Please note: We do not accept credit cards, nor do we require a deposit.
Payment methods we do accept:
Or, for Canadian bank account holders only: electronic funds transfer (e-payment).
American guests can also pay in U.S. Dollars (cash or check) at current exchange rates.
A portion of our profit is donated to wildlife and wilderness conservation.
If you have to cancel your hike, please let us know as soon as possible! Last minute cancellations are a big challenge for a small, personal business like ours. There is no cancellation fee, but we really appreciate your consideration.
We expect you to be prepared to hike in overcast and light rain situations. Surprisingly, these are often among the best days for hiking! Clouds swirl around and cool temperatures make exercise a pleasure.
In the case of truly horrible weather, you can cancel without penalty at the last minute. But please wait until the morning of the hike! We’re not kidding… the weather forecast can be quite wrong even the night before.
There is no official weather forecast for Lake Louise (the Weather Network one is a fiction). Your best choice is Environment Canada’s Yoho National Park forecast – just make it one or two degrees cooler.
After many years, we have one strong piece of advice: planning your trip around weather forecasts here is not worth your time. The forecasts cannot be relied upon even one day in advance. Mountain weather changes very quickly.
The good news is that our rain is most often light – falling for short periods of time, on and off. A torrential, long-lasting downpour is rare.
Your safety is our concern. We have wilderness first aid training and carry on all trips a radio, first-aid kit and bear spray.
All participants are required to sign a waiver releasing Great Divide Nature Interpretation from liability before the trip begins. We recommend you read our waiver before making a booking.
Great Divide is insured and is licensed to operate by Parks Canada. We suggest you review their wildlife safety information.
You must purchase a national park pass – the entry fee for the national parks. In the event of an emergency on the trail, this park pass covers the cost of a rescue. Passes can be purchased at park gates or visitor centres when you arrive, or, online ahead of time. Note that these passes are valid for all the mountain national parks at the same time (Banff, Yoho, Kootenay, Jasper, Waterton Lakes, Mt. Revelstoke-Glacier).
A small amount of extra equipment is available: some clothing, hiking poles and packs.
Most hotels will pack a lunch for you. Specify that you’d like it to fit into a pack and to withstand some crushing. In Lake Louise we recommend Laggan’s Mountain Deli (403-522-2017) or Trailhead Café (403-522-2006). And in Banff, there are lots of coffee shops and sandwich places, and two grocery stores.
Mountain weather can change a lot in the course of a day – literally from summer-like to winter-like conditions. “Dressing in layers” allows you to quickly adjust clothing to maintain comfort. Our best suggestions:
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Bring a winter hat & mitts – we’re not kidding!
Now… maybe you’ll be here for a stretch of great summer weather and you’ll think “These crazy people made me carry this stuff for no reason! What were they thinking?” But, mitts and a hat are good, lightweight insurance for mountain weather.
Buying Hiking Boots
Because hiking boots are really important to us, we’ve thought a lot about how to buy boots. Here’s our tips.
My home, Banff National Park, is part of the traditional territory of the people of the Blackfoot Confederacy, the Stoney Nakoda Nation, the Tsuut'ina, and the Ktunaxa. It is my commitment to honour these original people, and to assist in achieving the calls to action of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.
