Lake Louise and Moraine Lake - Banff National Park

Lake Louise and Moraine Lake. Location: 55 km west of Banff, Alberta, on the Trans-Canada Highway / #1. Founded in 1890 as Laggan Station, ... Skiptomaincontent Skipto"Aboutthissite"   BanffNationalPark Sectionmenu ©Banff&LakeLouiseTourism/PaulZizkaPhotography LakeLouiseandMoraineLake Location:55kmwestofBanff,Alberta,ontheTrans-CanadaHighway/#1 Foundedin1890asLagganStation,LakeLouisewasonceawildoutpostattheendoftheCanadianPacificRailway.Todaythishamlet,lakeandthesurroundingareaoffersomeofthefinesthiking,skiingandsite-seeingintheworld.LakeLouiseandMoraineLakeusuallymeltbylateMay.AlpinehikingseasonbeginsinlateJune. Parkingisextremelylimited.ParkingatLakeLouiseLakeshoreandMoraineLakeisoftenfullbysunriseandremainsfullthroughoutthedayinpeakseason(MaytoOctober).Planningaheadiskey.Takingtransitisthebestwaytoprovidecertaintyinreachingyourdestination! Bookyourseatinadvance-ShuttleReservationsRequired ParksCanadaencouragesvisitorstoplanaheadbyreservingtheirbusseatinadvanceoftheirvisit.BookyourseatusingtheParksCanadaReservationSystembeginningMay4,2022.Aportionofseatswillbereleasedinarollingwindow,48hourspriortodepartureday. BookingaseatonaParksCanadashuttleisthebestwaytoenjoyyourvisit!Twolakes–oneticket!ConvenientlyseebothLakeLouiseandMoraineLakewithoneticket. RoamPublicTransitcanalsobeusedtotravelfromthetownofBanfftoLakeLouiseandMoraineLake. Informationonshuttlesandtransit  PaidParkingatLakeLouiseLakeshore Paidparkingineffectduringtheshuttleoperationalseason,fromMay13toOctober10,2022.Avalidparkingpermitisrequiredbetween7amand7pmforallvehiclesintheLakeLouiseLakeshorepublicparkinglot.Lookforpaystationswhenyouarrive. Youmustalsohaveavalidnationalparkentrypass. Informationonpaidparking Whentovisit LakeLouiseisoneofCanada’smostpopulardestinations.Planningaheadisessential! WhenareLakeLouiseandMoraineLakeopen? LakeLouiseVillageandtheLakeLouiseLakeshoreareopenyear-round.  The13kmroadtoMoraineLakeopensonJune1andclosestheTuesdayafterCanadianThanksgivinginmid-October.Exactdatesmayvarydependingonsnowconditions.Duringthewinter,theroadistracksetforskiingandthelakeitselfisinaccessibleduetoavalanchehazard.  Duringthesummermonths,MoraineLakeRoadonlyopenstoprivatevehiclesasspacebecomesavailableinMoraineLakeparkinglot.Nowaitingareaisavailable.PlanaheadandreserveyourspotontheParksCanadashuttle. Seasonalclosuresandrestrictions  WhendotheteahousesopenatLakeLouise? ThecharmingLakeAgnesandPlainofSixGlaciersteahousesarethemostpopularsummerhikingdestinationsintheLakeLouisearea.Theseprivatelyoperatedteahousesopenmid-MayandcloseafterCanadianThanksgivinginmid-October.  ThehikestotheteahousesarenotsafefromNovemberthroughmid-Mayduetoavalanchehazard.DonothiketoLakeAgnesortothePlainofSixGlacierduringthewinterorspring.InMayandJune,checkthetrailreportbeforedeparting.  HikingatLakeLouise WintertrailsintheLakeLouisearea BanffNationalParkTrailReport WhenareLakeLouiseandMoraineLakebusiest? FromMaythroughOctober,LakeLouiseandMoraineLakeareextremelybusy.Throughoutthesummerseason,parkinglotsattheselocationsareoftenfullbysunriseandremainfullthroughouttheday.MoraineLakeRoadonlyopenstoprivatevehiclesasspacebecomesavailableinMoraineLakeparkinglot.Nowaitingareaisavailable.PlanaheadandreserveyourspotontheParksCanadashuttle. Iftakingyourprivatevehicle,expectfullparkinglots,trafficcontrolpersonnel,trafficcongestion,longwaits,andpaidparking(LakeLouiseLakeshoreonly).Visitorsareencouragedtohaveabackupplan. VisitorsareencouragedtoleavetheircarsathomeandtaketransitfromeitherCalgary,BanfforLakeLouise.VisitGettingaroundfortransitinformation. Holidaysandweekendsareespeciallybusy,including: VictoriaDay(May,datevariesbyyear) CanadaDay(July1) HeritageDay(firstMondayinAugust) LabourDay(firstMondayinSeptember) Larchseason(weekendsinSeptember) FromNovemberthroughApril,LakeLouiseisawinterwonderland!WereceivemoresnowthanotherpartsofBanffNationalParkandareproudtohaveoneofthelongestskiseasonsinNorthAmerica.Thebusiestweekendsduringthewinterare: BoxingDaythroughNewYear(December26toJanuary1) IceMagicFestival(January,datesvarybyyear) FamilyDay(secondMondayinFebruary) Easterweekend(datesvarybyyear) HowtogettoLakeLouiseLakeshorewhentheparkinglotisfull LakeLouiseisoneofCanada’smostpopulardestinationsandisopenyear-round.Duringthesummerandfall,parkingatthelakeshorefillsbeforesunrise.ThebestwaytoaccessLakeLouiseLakeshoreandMoraineLakebetweenMayandOctoberistoleaveyourcarathome(orintheParkandRide!)andarrivebypublictransit. Hereareourtoptips: ComingfromCanmoreorBanff?RoamTransitoffersdailyservicebetweenCanmore,BanfftownsiteandLakeLouiseVillageandLakeshore.Formoreinformationonschedulesandfares,visitRoamTransit. BookaseatonaParksCanadashuttle!BookyourseatusingtheParksCanadaReservationSystembeginningMay4,2022.Aportionofseatswillbereleasedinarollingwindow,48hourspriortodepartureday.VisitGettingaround StartyourdayattheParkandRide,locatedattheLakeLouiseSkiArea,andvisitbothLakeLouiseandMoraineLakeinoneday.Theround-tripbookingincludesuseofthe“LakeConnector”shuttlebetweenLakeLouiseandMoraineLake.ItisstronglyrecommendedthatallRVsandtrailersareleftattheparkandrideorcampground. StretchyourlegsandhiketoLakeLouiseviatheLouiseCreekTrail.Pleaseobeyallbearwarningsandclosures. Divertedordelayed?ShopanddineinthevillageofLakeLouiseorridetheLakeLouiseGondola.Werecommendthatyouplanaheadandalwayshaveanalternateplan. Fordetailsandrealtimeupdatesvisit: BanffNow HowtogettoMoraineLakewhentheparkinglotisfull MoraineLakeisoneofCanada’smostpopulardestinationsandisopenJune1throughmid-October.Theparkinglotfillsbeforesunrise.MoraineLakeRoadonlyopenstovehiclesasspacebecomesavailableinMoraineLakeparkinglot.Nowaitingareaisavailableandvehicles(withtheexceptionofshuttlesandtransit)arenotpermittedontheroadifparkingisnotavailable.PlanaheadandreserveyourspotontheParksCanadashuttletoprovidecertaintyinreachingyourdestination. ParksCanadaasksthatyoudonotparkonthesideoftheroadtowaitforaroadopening.Thiscreatescongestionandcanbedangerousforotherdrivers,pedestriansandemergencyvehicles.Expectdailytrafficcontrolpersonnelduringpeakseason. RVparkingatMoraineLakeisverylimitedandRVswillonlybepermittedtotravelontheMoraineLakeRoadwhenRVspacesareavailable. Hereareourtoptips: BookaseatonaParksCanadashuttle!BookyourseatusingtheParksCanadaReservationSystembeginningMay4,2022.Aportionofseatswillbereleasedinarollingwindow,48hourspriortodepartureday.VisitGettingaround. RoamTransitoffersdailyservicetoLakeLouiseLakeshoreallyear,anddailyservicetoMoraineLakeinthefall.WiththepurchaseofaRoamTransitSuperPass,visitorswillreceivefreeaccesstotheParksCanadaLakeConnectorshuttleandcantransferbetweenlakes.Formoreinformationonschedulesandfares,visitRoamTransit Rideapaid,privateshuttle.MoreinformationisavailablefromtheLakeLouiseVisitorCentre. Divertedordelayed?ShopanddineinthevillageofLakeLouiseorridetheLakeLouiseGondola. Fordetailsandrealtimeupdatesvisit: BanffNow Thingstodo EverydestinationintheLakeLouiseareaisbeautifulbutonlysomeareopenyear-round.Thisiswhenthemostpopularlocaldestinationsareopen: LakeLouiseLakeshore(year-round) LakeLouiseVillage(year-round) MoraineLake(early-Junetomid-October) SummerGondola(mid-Maytomid-October) LakeLouiseSkiArea(NovembertoMay) LakeLouiseandMoraineLakeusuallymeltbylateMay.AlpinehikingseasonbeginsinlateJune.Skiseasonbeginsinmid-November. Hiking Biking SkiingandSnowshoeing Wildlifewatching LocalsknowthatLakeLouiseandMoraineLakeareonlythebeginning! SomeoftheCanadianRockiesmostthrillingdestinationsarerightonthedoorstep.InthesameamountoftimeittakestoreachMoraineLake,localsandfrequentvisitorscantraveltooneofthetallestwaterfallsinCanada,theturquoiseheadwatersoftheBowRiver,orhiketoawildglacialmoonscapeaboveBowLake. RediscoverLakeLouise Beautifulplacesnearby Safety Femalegrizzlybear#142nearLakeLouise. Summer InCanada,nationalparksenjoyspecialprotectionsthatmaydifferfromotherprotectedplaces.Pleaseknow“whatnottodo”inanationalpark. Visitorguidelines Bearsafety Winter Walking,snowshoeingortobogganing?Youdon’tneedtoventurefartobeinavalancheterrain.NovemberthroughJune,notallsign-posteddestinationsaresafefortravel.Chooseyourwinterdestinationfromalistofdesignatedtrails. AvalanchezonesatLakeLouise Visitorcentre TheLakeLouiseVisitorCentreoffersinformationfrombothParksCanadaandBanffLakeLouiseTourismaboutthemountainnationalparks,accommodationsandactivities.ItislocatedintheheartofLakeLouiseVillage.ParkingforvehiclesandRVsisavailableinthevillageparkinglot.Asmallgrocerystore,outdoorstore,cafés,bookstore,postofficeandbankmachinearealsoavailablehere. LakeLouiseVisitorCentre 201VillageRd,nexttotheSamsonMall LakeLouise,ABT0L1E0 GPS:51.426275,-116.179304 Hoursofoperation Servicesandamenities Brochures GoogleStreetView Map Usefullinks LocationMap Livewebcam BanffNow RoamTransit.com GettingaroundLakeLouise AerialviewoftheLakeLouisevillageandlake. Datemodified: 2022-08-06