Banff National Park

Moraine Lake Road is closed to private vehicles year-round. This is the fact that catches most first-time Banff visitors unprepared. To reach one of the most photographed lakes in Canada – the one that was on the old $20 bill, the one that appears in roughly 40% of Banff Instagram content – you must take a shuttle bus. The Parks Canada shuttle runs from June 1 through October 12; reservations open April 15 and a portion of seats are released 48 hours before departure. Getting to Moraine Lake requires planning ahead, not showing up.

Banff National Park, established in 1885 as Canada’s first national park, spans 6,641 square kilometres of Canadian Rocky Mountain wilderness in Alberta. The turquoise glacial lakes, mountain wildlife, and 1,600 km of hiking trails draw over 4 million visitors per year, making it one of the most visited national parks in the world and, in high summer, one of the most congested.

The Lakes

Lake Louise is the centrepiece: turquoise water fed by glacial meltwater, the Victoria Glacier rising at the far end, and the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise on the shore. The lakeshore walk is flat and easy. The Plain of Six Glaciers trail above the lake offers progressively better views and ends at a teahouse at 2,070 metres. A shuttle bus manages vehicle access to reduce congestion; same booking principle as Moraine Lake.

Moraine Lake, 14 km from Lake Louise, is more dramatically beautiful – the Valley of the Ten Peaks rising directly behind the lake’s blue-green water. The colour, like Lake Louise, comes from rock flour suspended in glacial meltwater scattering blue-green light. The Rock Pile trail at the near end takes 20 minutes and gives the elevated classic view. Book the shuttle early.

Peyto Lake, accessible via a short walk off the Icefields Parkway, gives a bird’s-eye view over a turquoise lake shaped like a wolf’s head from the overlook above. One of the better easy viewpoints on the Parkway.

The Icefields Parkway

Highway 93 North runs 230 km from Lake Louise to Jasper, passing the Columbia Icefield, Athabasca Glacier, Bow Lake, and Peyto Lake. It is one of the genuinely great mountain drives, but it is not a race: stop constantly. The Athabasca Glacier has retreated about 1.5 km since 1844 and lost half its volume; the recession markers along the road are worth reading and give the most direct available evidence of what the climate has done here.

Wildlife

Banff has grizzly bears, black bears, elk, moose, bighorn sheep, and mountain goats. The Bow Valley Parkway between Banff town and Lake Louise is the most reliable wildlife corridor; early morning and dusk are peak viewing times. Maintain 25 metres from most animals and 100 metres from bears. Bear spray rental is available at the visitor centre.

Where to Eat and Stay

The Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel, a Scottish baronial style building from 1888, is the anchor luxury property in the town of Banff. The Rimrock Resort Hotel perches on a hill above town with better views. Mid-range hotels line Banff Avenue and book out quickly in summer.

Banff Avenue Brewing Company on the main street serves solid craft beer and pub food at reasonable prices. For anything more serious in the town of Banff itself, the dining options are functional rather than exceptional – plan a special meal at the Chateau Lake Louise rather than in town.

Practical Notes

A Parks Canada Discovery Pass covers entrance to all national parks: CAD 75 for individuals, CAD 145 for families. Worth it for any visit over two days.

October is underrated: the summer crowds have gone, the larch trees in the backcountry turn gold around mid-month, and the wildlife is active. The larches in the Larch Valley above Moraine Lake are one of the more striking autumn spectacles in North America – and the shuttle for Moraine Lake is less contested than in August.