km (4 mi)
return trip
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90 m (300
ft) elevation gain
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Banff National Park
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Current
park regulations may
require a
group size of 4 or more people on this trail due to grizzly bear
activity.
9. Lake Agnes and the Beehives
This wide and well-graded trail through old-growth
forest
gives way to expansive views of the mountains above Lake Louise. In
fall, larch trees turn vivid gold, lighting up possible longer trips to
the
Big or Little Beehive — or both!
These trails can also be
connected to the Plain of Six Glaciers for an even bigger day that does
the Lake Louise Valley in full.
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Lake
Agnes: moderate half day hike, 7 km (4.5 mi) round trip, 390 m (1280
ft) elevation gain
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Little
Beehive: moderate full day hike, 9 km (5.5 mi) round trip, 510 m (1680
ft) elevation gain
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Big
Beehive: moderate full day hike, 10 km (6 mi) round trip, 540 m (1770
ft) elevation gain
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Banff National Park
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Note: the
trail to Lake Agnes is busy and the upper sections also used for
horseback trips. The Big Beehive trip can avoid most of the horse use.
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We don't often stop in at the Lake Agnes teahouse unless the weather is
poor. The Beehives provide more dramatic lunch spots and
there is not enough time on a short half day hike to Lake Agnes alone.
9½.
Emerald Lake
Emerald Lake is another jewel of the Canadian
Rockies,
and is one of the few lakes with a trail all the way around it. Thanks
to its position on the west side of the Great Divide in Yoho National
Park, a 360 degree tour of Emerald yields up four very different
environments: a huge avalanche path, the normal forest, a dry and
dramatic alluvial fan and the towering trees of the coastal rainforest.
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Easy half day walk
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5 km (3 mi)
return trip
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no
elevation gain
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Yoho National Park
To
book or for more
information e-mail
us now.
Or use our toll free number: 1-866-522-2735.
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