10 EPIC Things to do at Moraine Lake, Canada +2022 Guide

Located in the heart of the Canadian Rocky Mountains, Moraine Lake is easily one of the best places to visit in Alberta. The water of the lake ... SkiptoContent 10EPICThingstodoatMoraineLake,Canada+2022Guide Home»DestinationGuides»NorthAmerica»Canada»Alberta»Banff»10EPICThingstodoatMoraineLake,Canada+2022Guide PostedonLastupdated:May28,2022 By:Authordestinationlesstravel CategoriesAlberta,Banff,Canada,DestinationGuides,NorthAmerica Thisblogmaycontainaffiliatelinks.Readourdisclosurepolicyformoreinfo. VisitingMoraineLakeiseasilyoneofthebestthingstodoinBanffNationalPark.It’sknownasoneofthemostpicturesquelakesinCanada–maybeeventheworld!Chancesare,you’veseenphotosofthisiconicplaceplasteredacrossInstagramorevenpostcards. Nobody candenythatMoraineLakeisbeautiful.Butbesidesenjoyingtheviewofthe turquoise lakeandtheTenPeaksinthebackground,whatelseistheretodoatMoraineLake?! Well,lotsactually! I’vebeentoMoraineLakemoretimesthanIcancount,andI’veexploredtheareathoroughly.Ican,withconfidence,tellyoutherearemorethingstodoatMoraineLakethanfirstmeetstheeye.Andinthisblog,I’lltellyouaboutthedifferentactivitiesyoucandoandplacestoexploreatMoraineLake! I’vealsoincludedatonofinfoyoureallyneedtoknowbeforeyougoincludinghowtogettoMoraineLake,whentovisit,wheretostay,andmore!Afterreadingthisblog,you’llbereadytovisitMoraineLakethissummer. TableOfContents AboutMoraineLake,CanadaTheBestTimetovisitMoraineLakeTheBestTimeofYeartoVisitMoraineLakeTheBestTimeofDaytoVisitMoraineLakeGettingtoMoraineLakeDrivingtoMoraineLakeandgettingparkingParksCanadaShuttle(ParkandRide)toMoraineLakeROAMTransit(PublicBus)OrganizedTour10ThingstodoatMoraineLake1.WalktheLakeshoreTrail 2.TakeintheviewsofthelakefromtheRockpile3.Canoe onthelake4.Enjoycoffeewithaview 5.HiketheLarchValley andSentinelPass6.EiffelLakeTrail7.Stay atMoraineLakeLodge 8.ScrambleuptheTowerofBabel9.WalktoConsolationLakes10.BicycletoMoraineLakeWheretoStaynearMoraineLakeHiAlpineCenterLakeLouiseInnFairmontChâteauLakeLouiseBeforeyougo… AboutMoraineLake,Canada Me,sittingattheRockpileatMoraineLake. LocatedintheheartoftheCanadianRockyMountains,MoraineLakeiseasilyoneofthebestplacestovisitinAlberta.Thewaterofthelakeisabrilliantbluecolor,andwiththeiconicTenPeaksasitsbackground,thislakeisnothingshortofbreathtaking.ItshouldcomeasnosurprisethatmosttouristsinCanada(orevenCanadiansthemselves)haveMoraineLakeontheirbucketlist. MoraineLakeislocatedonly14kilometers/8.9milesfromthevillageofLakeLouise,andassuch,itisoneofthebestthingstodoforthosevisitingLakeLouise.Thelakeislocatedat1,884meters/6181feetabovesealevel.YoucangettoitbydrivingMoraineLakeRoadwhenitisopenduringthesummermonths(typicallyfromtheendofMayuntilmid-October),oryoucanhikeorcycletheretoo. Visitingsuchapopularplacedoesn’tcomewithoutitschallengesthough,soit’simportantyouproperlyplanandpreparebeforeyougo.Firstandforemost,youmusthaveaplanforgettingtothelake.Parkingisanightmareandyourchancesofsnaggingaspotafter6amareslim.Besidesthat,theaccessroadisn’talwaysopeneither. Butnoneedtoworry,belowwehaveconvertedeverythingyouneedtoknowaboutvisitingMoraineLakein2022.We’veevenincludedthebestthingstodoatMoraineLakesothatonceyougetthere,youcanreallyenjoyit! WhyisMoraineLakesoblue?MoraineLakeisabrightbluecolorthankstorockflour(tinyparticlesfromrocks)thatreflectlight.Thisreflectionwiththeglacierwatercreatesthebluecolorthatwesee–it’sbeautiful! WhenisthebesttimetovisitMoraineLake?ThebesttimeofyeartovisitMoraineLakeisintheearlySummertoearlyFallwhentheaccessroadisopenandthelakeismelted.Themostbeautifultimeofdaytovisitisatsunrise,buttoavoidthecrowds,visitlaterinthedayaroundsunset. IsMoraineLakeopen?MoraineLakenevertechnicallycloses,buttheroadtogettheredoesclosetovehicletraffic.Thisyear,in2022,MoraineLakeRoadissettoopenonJune1tovehicletraffic.ItwillcloseagaininOctober,theexactdateisdependentonweatherconditions. WhatarethebestthingstodoatMoraineLake?TherearelotsoffunthingstodoatMoraineLakeincludingcanoeingatthelake,hikingoneofthemanytrails,gettingacoffeeatthecafe,watchingthesunrise,andmore! HowdoyougettoMoraineLake?Youcandriveyourself,taketheParkandRideShuttle,ridetheROAMpublicbus,ortakeanorganizedtourtogettoMoraineLake.However,gettingparkingissupertricky,sothisprobablyisnotyourbestoption.Allothermodesoftransportshouldbeorganizedinadvancetoavoiddisappointment. WhendoesMoraineLakemelt?ThemainreasonpeoplevisitLakeMoraineistoseethebluelake,whenitisfrozenyouwon’tseethecolor.MoraineLaketypicallymeltsinmid-Juneeachyear,however,itreallydependsonthetemperature.Sometimes,itfreezesabitovernightandthenmeltsagaininthesunshine. WhydopeoplevisitMoraineLakeforsunrise?ThesunrisesbehindyouasyouenjoytheviewofMoraineLake.Asthesunlighthitsthemountainsandlake,thelightingisperfectforphotos! IsMoraineLakeworthvisiting?AbsolutelyMoraineLakeisworthvisiting.Althoughtouristy,itisastunningplace.I’vebeencountlesstimesandalwaysgetexcitedtogobackregardlessofthehassletogetthereandthecrowdsofpeople. TheBestTimetovisitMoraineLake IfyoureallywanttoseeMoraineLakeforyourselfthenyouneedtoconsiderboththetimeofyeartovisitandthetimeofday. TheBestTimeofYeartoVisitMoraineLake TheLarchValleyTrailthatstartsfromMoraineLake ThebesttimeofyeartovisitMoraineLakeiswhenthelakeismeltedbecausewhenitisfrozenandcoveredinsnow,youwon’tgettoseethebrightbluewatercolor!Forthatreason,youshouldn’tplantovisitbeforemid-June.ByOctober,thelakestartsgettingfrozensectionstypicallyaswell.Withthatsaid,thisiscompletelydependentontheweatherandchangeseveryyear. Toguaranteethelakewon’tbefrozen,visitMoraineLakeinJuly,August,orearlySeptember. OneofmypersonalfavoritetimesofyeartovisitMoraineLakeisintheFallwhenalloftheLarchtreesturnbrightorangeandyellow.Thistimeofyearisreferredtoas“LarchSeason.”LarchSeasonalsovarieseachyearbecauseoftheweather,butgenerallyspeaking,youcanexpecttoseethesebeautifully-coloredtreesbetweenmid-SeptemberandearlyOctober. It’simportanttonotethattheroadtogettoMoraineLakeclosestovehicleaccessfrommid-OctobertotheendofMayeachyearduetoavalancherisk.So,duringthesemonthsitisnotpossibletodrivetoMoraineLake.Youcan,however,hike,cycle,orskithere.Withthatsaid,thereisabigriskofavalanchesoyoushouldhavetheproperequipmentandtraining.ParksCanadadoesn’tadvisegoingallthewaytothelakeduringthewintermonths. Thisyear,2022,MoraineLakeRoadwassettoopenonJune1,howeverthathassincebeendelayedduetoweather/roadconditions.Theroadshouldbeopenbymid-Junebutwatchforupdatesbeforeyougojusttobesure.Theclosingdatewillbeannouncedlaterintheyear. TheBestTimeofDaytoVisitMoraineLake Whataplace! ThemostbeautifultimeofdaytovisitMoraineLakeiswithoutadoubtatsunrise.Asthesunrises,itlightsupthemountainsandlakeandmakesforthebrilliantsceneyou’reprobablyhopingtosee.Ontopofthat,firstthinginthemorningiswhenyourchanceofhavingclearweatheristhebest.Cloudscancoverthemountainsandreallyimpactyourview. However,sunriseisalsooneofthebusiesttimesofdaytogotoMoraineLake,andyouneedtoarriveatleastanhourbeforesunrisetosnagaparkingspot(moreonthatbelow.) VisitingMoraineLakeatmid-dayisagoodtimeofdayforhiking,however,gettingparkingisprettymuchimpossible.Soifyouwanttovisitduringtheday,besuretoarrangetransportinadvance. IfyouwanttovisitMoraineLakewithoutacrowdofpeople,goacoupleofhoursbeforesunset.Bythistimeofday,mostpeoplehavegonebacktotheirhotelforthedayandyoushouldbeabletogetaparkingspotwithease. HotTip:Ifyoucan,visitMoraineLakemid-week.Itisalwaysbusierontheweekends! GettingtoMoraineLake DrivingtoMoraineLakeandgettingparking TheparkinglotatMoraineLakeisn’thuge.PhotoCredit:Shawn.ccfonDepositPhotos ParkingatMoraineLakeisanightmare.Infact,itcanbesohardtogetaparkingspotthatIactuallywroteanentireguidetogettingaparkingspotatMoraineLake.CrazyIknow,butit’sjustthatpopular. Ihighlysuggestreadingitbeforeyougo,otherwise,yousimplywon’tbepreparedandmaymissoutonseeingMoraineLakeentirely! ParksCanadaShuttle(ParkandRide)toMoraineLake ParksCanadaoperatesashuttle,calledtheParkandRide,thatdepartsfromtheLakeLousieSkiResortparkinglotandwilltakeyoutobothLakeLouiseLakefrontandMoraineLake. Theseshuttlesarecheap(adult$8CAD;seniors,$4;youth$6;childrenunder6arefree)andstartrunningasearlyas6am.Youcanfindalltheinfoonthe BanffLakeLouisewebsite orthe ParksCanadawebsite. TheParkandRideShuttlesareperfectifyou’renotkeenonrollingthedicewithparking.Theonlydownsideisthattheshuttle MUSTBEBOOKEDINADVANCE.Andunfortunately,thismeansthatitisoftenfullybooked.AdvancedbookingsforthisyearbeginonMay4,2022. Oneinsidertip: 50%ofthespacesontheshuttlearesavedfor“lastminutebookings”.Thesespacesopenexactlytwodaysbeforeat6am.Forexample,ifyouwanttovisitMoraineLakeonThursday,be onlineonthereservationsystem at6amontheTuesdaybefore.Thisway,youmightstillhaveachanceatgettingareservation. AnotherthingtonoteisthatevenifyouwanttoonlyvisitMoraineLake,booktheshuttletoLakeLouiseifthat’sallthatisavailable.Thereasonisthatwithyourreservationyou’llget freeaccesstotheLakeLouiseConnectorShuttle.TheLakeLouiseConnectorshuttlerunsbetweenLakeLouiseandMoraineLakealldayandisavailabletopeoplewhohaveaParkandRidereservationorROAMSuperpass. Note: ParkandRideShuttlesgenerallyoperatefrom8am,however,thereisnowan“EarlybirdShuttletoLakeMoraine”thatstartsat6am!ThisshuttletypicallystartsoperatingattheendofJune,butexactdatesdovaryyeartoyear. Ifyoumissedoutontheshuttlebookings,try thishop-on-hop-offbusfromBanff.Itismoreexpensivebutyou’llalsovisitafewothericonicattractionssuchasJohnstonCanyon! ROAMTransit(PublicBus) Ifyoudon’twanttodealwithparking,considerridingtheRoamBustoLakeLouise.PhotoCredit:Shawn.ccfonDepositPhotos ROAMTransitisthepublicbussystem.Thisyear (newin2022!) youcanactuallybuyabuspasswithROAMthatwillgetyoutobothLakeLouiseandMoraineLakefromeitherBanfforCanmore. YoumustbuytheROAM“Superpass”,thispassis$25CADandincludesyourroundtriptransportfromCanmoreorBanfftoLakeLouiseLakefront.Oncehere,youwillgetofftheROAMbusandchangeontotheParksCanadaLakeConnectorShuttle.ShowyourSuperpasstothedriverandyouwillgetafreeridetoMoraineLake!TheConnectorShuttleleavesevery20minutes,soit’sveryeasytouse. Thisisanewsystemimplementedthisyear.It’sgreatbecauseitmeansthatfor$25youcanvisitLakeLouiseANDMoraineLakeinoneday–howgreatisthat?! Itishighlyrecommendedthatyou bookyourROAMSuperpass inadvanceduringthesummermonths. OrganizedTour Sunsetisabeautifultimeofdaytoo. Oneoftheeasiestandhassle-freewaystoguaranteethatyougettoseeMoraineLakeisbygoingonanorganizedtour. Wehighlyrecommendbookingthe Hop-On-Hop-OffBusfromBanff. Similartootherhop-onbusesthroughouttheworldyourticketincludesstopsat7popularplaceswithinBanffNationalPark.StopsincludeJohnstonCanyon,LakeLouise,MoraineLake,SamsonMall,andtheLakeLouisegondola.Youcanchoosetohopoffatalltheabovestopsorsimplyselectafewfavorites.Ticketsforthehop-on-hop-offbuscostfrom$70CAD. Anothergoodoptionisthis4-hourguidedtour startsinBanffandincludesatourofbothLakeLouiseandMoraineLake.YourexperiencedlocalguidewilltellyouallaboutthehistoryoftheareaaswellastakeyoutoasecretviewpointofMoraineLake.Whatwelikeaboutthistouristhatit’sasmallgrouptour,whichmeansyou’llbegettingamorepersonalizedexperience.WorthnotingisthistouronlyoperatesfromApriltoNovember.Pricesforthisparticulartourarearound$100CADperpersonandincluderound-triptransportationfromBanff.  10ThingstodoatMoraineLake 1.WalktheLakeshoreTrail  Ifyougetamazingweatheryou’reinforarealtreat! TheMoraineLakeLakeshoreTrailisarguablythemostpopularhikingtrailatMoraineLake.IlovethistrailasyougettoenjoymagnificentviewsofMoraineLakefromanglesyousimplydon’tgetfromtheviewpointsneartheparkinglot. ThetrailstartsatMoraineLakeLodgeandfollowstheedgeofMoraineLakeforabout1.5kilometers/0.93miles.Onceyoureachtheend,youmustturnaroundandreturnviathesametrail.Intotalittakesaroundanhourtowalkthetrailandadmiretheviews. TheLakeshoreTrailisagreatoptionforthosewhodon’tconsiderthemselveshikers,families,andeventhosewithsturdystrollers.Thepathisbothwellmaintainedandflat,soit’ssupereasy! 2.TakeintheviewsofthelakefromtheRockpile ProposingtoBaileyatLakeMoraineontheRockpile. There’sonephotoofMoraineLakethateveryonewho’svisitinghasmostlikelyseenbefore–it’sthemostfamousviewofthelakeandtheTenPeaks.Well,thatphotoistakenfromtheRockpile,andit’salsowhereIproposedtoBaileyonourromantictriptoBanff. TheRockpileisexactlywhatthenamesuggests,ahugepileofrocks.However,thispileofrockshasbeenturnedintotheultimateviewingplatformofMoraineLakeandEVERYvisitorshouldwalktothetopoftheRockpiletoenjoytheview. ToreachtheRockpile,takethetrailnexttothebathroomsintheparkinglot.Followthistrailandcrossasmallwoodenbridge.Onceyoucrossthebridge,keepwalkingupthetrailandkeepright(leftgoestoConsolationLakes)andthistrailleadsuptotheRockpilewhereyoucanfindlotsofsmallviewpointsofthelake.Thistrailissignpostedsoyoudon’tneedtoworryaboutgettinglost. Itonlytakes5minutestowalktothetopoftheRockpileandalthoughnotflat,it’saneasywalk! Didyouknow:ParkingatMoraineLakeaswellasvisitingiscompletelyfree!It’soneofthebestfreeactivitiesinBanffNationalPark! 3.Canoe onthelake Canyouimagineanythingmoredreamy?! CanyouimagineanythingmoremesmerizingthantakingintheviewsofMoraineLakeandtheTenPeaksfromatinycanoe?!Meeither! ThishastobeoneofthemosticonicactivitiesyoucandoatMoraineLakeandit’sactuallyaniconicactivityinCanadatoo.So,ifyou’veeverwantedtocanoeinaCanadianlake,Idon’tthinkthere’samoreperfectplacetodoitthanatMoraineLake! CanoescanberentedfromtheMoraineLakeLodgeandtheystartat$115CAD+taxforonehour.Thecanoescanfituptothreepeoplesoifyou’reinagroup,thisisactuallyarelativelycheapactivityinBanffNationalPark! RentalsincludelifejacketsandbecauseofthestabilityofCanadiancanoes,eventhosewithnoorlimitedexperiencecangiveitatry. 4.Enjoycoffeewithaview  Grabacoffeetoenjoywithanincredibleview! TheSnowshoeCaféisMoraineLake’sveryownboutiquecaféservingallyourfavoritesincludingdeliciouscoffee.Eveninthesummer,itcanbebitterlycoldatMoraineLakeandthere’snobetterwaytowarmuporwakeup,thanwithahotbrewinyourhand.Ifit’sraininginBanffNationalPark,thenescapingtothecafeforalittlewhileisagoodideatoo! TheSnowshoeCafeislocatedinMoraineLakeLodgeandbesidescoffee,alsosellsplentyoffooditemsthatareperfectto-go.Theyhavebreakfastfoodssuchasquichesandcroissants,orifyouwant,sandwichesforlunchtoo.Mybestadviceistograbacoffeeandabitetoeatandgoforawalk.FindanicequietspotalongtheLakeshoreTrailandenjoyapicnic! 5.HiketheLarchValley andSentinelPass TheLarchValleyTrailthatstartsfromMoraineLake DuringfallinBanffNationalPark,theLarchValleyTrailisoneofthemostspectacularhikesyoucando.TheentirevalleyeruptsintoaseaofyellowLarchtreeswithanepicbackdropofthefamousTenPeaks. However,whatmanypeopledon’trealizeistheLarchValleyTrailisalsoaspectaculartrailnearLakeLouiseinthesummermonths.Infact,wildflowersblossominthevalleyduringthistime,andtosome,it’stheirfavoritetimetohikethetrail. TheLarchValleyTrailstartsfromtheMoraineLakeparkinglotandfollowstheLakeshoreTrailbeforeyoureachasignforthetracktellingyoutogoleft.Onceonthistrack,thetrailquicklybeginstoclimbhighabovethevalleyuparangeofswitchbacks(thereare10tobeexact.) Theinitialclimbgainsaround450metersinelevationwhichisnotawalkinthepark.Butonceyoureachthevalley,thetrailflattensoutuntiltheendandyoucanfinallyenjoytheviews!Thetotalelevationgainofthetrackis535meters(1,755feet.) Ittakesaround4hourstofinishthe8.6-kilometer/5.3-mile,outandbackhike.Ifyou’refeelinguptoityoucanalsocontinueontoSentinelPass.HikingtothepassnotonlygivesyougreatviewsoftheLarchValleybutalsoParadiseValleyontheotherside.TheextrahiketoSentinelpassis1.5kilometers/0.93mileseachwayandtakesaround1.5hours. HotTip:Ifyouwanttoseethefallcolors,visitaroundtheendofSeptembertomid-October.TherearealsolotsofotherfunthingstodoinBanffinSeptember,somakeafulltripofit! 6.EiffelLakeTrail ThestunningEiffelLake! EiffelLakeisaremotealpinelakesituatednotfarfromtheLarchValley.ThebeginningofthetrailtoEiffelisactuallytheLarchValleyTrail,however,afteryouconquerthetenswitchbacksyouhitaforkintheroadwithonepathheadingtoEiffelLake. TheEiffelLakeTrailthencontinuesonintheValleyoftheTenPeakswithstunningsceneryeverywhereyoulook.Insomeparts,youcanevenpeerdownatMoraineLakeandseehershinebrightblue–especiallyonasunnyday!EiffelLakeisonlyasmalllakebutit’sthesurroundinglandscapesthatmakevisitingsorewarding. FromMoraineLake,it’sa12-kilometer/7.5-mileoutandbackhiketoEiffelLakethattakesaround4hourstocomplete.ThetrailismoderatelydifficultbutthosewithhikingexperiencecouldjoinboththeLarchValleyandEiffelLakeintoonelonghike.Intotalthiswouldtakearound7hours! 7.Stay atMoraineLakeLodge  ThisisprobablythebestplacetostayinallofLakeLouise,.PhotoCredit:MoraineLakeLodge Ifyou’restillthinkingaboutwhereyouwanttostaywhenyouvisitBanffNationalPark,considerspendinganightortwoatMoraineLakeLodge. MoraineLakeLodgeistheonlyhotelatMoraineLakeandalthoughfromtheoutsidetheroomslookalittleoutdated,ontheinsideyou’llfindfreshlyrenovatedmodernroomswithalltheluxuriesyoucouldwant.Ofcourse,suchanamazinghotelisn’tcheapandaroomwillsetyoubackaround$850+pernight! Besidesstayingsoclosetotheamazingview,stayingatthelodgemeansyoudon’tneedtobattleforparkingtotaketheshuttle/bustoseeMoraineLake.You’llbeabletoenjoysunriseatMoraineLakerightfromyourroom! I’vepersonallyneverbeenabletostomachthecostsoIhaven’tstayedmyself,butifIeverwinthelottery,Imightjustmovethere! Relatedread:MoraineLakeisoneofthebeststopsontheIcefieldsParkway(oronaroadtripfromJaspertoBanff!)Readourblogstofindoutmoreinfoonothergreatplacesnearby! 8.ScrambleuptheTowerofBabel It’soneepicviewthat’shardtogetto! Thisnexthikeisn’tactuallyahikeatall.Infact,it’snotevenan“official”trail(ifyouaskParksCanada.)However,it’soneof,ifnotthemostpopularscramblesinBanffNationalPark. ThescrambletothetopoftheTowerofBabelisiconic.It’sthosepanoramicviewsofthemountainsthathavemadethetrailsofamousandamustforanybeginnerscrambler. Thetrailisshortatonly2.9kilometers/1.8miles,however,itinvolvesa518-meterclimbonsomeprettyroughterrain.OnceyoureachthetoptheviewsofMoraineLakeandtheValleyoftheTenPeaksareoutofthisworld!You’llquicklyseewhysomanypeoplemakethehiketheTowerofBabel. Hikingthetrailrequiresalittleplanningandknowingexactlywheretogo.Icouldtrytoexplainit,butthisTowerofBabelhikingguidedoesitreallywellandit’sactuallytheblogIusedtohikethetrail. 9.WalktoConsolationLakes Climbingtheboulders! Ifyou’relookingforaneasyhikeatMoraineLakethat’salittlemoreadventurousthantheLakeshoreTrail,thenConsolationLakesTrailisagreatoption. This2.9-kilometer/1.8-mileone-waytrailgetsyoufarawayfromthecrowdsofMoraineLakeandouttotwobeautifulalpinelakeswithepicmountainbackdrops.Thetrailisrelativelyflatandratedaseasysoit’sperfectforthewholefamily. Afterthefirstlake,thereisabitofascrambleoversomerockstogettothesecond,butifyou’renotcomfortablewithityoucanjustvisitthefirstlake.Inmyopinion,it’sthemostbeautifulanyway!Allup,itonlytakesjustovertwohourstohikethetrailthereandback. ThetrailheadstartsatthebathroomsattheMoraineLakeparkinglot.Fromthere,justfollowthepathtothesmallwoodenbridgeandcontinueonuntilyoureachabearwarningsign.Here,turnleftandyouareonthetrail!  RelatedRead:ConsolationLakesisoneoftheeasiesthikesnearCanmore–findoutwhattheothersare! 10.BicycletoMoraineLake AgreatalternativetodrivingtoMoraineLakeandattemptingtofindaparkingspotistocycleherefromLakeLouise.TheridefromLakeLouisetoMoraineLakeisaround13kilometers(8miles)inlengthandtakesyoualongMoraineLakeRoad.It’sratedasmoderateindifficultylevel,that’sbecauseyouarecyclinguphillmostoftheway!Infact,youwillgainover160metersinelevation,so,it’srecommendedtohaveagoodleveloffitness.Itwilltakearoundanhourand15minutestogetthereandabout30minutestoreturn(becauseyouwillbecyclingdownhillonyourreturn!) Fromyourbike,youcantrulyenjoytheincredibleviewsalongMoraineLakeRoad,whichincludeglimpsesofTempleMountainandtheValleyoftheTenPeaks. Youcanrentbikesfrom WilsonMountainSports at101LakeLouiseDrive,amountainbikecostsfrom$49CADforthewholeday,andanelectricbikecostsfrom$79fortheentireday. It’simportanttonotetoothatyoucancyclethisroadfrommid-Maytomid-Octoberbecauseinthewintermonthsthisroadisactuallyusedforcrosscountryskiing. Toptip–afewdaysbeforetheroadopenstovehicles(openingdayistypicallythedayafterVictoriaDay–May23rd).ParksCanadaplowstheroadofanyremainingsnowgivingyouawindowtocycletoMoraineLakewithoutanycars. WheretoStaynearMoraineLake YoucanstayinBanffandeasilyvisitMoraineLakeonadaytrip! AsImentionedabove,thereisonlyonehotelatMoraineLakeandit’sextremelyexpensive!However,therearelotsofgreatplacestostayinLakeLouiseVillage!Personally,IlovestayinginLakeLouisewhenexploringthearea,althoughBanffisclose,it’sstilla45minutesdriveeachway!Plus,thereareplentyofrestaurantstoenjoyinLakeLouiseaswellasalargeselectionofhotelstochoosefrom. HiAlpineCenter I’vestayedhereonmorethanafewoccasions.It’sagreatbudgethotel/hostelwithdormbedsandbudgetprivaterooms.It’sclean,comfortableandthestaffarereallyfriendly! LakeLouiseInn TheLakeLouiseInnisanotherbudgetoptionthat’sslightlymoreluxuriousthantheHiAlpineCenter.Istayedhereonceandreallylikedit.Ilovedtheirpoolandhottub,especiallyoncoldnights!Theroomsarealsoreallymodern. FairmontChâteauLakeLouise Unfortunately,I’veneverstayedattheFairmontChâteauLakeLouisebutitisthemostluxurioushotelinLakeLouise.Thehotelisn’tinthevillage,instead,itsitsontheshoreofLakeLouise.Theroomsandeverythingaboutthishotelisspectacular!Abonusisthatifyoustayhere,youcanenjoythestunninglakewithouteverhavingtoworryaboutgettingparkingatLakeLouise,whichsometimesisastruggle. Relatedread:IfyouplanonstayinginBanff,checkoutourguidetothe10besthotelsinBanff! ParksCanadaPassQuickInfo IfyouplanonspendingtimeinCanada’snationalparksthenyou’regoingtohavetopayforaParksPass. SingleDailyAdmission: Thistypeofpassisvalidforonepersonforoneday.ItisONLYthebestvalueifyouaretravelingaloneandonlyplantovisitanationalparkforoneday. Adult(ages18-64)is$10.50CADSenior(65+)is$9.00CADYouth/Child(17oryounger)isFREE GroupDailyAdmission: Ifyou’retravelinginagrouporwithfamily,youcanbuyasingle-dayadmissionforyourentirevehicle(upto7peopleinonevehicle.) $21.00CADgetsyourentirevehicleentryforonefullday ParksCanadaDiscoveryPass The“DiscoveryPass”iswhatParksCanadacallstheiryear-long(365daysfromthepurchasedate),multi-parkentrypass.Thispasswillgive365daysofaccesstoallparticipatingnationalparksinCanada.ThisincludesthemostpopularparkslikeBanff,Jasper,Yoho,Kootenay,Glacier,MountRevelstokeandsomuchmore. Adult(age18-64)–$72.25CADSenior(64+)–$61.75CADGroup/Family(upto7peopleinonevehicle)–$145.25CAD HotTip:Althoughmoreexpensiveupfront,ifyouplanonspendingmorethan7daysindifferentparksinCanadawithina12-monthperiod,thentheDiscoveryPassisactuallythebetterdeal! ParksCanadaPassescanbeboughtonlinehereoratoneoftheVisitorCentersofboothsattheentrancetomanynationalparks. RentingaCarinAlberta TheIcefieldsParkway,BanffNationalPark Ifyou’rearrivinginAlbertaviaplanethenIcan’trecommendgettingarentalcarenough.CanadaisalargecountryandtravelingbetweencitiesandevenjustgettingouttosomeofthebestplacestovisitinAlbertarequirestransport.Althoughyoucanusepublictransportonsomeoccasionsitmeansyourtripwillnotonlyrequiremoretimebutmoreplanning. CarrentalinCanadaisrelativelycheapespeciallyifyougetabudgetcar.Thecheapestcarwithapickupanddrop-offindifferentlocationsisaround$100CADperday.Thepricedoesvarythoughdependingonthetimeofyearandthetypeofcarthatyourent.Forcarrentals,IusethewebsiteRentalCars.com.It’sasearchenginewithlotsofdealswithgoodcustomerservice.Infact,I’veusedthemallovertheworldincludinginChile,NewZealand,andAustralia. Anotherpopularoptionistorentacampervanormotorhome(onlyforthebraveinwinter.)UsingMotorhomeRepublicyoucansearchhundredsofdealsacrossmultiplecompaniestopickagreatvehicleandthecheapestprice.HavingamotorhomeisastunningwaytoseeCanadaandusingcrownlandandcampsitesyoucanoftencampforfreeorverycheapinthemostbeautifulplacesimaginable! CanadaTravelEssentials AwindproofjacketandBuffwillsaveyouinthemountains! Beforeyoudecidetoheadoffandexplorethegorgeousmountains,lakes,towns,andcitiesaroundCanadait’simportanttohavetherightequipment.Ofcourse,it’slikelyyou’llhavemostofthebasicsalreadybuttherearesomecommonitemspeopleforgetthatInevertravelwithout. Crampons:Inwintercramponsaresuperhandy,butwhatpeopledon’trealizeisthattheycomeinhandyinsummertoo.Infact,upuntilmid-July,youcanstillexpecticyconditionsinthemountains.ThepairIuseisonly$29andtheyhavelastedme3seasonssofar! Waterproofshell:MostpeoplewillhavethisitembutIthoughtI’dincludeitanywaysinceit’ssohandyinCanada.TheColumbiawaterproofjacketisalightweightwindproofjacketthatwillseriouslysaveyouinmanysituations.Thebestpartthough?Itcomesinpink! Bearbells:Theseareamustandfortheprice,youshouldn’thikewithoutthem.ThebearbellsIuseareonly$12andtheycomewithasilencer(amust)soyoucaneasilytravelwiththem. Scent-proofbag(forbears):Mostpeoplethinkyouonlyneedtokeepthesmelloffoodawayfromyouwhenyou’reovernightcamping.However,bearscansmellthefoodinyourbagwhileyou’rehikingandthebestwaytoavoidanencounteristouseascent-proofbearbag.Basically,youputyourfoodinthebagandthebearcannotsmellitwhileyou’rehiking.Thisisoneitemmostpeopleneverhave(Ineverhikewithoutit)butitcouldsaveyouandthebear. Buff:Ilovemybuff!Seriously,Igonowherewithoutitbothinwinterandsummer.ThereareafewbrandsaroundbutIalwaysbuytheoriginalBuff(youknow,theonefromSurvivor!)They’realittlemoreexpensivebutthematerialisgoodqualityandbothbreathableandquickdrying. Drybag:IhaveexpensivecameraequipmentsoIalwaystravelwithadrybaglargeenoughtofitsomeofmyequipment.Itcanbeacamera,book,binoculars,orevenmykeys.Regardless,adrybaggivesmepeaceofmind!TheMARCHWAYbagisreallygoodquality,andwhennotinuse,takesuponlyasmallamountofroom. Binoculars:Ilovemybinoculars!SeriouslytheyhavecomeinhandsomanytimesespeciallywhenI’mlookingforwildlife.Thebestpartis,Iuseasetthatonlycosts$27andtheyservemybasicneedswithoutanyissues! Beforeyougo… Thanksforreading! MoraineLakereallyisoneofthemostmagicalplacestovisitinCanada.Notonlyisitstunning,buttherearesomanyamazingthingstodoatMoraineLake!IhopethatI’llgettovisitmanymoretimesduringmyadventuresacrossCanada–it’ssafetosayInevergetsickoftheviews! Thankssomuchforreading!IfyoufoundthisguideonthebestthingstodoatMoraineLakehelpfulthenbesuretobrowseallourCanadablogs!Wehavelotsofawesomeguidestotherockymountainsincludingthese: IcefieldsParkwayitinerary BestBreweriesinBanff 15mostInstagrammableplacestovisitinBanff -Daniel 13ThingstodoinViñales,Cuba ←Previous 33FUNThingstodoinCanmoreinWinter Next→ Clickheretocancelreply. Tiffany Saturday21stofMay2022 Hi!Greatarticle.DoyourecommenddoingMoraineLakeonedayandLakeLouiseanother?WearestayingCanmoreandI’mwonderingifweshouldplaneach(shuttle)onseparatedays.Thanks. destinationlesstravel Sunday22ndofMay2022 HeyTiffany, Thanks! Ifyoucan,Iwouldtrytodothemonthesameday!Ofcourse,thisdependsonwhatyouwanttodoateachplace.Forexample,ifyouwanttodoahikeatLakeMoraineandahikeatLakeLouise,you'llneedtodothemofdifferentdays.However,ifyouplanisjusttovisitandhavealookaround,dothemonthesameday. Withthatsaid,IhighlysuggestdoingtheLakeAgnesTeaHouseTrailatLakeLouiseandtheLarchValleyTrailatLakeMoraine-botharestunning! Ihopethishelps! Daniel Searchfor: WeareDanandBailey,justyourtypicalthrill-seekingtravelers!Youwilllikelyfindushiking,scubadiving,eatingasmuchfoodaswepossiblycan,orjustdrinkingbeeratahostel.We'veactuallybeentravelingnon-stopforthelastfewyearsnow,sowereallyarelivinga"destinationless"lifestyle!Cheersforjoiningusonouradventures! 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