Moraine Lake • Guide to Visiting Canada's Most Beautiful Lake

Moraine Lake (Lac Moraine) is 14 kilometers southeast of Lake Louise. The lake can attribute its brilliant blue color to glacier waters full of rock flour ... Skiptocontent Menu Menu ThereisnoimagemoreiconicoftheCanadianRockies,orCanadaforthatmatter,thanMoraineLake.ThealpinelakeisawildturquoisebluefedbyglaciermeltandsetwithabackdropoftheTenPeaks.ThispristinepieceofwildernessdrawsinmillionsofvisitorsayearandoncegracedCanada’stwenty-dollarbill. It’shardtofindamoremajesticandawe-inspiringplaceintheworldthanMoraineLake.Aftertakinginthespectacularscenery,goforahike,climb,ski,orcanoeinBanffNationalPark.MoraineLake(orLacMoraine)isanimagethatwilllastwithyouforalifetime. IsMoraineLakeOpen? AsofJune6th,2022,theroadtoMoraineLakeisopenfortheseason.Continuereadingforalltheinformationaboutthisstunninglake. AboutMoraineLake(LacMoraine)inAlberta MoraineLake(LacMoraine)is14kilometerssoutheastofLakeLouise.Thelakecanattributeitsbrilliantbluecolortoglacierwatersfullofrockflour(fineparticleofrock)thatrefractsthelight,likemanyotherbluelakesinBanff. Thetimetowitnessthisbrilliantcolorisrelativelyshort-livedasmostoftheyear,thelakeisfrozen,fromOctobertoJune.Thisisduetoitselevationof1,885metersor6,183feet. Enjoyingtheviewfromtherockpile Thereareseveralfantastichikesandwalksaroundthelake.ThemostfamousisashortwalkupTheRockpileTrailthatleadstothe“TwentyDollarView.”ThesceneisfeaturedontheCanadiantwenty-dollarbillandisthevantagepointforalmosteveryphotographofthestunninglake. TipsToVisitMoraineLake WhenIsTheBestTimeToVisitMoraineLake? MoraineLakeinmidMay Unlessyou’reanexperiencedadventurerwithavalancheknowledgeandsnowshoesorskis,youcanonlyvisitMoraineLakefromlateMaytoOctober.Theroadisclosedtherestoftheyearbecauseitissnow-coveredandcrossesavalanchepaths. Ifyouwanttocrosscountryski,fatbike,orsnowshoeinthewinter,thatisanoption.Sincethelakesitsatahighelevation,itremainsfrozenuntillateMay.SoanyvisittoseeMoraineLakeinitsprimeshouldbeplannedforJunetolateSeptember. CanoeingonMoraineLakeinJuly SincethelakeisfedbyGlacialmelt,itswaterlevelandcolorchangebasedontemperatures.ThewaterleveluponfirstmeltingremainslowuntilFayGlacierbeginstomeltinJune.It’sduringthistimeMoraineLakereachesitspeakfillandbeauty. Toensurewarmerweather,asit’sneverhotintheRockies,andagoodchancetowitnessthemostvividturquoisewater,visitLakeMorainefrommid/lateJunetoAugust. MoraineLakeinAugust Thatbeingsaid,thecolorneverleaves,andyoucanwitnessthelakeuntilearlyOctober,whentheroadtothelakeclosesduetoavalancherisk.However,thelakerecedesbythen,andtherewilllikelybesnowandpossiblyice.Thoughinmyopinion,thetenpeaksareamazingwhenblanketedinafreshlayerofsnow. WhatTimeofDayShouldIVisitMoraineLake? MoraineLakearound8pminthemid-June We’resadtosaythatMoraineLake’sbeautyandpopularityarealsoitsdownfalls.ThedemandtoseethelakebyalmosteveryvisitortoBanffNationalParkonanarrowmountainroadwithasmallparkinglotmeansthattodrivetoMoraineLakerequiresarrivingaround5:30a.m.orearlierinthesummermonthsifyouwantaguaranteedparkingspot. MoraineLakeonCanadaDay Yourotheroption,andonewe’vedoneafewtimes,istowaituntilsunsetaround8:30pmorlater.Ifyou’revisitinginearlyJuneorlateSeptember/October,you’llhavebetterluckparkingatLakeMoraineoutside“normal”hours. MoraineLakeatsunsetmidSeptember ParkingatMoraineLakeisparticularlytoughforthosewhoplantotacklesomeofMoraineLake’smorearduoushikes/scrambles,suchasEiffelPeakorMountTemple.Ifyoudon’tfeellikewakingupat4:00a.m.toseethelake,don’tfrettoomuchyouhavesomeoptionswithshuttlesandpublictransportthatwewillbreakdown. GettingtoMoraineLake ParkandRidetoLakeLouiseorMoraineLake ThemostdirectoptionandsurefirewaytoseeMoraineLakeistobooktheParksCanadashuttlefromtheParkandRidedirectlytoMoraineLake,whichrequiresreservations. TheParkandRideparkinglotislocatedattheLakeLouiseSkiResortandrunsdailytoMoraineLake.OnceatMoraineLake,youcanconnectbetweenMoraineLakeandLakeLouiseLakeshoreonafirst-come,first-servebasisviatheLakeConnectorshuttle.TheParkandRideshuttlerunsevery20minutesbetween8:10amand4:50pmtoMoraineLake.ThefinalreturnbusfromMoraineLaketotheParkandRideisat7:30pm. OryoucanbooktheParkandRidethatwillgetyoutotheLakeLouiseLakeshore.ReservationsarerequiredtoutilizethisPark&Ride.TheParkandRidetoLakeLouiserunsevery20minutesbetween8amand5:40pm.ThefinalreturnbusfromLakeLouiseLakeshoretotheParkandRideisat7:30pm.OnceatLakeLouiseLakeshore,youcanconnectbetweenLakeLouiseandMoraineLakeonafirst-come,first-servebasisviatheLakeConnectorshuttle. ForvisitorswhobookedashuttleridefromtheParkandRidetoeitherlakedestination,theLakeConnectorbusisfreeofcharge,makingiteasytoseebothlakesinoneday.Thisshuttleisforreservationholdersonly(proofofticketrequired).However,youdonotneedtobookaspecifictimefortheLakeConnectorshuttle. ParkAndRideShuttleFairs(ReturnTrip) Adults:$8Seniors(65+):$4Youth(6-17):$2Children(under6):Free *Thereisa$3non-refundabletransactionfeeperreservationwhenpurchasingshuttleticketsontheParksCanadaReservationSystem. It’simportanttonotethatthesefeesareinadditiontoyourNationalParksentryfee. 2021wasthefirstyearwetriedtheParkandRideShuttleandlovedhoweasyitwas.Wedidn’thavetoworryaboutparkingatallfortheday,wheninpastyearswe’veeitherhavetotrytogettoMoraineLakeatthecrackofdawn,atsunset,orbestealthyandwaitinourcaruntilothercarsdeparted,whichwastedalotoftime. TheParkandRidealsoallowedustofinallycrossapointtopointhikeoffourlist.TheParadiseValleytrailconnectsMoraineLaketoLakeLouiseviaa20kmhike.Asweonlyownonecarwewereneverabletocompleteit.HoweverthisyearwetooktheParkandRidetoMoraineLake,hikedtoLakeLouise,andtookitbacktotheoverflowlotfromLakeLouise. LakeConnectorShuttleFrequency Clickforaninteractivemap. LakeLouisetoMoraineLake:Every15minutesbetween9amand6pm.MoraineLaketoLakeLouise:Every15minutesbetween9:10amand6pm. Checkoutthemaptobetterunderstandthelayoutandwheretopark.Ifyou’dlikemoreinfosuchasscheduleandup-to-datefairs,checkouttheParksCanadaWebsite.ThisisanewsystemandwasintroducedtohelpwiththecongestionatMoraineLakeandLakeLouise.WearefrequentlyupdatingthissectionasParksCanadachangesrulesoften. ShuttleReservationsForMoraineLakein2022 ParkandRide IfyouplantotaketheshuttletoMoraineLakeshuttlereservationsarerequiredtovisitMoraineLakebetweenJune1standOctober10th.ReservationswillbeavailablebeginningonMay4th2022,at8amMST,andyou’llbeabletobookyourseatonashuttlebusinadvance.Only50%oftheshuttlebusticketswillbereleasedonMay4th. Theother50%willbereleasedthroughoutthesummer.Theseportionofseatswillbereleasedonarollingbasis,48hoursbeforedeparturedayat8amMSTstartingonMay4th,2022.Walkupsalesmaybepermittediftherearestillseatsavailable.You’llbeabletoreserveaseatupto30minutesbeforethescheduleddeparture.BookyourseatreservationontheParksCanadawebsite. TheonlywaytoavoidgettingtoMoraineLakeontheshuttleandguaranteeyoustillgettoseeMoraineLakeisbybookinganorganizedtour.However,Ifoundtheshuttlesystemveryeasytouse. Weknowit'sallabitconfusing!Stillhavequestions?WebreakdownallyouneedtoknowaboutMoraineLakeParkingin2022 RoamTransittoMoraineLake TheRoamTransitbusdoesnotruntoMoraineLakeexceptbetweentheperiodsofSeptember20thandOctober11thforlarchseason.Duringthistime,youcancatchtheRoamRoute10:MoraineLakeExpressfromBanfftoMoraineLake. TheRoamTransitExpressRoute8xandScenicRoute8s,runinthesummertoLakeLouisefromBanff.Thecostis$10peradult,reservationsarerecommendedhoweveryoucanwalk-uptothefareboxes.RoambusesacceptUSandCanadiancurrencyassmallasanickel,andupto$20.Children12andunderarefree,butstillrequireareservation. Newin2022–TheRoamTransitSuperPass.RoamhasaOneDaySuperPasswhichallowstravelonany/allRoamroutes–FromCanmoretoBanfftoLakeLouiseforjust$25.TheSuperPassissoldonlyonthebus,attheRoamofficeinBanff,orthroughtheTokenTransitApp. WiththeSuperPasscomesfreeaccesstotheParksCanadaLakeConnectorshuttle.WiththepurchaseofthenewRoamTransitSuperPassvisitorswillreceivefreeaccesstotheParksCanadaLakeConnectorshuttlefromtheLakeLouiseLakeshoreorMoraineLake. ShowavalidRoamSuperPasstoParksCanadastaffatLakeLouiseorMoraineLaketoreceiveyourParksCanadaboardingpass.  StayinaHotelandCatchtheParkandRide ManyhotelsandlodgesaroundLakeLouisevillageofferprivateshuttles,oryoucanbookonefromyourhotelwithMountainParkTransport.YouneedtocheckwithyourbookedLakeLouisehotelpropertytoseeiftheyofferafreeorpaidshuttletoMoraineLake.It’sbesttocallandconfirmwithreceptionbeforeyouarrivetomanageexpectations. IfyoustayatahotelinLakeLouiseVillageortheLakeLouiseCampground,youcanusethePark&RideConnectorshuttleforfreeasitstopsinthevillageandcampground. ThePark&RideConnector loopsbetweentheLakeLouiseCampground,thevillageofLakeLouise(SamsonMall)andtheLakeLouiseParkandRide IfyouarestayinginthevillageofLakeLouiseorattheLakeLouisecampground,youareencouragedtousetheParkandRideConnectortogettothePark&Ride.Thisroutedoesnotrequirereservationsandisfreeofcharge. ArePetsAllowedontheParksCanadaPark&RidetoLakeLouiseorMoraineLake? Onemorethingtonoteisthatdogsandpetsarenotallowedontheshuttlebuses.Onlycertifiedserviceanimalsareallowedontheshuttlebuses.Ifyouhopetovisitwithyourpet,youwillneedtosecureyourownparking. BookanOrganizedTour AnotherwaytoguaranteethatyouwillseeMoraineLakeisbybookinganorganizedtourorutilizingtheBanffHoponHopOffBus. CanoeingatMoraineLake Beyondwalkingaroundthelake,canoeingisthemostpopularactivityatMoraineLake.It’sanamazingexperiencetopaddleacrossthealpinelakewiththemountainstoweringhighabove.Thedockisopenfrom9:30amto5pmfrommid-Junetomid-September. CanoeRentalsarerunbytheMoraineLakeLodge,andratesstartat$115CADanhour.Thecanoesincludepaddles,lifejackets,andsomebasicinstructions.Eachcanoecanaccommodatetwoorthreepeopleandpetsarenotpermitted. Reservationsarenotaccepted,andthecanoesoperateonafirst-come,first-servedbasis.Also,keepinmindthedockisweatherdependentandcanshutdownininclementweathersuchasheavysnow,rain,orwind. CanyouBringaPrivateCanoe,Kayak,orSUPtoMoraineLake? VisitorscanbringtheirownpersonalwatercrafttoanyofthelakesorriverswithinBanffNationalPark.ThetrickypartwithMoraineLakeisacquiringaparkingspotandthenlaunchingfromthelakeshore,butitcanbedoneifyoutimeitright!Allthephotosinthispostarewithourpersonalcanoe.Wearrivedbeforesunsetandwereabletogetaparkingspotsothatwecouldlaunchourcanoeeasily. Ofcourse,youcangetinflatableSUPstooandpackthemintoMoraineLakeviatheshuttlebus.ParksCanadarequiresaself-certificationforallnon-motorizedwatercraftinCanadianRockyNationalParks. TheMoraineLakeRockpileTrail TheMoraineLakeRockpiletrailbringsyoutotheaptlynamed“TwentyDollarView”becauseitisthesceneusedontheformerCanadiantwenty-dollarbillandshotbyalmosteveryphotographer. Weliketoconsideritoneofthebestviewsintheworld.MoraineLakes’deepblueisbackedbythefamedTenPeaks–tentoweringsnow-cappedpeaks. TheRockpile It’sashortwalkuptothetopoftherockpiletrailthatalmostanyonecanaccomplish.Thetrailswitchbacksalongthebacksideoftherockymoraine.Therearestoneandlogstepsthatmakeitaccessibletomostable-bodiedpeople.Keepaneyeoutforpikasandchipmunksfrequentlyseendartinginandoutoftherocks. Trailhead:Beginsattheendoftheparkinglotandoverthebridge.Distance:350metersElevation:30metersTime:20–40minutes(return) CanYouBiketoMoraineLake? BikingMoraineLakeRoadWhenitIsClosedtoVehicles I’vebikedtoMoraineLakeafewtimesinthepast,andit’sactuallynotasbadasitsounds.FromLakeLouise,it’sapproximately14kmuphill.Thistakesme50minutesonamountainbikeand40minutesonaroadbike.It’salluphill,butthefunridedownmakesitallworthit.Ifyoucan’tseemtogetparking,oneofyouroptionsistoparkatLakeLouiseVillageorasmallparkingareaatthestartofMoraineLakeRoad. ThereisoneshortweekinBanffwhentheyplowLakeMoraineRoadanddon’topentheroadtovehicles.MeaningyoucanbiketoMoraineLakeandhaveitalltoyourself–whichisamazing!ThoughyoucanbiketoMoraineLakeanytimeyouwant. Ifyou’readomestictraveler,makesuretobringyourbiketoBanff,orit’spossibletorentbicyclesforthedayineitherBanffatBactrax,ReboundCycleinCanmore,orWilsonSportsinLakeLouiseVillage. **YoucanalwaysbiketoMoraineLakeduringanyseason,butwhentheroadopenstovehicles,youwillbebikingnexttoafewcars. HikingAroundLakeMoraine TherearesomeverypopularhikesaroundLakeMoraineshouldyouwanttogetmoreactivityin!I’verankedthemallhereintermsofdifficulty.YoucanalsofindallthebestLakeMorainehikessummeduphereaswell. MoraineLakeShoreTrail FromtheCanoedocks,thisisaflattrailthatworksitswayalongthelake’sshorelineandback.It’sawonderfultrailthatmovesinandoutoftheforestwithgreatlakeviewsandmountains. You’llbeshockedathowfewvisitorstoMoraineLakegojustalittlefurthertohikealongwithoneoftheeasiesttrailsinthearea.AttheendofthehikeisaboardwalknearthewatersflowingdownfromWenkchemnapass. Trailhead:Beginsatthecanoedocks.Distance:2.9kmsElevation:162metersTime:45to60minutes(return) ConsolationLakesTrail ThisisafamilyfavoriteasitcanbepairedwiththeMoraineLakeRockpile,andit’sprettyeasywithalittleelevationgain.It’sanicestepupfromtheLakeshoreTrailastheterrainismoredifficultwithgreaterelevationgainandashortsectionthatcrossesoveraboulderfield. Alongthehike,yougetviewsofthescreeslopesfromtheTowerofBabbel.Thehikepassesthroughtheold-growthforestbeforearrivingatanalpinefieldandwetlandswiththeconsolationlakesattheirend.YougettremendousviewsofthebacksideoftheTenPeaksMountBabbelandMountFay,toppedbyglaciersfromthelakes. Trailhead:BeginsfromtheRockpileTrailDistance:5.8kmElevation:255metersTime:1.5to2hours(return) EiffelLakeTrail WitnessamazingviewsoftheValleyofTenPeaksasyouclimbtotwomesmerizingglaciallakesontheContinentalDivide.ThetrailfromMoraineLakeisprettyeasytofollowuptotheforkforEiffelLakeorSentinelPass. Therouteuptotheforkisprettydemandingasitclimbs350matarelativelyhighgradeforabout40minutes.Fromthefork,youtaketheless-traveledpathtotheEiffelLakes.PastthelakesliesWenkchemnaPassTrailthatpassesthroughthemountainsintoYohoNationalPark.ThetopofthepassprovidesstunningviewsoftheTenPeaks. Trailhead:BeginsatcanoedocksDistance:11.7Elevation:570metersTime:3to4hours SentinelPassviaLarchValley SentinelPassisthequintessentialCanadianRockieshike.It’sfairlychallenging,hugelypopular,andoffersanamazingviewoftheTenPeaks.ThehikefollowsasimilarrouteattheEiffelLakeshikebutdepartsattheforkandupintotheLarchValley. ThepassismostwellknownandattractshundredsofphotographersandhikersduringthelarchseasoninlateSeptember.Duringthisperiod,thevalleytreesturntoabrightgoldencolor,andthemountainsaretoppedwiththefirstsignsofthenewseason’ssnow.It’sasoul-stirringscenethatcaneasilybeconsideredoneofthebestdayhikesintheworld. Trailhead:BeginsatcanoedocksDistance:10.9Elevation:792metersTime:2.5to4hours TheBestMoraineLakeHikes ScramblesAroundLakeMoraine LookingattheTowerofBabel FromthesummitoftheTowerofBabelinJune Thesescramblesareforexperiencedhikersandpeoplewhohavespenttheirfairshareoftimeintheoutdoors.Thesehikesareeasytomoderatescramblesbutoccuronveryseriousmountainswithrealhazardsthatcanresultindeath. EveryyeartouristsareevacuatedbySearchandRescueononeofthesehikes/routes.Ifyouplantotackleanyofthese,pleaseplanaccordinglyandbepreparedfortheelements—alsowearahelmet. TowerofBabbelEiffelPeakMountTemple MoraineLakeLodgeAccommodation ThereisonlyoneplacetostayatMoraineLake,andthatistheaptlynamedMoraineLakeLodge.Ithasbeenclosedfortwoyearsandisnownewlyrenovated–reservationsfor2022areopen!Stayingatthelakeallowsyoutotakeadvantageofthelakeatalltimesoftheday,andtheyhaveaprivateparkinglot,soyou’reguaranteedaspottopark. TheMoraineLakeLodgeisopenfromearlyJunetoearlyOctober.Itdoescostupwardsof$1000pernight.Atthelodge,youcanfindacafe,restaurant,andgiftshop.NotethereisnocampingatMoraineLake,andyoucannotsleepinyourcarovernighttoensureparking. ParksCanadadoeschecktheareatomakesuretheserulesarebeingfollowed,andyoucouldbesubjecttoafineifyoubreakthem.However,youcanarriveasearlyas4amtograbaspot. FrequentlyAskedMoraineLakeQuestions MoraineLakeinEarlyOctober IsMoraineLakeopen? TheroadtoMoraineLakeiscurrentlyopenforseason.TheroadtoMoraineLakeclosesforthewintereveryyearduetoavalancherisk.Onaverage,theroadtoMoraineLakeisopeneveryyearfromLateMaytoMidOctober—weather-dependent. WhereisMoraineLake? MoraineLakeislocatedinBanffNationalPark,14kmsouthofLakeLouiseinAlberta.ItislocatedintheValleyoftheTenPeaks,withanelevationof1,884metersor6,181feet. HowFarisMoraineLakefromLakeLouise? MoraineLakeisonMoraineLakeRoadand14kmfromtheLakeLouiselakeshore.ThedrivefromLakeLouisetoMoraineLaketakesaround20minutes. CanyouFishinMoraineLake? Yes,youcanfishinmanybodiesofwaterinBanffNationalPark.However,therearebetterplacesforfishing,andgiventhecrowds,we’drecommendanglersheadelsewhereliketheBowRiverforamorequietexperience. CanYouDrivetoMoraineLake? YoucandrivetoMoraineLake,butitcomeswithitsownsetofhasslesasthereislimitedparking,andMoraineLakeisthemostpopularthingtoseeinallofAlberta.TogettoMoraineLake,you’llneedtodriveona14kmpavedroad.I’llcoverparkingbelow. WhenDoesTheRoadToMoraineLakeOpenAndClose? Sincethelakeliesatahighelevationandisaccessedbyonesmallroad,itispronetohighavalancherisk.Thismeansforsafety,theroadisclosedtoallvehiclesduringthewintermonths.Soifyou’rewonderingiftheroadtoMoraineLakeisopen,considerthemonth. MoraineLakeRoadusuallyopensaroundlateMayandclosestheTuesdayafterCanadianThanksgivingHoliday(thesecondMondayinOctober).Yes,CanadahasitsownThanksgiving. Therearenosetdatesregardingtheopeningandclosingoftheroadasit’sentirelysubjecttotheweather/snowconditions.WhenParksCanadafeelstherouteissafe,theywillplowtheroadandopenittothepublic.Forreference,lastyear,thiswasafterthefirstsignificantsnowfallonOctober13th. IsitEasytoGetParkingatMoraineLake? Inshort,no,it’snoteasytoparkatMoraineLake.LakeMoraineissobeautifulandphotogenicthatnearlyeveryvisitortoBanffwantstovisit.Parkingisminimal,andwithdemandandtrafficvolumesohigh,ParksCanadahadtostepinwithtrafficcontrol. VehicleswillonlybegrantedaccesstodriveMoraineLakeroadifparkingisavailable.Afterthat,theyclosedowntheroad,andyouwillgetturnedaway.Inthesummermonths,thismeansyouhavetoatleastbethereby5:30amorrisknotgettingaspot,andsometimesevengettingtherethatearlyisn’tenough. Thereisnospacetowaitforparkingstallstobecomeavailable,soit’sbesttohavebackupplansshouldyounotgetparking.Washroomanddrop-off/pick-upareascannotbeaccessedwhenparkingisfull. CanyouBiketoMoraineLake? Yes,youcanbiketoMoraineLake.However,wewouldnotadvisedoingsounlessyouareacomfortableroadbikerduetothetrafficonthenarrowroad. ThereisanoccasionaltimeinlateMaywhentheroadisfreeofsnowbutclosedtovehicles.Duringthistime,itcanbeagreatwaytovisitthelakeiftheavalancheconditionsaresafe.It’sbesttocheckwithParksCanadainadvance. CanYouSwiminMoraineLake? YoucanswiminMoraineLake,butyouprobablywon’twanttoasthewatertemperaturerangesbetween3-4°C.Ifyoudodecidetotakeaplungemakesuretohaveawaytogetdryandstaywarmafterward. LakeMoraineEarlyJune EveryonetakingadvantageofthebiketoMoraineLakeinMaywiththeroadclosedtovehicles! CanYouWalktoMoraineLake? YoucanwalktoMoraineLake–andI’veseenpeopledoit(althoughIneverhave).Preparefora14kmwalkonewayuphill,followingaprettyboringpavedroad. Iwouldplanatleast2.5hourstowalktoMoraineLakefromthestartoftheroad.Togetbackwouldbealittleshorterasyouaregoingdownhill,butnotmuch.Youmaybeabletohitcharideifyougettired. CanYouVisitMoraineLakeandLakeLouiseontheSameDay? Yes,visitingbothlakesiseasilydoable.Ifyouaren’tplanninganybighikes,youcaneasilyseeMoraineLakeinanhourandthenheaddowntoLakeLouiseandspendanotherhourthere.TheLakeConnectorShuttlemakesthisincrediblesimple.OryoucantryhikinguptoLakeAgnesandtheBeehives.YoucanseeafulllistofexampleBanffitinerarieshere. ArethereBearsaroundMoraineLake? IfyouplantohikearoundBanff,youneedtogotothelocaloutdoorstore(there’sabigoneinBanffcalledAtmosphere)andpurchaseacanisterofbearspray.Thiswillsetyoubackaround$40,butitismorethanworthitintheeventofathreateningencounterwithabear. ThenbeforeanyhikeinBanffNationalPark,makesuretopackbearspray,checktheparkwebsitesforwildlifeinformation(ParksCanada and ABPark),andthencheckagainfornoticesatthetrailhead. ThevalleysaroundMoraineLakearewellknownfortheirbearsightings. Whenyou’reonthetrail,makenoisebybanginghikingpoles,talking,whistling,clapping,orsinging.Thisisparticularlyimportantaroundblindbendsandcorners.It’salsoabusytrail,soyougenerallydon’tneedtomaketoomuchnoise,butalwaysbebearaware. Thismeansstayingalert,travelinginagroup,mindingchildrenandpets,andfinallycarryingbearsprayandknowinghowtouseit. CanoeingonLakeLouiseafterwehikedupTowerofBabelatMoraineLake CanyouVisitMoraineLakeDuringtheWinter? Toputitsimply,youcannotvisitMoraineLakeduringthewintermonths,atleastnottotheaveragevisitorthatis.Therearenovehiclespermittedontheroadduringthistime,andnotouroperatorsareallowedtooperate,sonosleighrides,snowshoe,ordogsledtourswillbringyoutothelake.Thisisduetotheavalancheriskontheroadasitcrossesavalanchepaths. Inthewintermonths,thereareseveralcross-countryskitrailsinthearea,includingonethatutilizestheMoraineLakeRoad.However,itstopsshortoftheLakewhenitapproachesthefirstavalanchepath.YoucanseetheTenPeaksinthedistanceatitstrailend.Occasionallyexperiencedskiersdomakethetrekastheyareequippedtotravelinavalancheterrain.Wedonotrecommendanyonetravelinsuchterrainwithoutpropertrainingandequipment. HowCanIEscapetheCrowdsatMoraineLake? Evenintheheatofsummer,it’spossibletohavesomealonetimeatMoraineLake.MostvisitorstoMoraineLakecongregateattherockpileanddon’tventurepastthat.Togetawayfromthat,walktheLakeMoraineLakeshoretrail,getoutonacanoe,ortryoneofthehikessuggested.Theharderthehike,thefewerpeopleyouwillsee. YourotheroptionistoheadtoLakeMoraineforsunsetwhencrowdsdiedownintheshoulderseason.It’salsobesttoavoidholidaysandweekendsifpossible. WhenaretheHolidaysatMoraineLake? MoraineLakeisalwaysbusyinthesummer,butyoushouldnotethefollowingholidaysasit’sevenbusier. VictoriaDayLongWeekend–1stMondayofMay.CanadaDay–July1stHeritageDayWeekend–1stMondayofAugust.LabourDayWeekend–1stMondayofSeptember. HowtoGettoMoraineLakeandBanffinGeneral? MoraineLakeisfoundonMoraineLakeRoad,whichisa13kmroadfromLakeLouise.Togetthere,allvisitorsmusttaketheLakeLouiseexitandturnleftfromBanfforrightfromField,BC.ContinuepastLakeLouisevillage.Ifyouarelowongas,thisisyourlastchancetofillup,andyouwillneedatleastsomethinginyourtanktomakeitupthe13kmtoLakeMoraineandback. MoraineLakeRdisatwo-laneroad.Thereisonlyoneplacetopark:LakeMoraineitself.Thereareveryfewchancestopulloveronthisroad.Thereareonly150orsospacesatLakeMoraine,soParksCanadawillclosetheroaddownoncethelotfillsup.Inthesummer,thishappensasearlyas5:30am.TogettoMoraineLakeandaroundBanff,hereareyouroptions. ParkingatMoraineLakepresentsitsownproblems,sowecreatedthisparkingguidetohelpyounavigatethem. FlyintoCalgaryorEdmonton Calgary(YYC)istheclosestinternationalairport,locatedaround200kmfromLakeLouise,atwo-hourcarride.It’soneofourfavoriteairportsasit’smodern,nottoobusy,andhasseveralflightconnectionswithinCanada. It’salsowellconnectedtoseveralmajorhubsintheUnitedStatesanddirectlytoEurope.Ifyou’recomingfromEurope,weliketoconnectthroughLondonGatwickAirportasWestjetoffersanaffordableflightwithgreatservice. ThealternativeistoflyintoEdmontonandmakearoadtriptoJasperanddowntheIcefieldsParkwaytoBanff.FromBanff,youcandrivetoCalgaryanddepartfromthatairport.It’saspectaculardriveandconsideredoneofthebestroadtripsintheworld!Ofcourse,youcandotheroutefromCalgarytoJasperandoutofEdmonton. GetaCarRentalforBanff Whilepublictransportisgreatlyimprovingaroundthepark,it’sstilltoughtoexplorewithoutyourowncar.SowerecommendyoupickupacarrentaltobestexploreBanffNationalParkandthesurroundingarea. PublicTransportation Ifyoudonotfeelcomfortabledrivingordonothaveyourlicense,itisverypossibletovacationintheCanadianRockieswithoutdriving. Infact,ifyouplantovisitthemostpopularattraction,weevenrecommendit.RoamTransitofferspublicbusservicearoundtheBowValley. BanffAirporter TheBanffAirporteroffersashuttleserviceforvisitorstoCanmoreandBanff.TheyhavemultipledeparturesadayandwilldeliveryoutotheCoastHotelinCanmoreordirecttoyourhotelinBanff. Theydriveinmodernvansorbusesandhaveprompt,friendlyservice.Evenaslocalswe’veusedthemtoavoidparkingourcarattheairportandwereveryhappywiththeservice. BowValleyPublicTransport(Roam) You’llprobablybesurprisedtolearnthatdespitethefactBanffandCanmorearesmalltownsof8,000and14,000people,theyhaveapublicbussystemthatrunsyear-roundtomanyofthemostpopularattractionsaroundthetwotownsandconnectingthem. TheRoamtransitrunsadirectbustoLakeLouise,LakeLouiseVillage,andMoraineLakeinthesummermonths. PrivateTourOperators YoualsohavetheoptiontouseoneofthecountlesstouroperatorsinBanffwhooffertoursthatincludeMoraineLake.BookinganorganizedtourlikethisorutilizingtheBanffHoponHopOffBusensureyougettoseeMoraineLake. Theyalsohavemanyactivitiestotestoutforwhateversuitsyourfancy.Wanttogodogsledding,canoeing,horsebackriding,icewalking,climbing,skiing,wildlifephotography,hiking,orwhitewaterrafting. GearWeRecommendintheRockies MerrellMoabII Manyhikerswillenjoythesecurity,comfort,andvalueintheMerrellMoabII.It’sagreatbeginnerhikingboot. Arc’teryxCerium Arc’teryxCeriumisourpickforthebestdownjacket.It’sincrediblylight,andwebringitonalmosteveryhikeintheRockies. PDCaptureClip ThisniftyclipfromPeakDesignsecuresacameratomybackpackstrapforeasyreach.Nomoredigginginthebackpack! HikingPoles Apairofdurableandlightweighthikingpolesareagreatassetonthehikingtrail.  GregoryNano20L 20Lfeelsliketheidealsizeforquickhikesandscrambles.WelovetheNanofromGregorywithahydrationreservoir. GarminInreachMini ThereisnotmuchcellserviceintheCanadianRockies.Incaseofemergencies,wecarryanemergencybeaconwithGPS. MoraineLakeinEarlyJune HopefullythisguidetoMoraineLakewillhelpyouplanyourtriptoBanff.IknowthatitisALOTofinformationandtheshuttlesareparticularlyconfusing,butit’sallworthittoseethemostbeautifullakeintheworld! WheretoStayinBanff Forasmallmountaintown,Banffhasaplethoraofaccommodationoptions.Someofourfavoritesare: BanffSpringsHotel:MostluxuriousplacetostayinBanff.Definitelyasplurge,butworthwhileifyouarecelebratingaspecialoccasion.BakerCreekResort:CabinsinthewildernessofBanff.Ifyouarelookingforsomewhereawayfromthehustleandbustleofdowntownthisisforyou.TheRimrock:IsasupergreatpetfriendlyoptioninBanff.It’sclosetoSulphurMountainandtheBanffHotSprings.Canmore:YoucanalwaysstayinthenearbytownofCanmore!OneofourfavoritehotelsistheLadyMacdonaldCountryInn. allthebestplacestostayinBanff ↓Jointhecommunity↓ The BanffBlogFacebookGroup isyourheadquartersfortheCanadianRockiestraveladviceandinformation.Includinghikeinfoandoff-seasontravelinformation.Thisisalsoaplacewhereyoucanmeetoneanotherwhenyouneedadventurebuddies.  CanadianRockiesTravelandHikeInfo PlanYourTriptotheCanadianRockies TravelInsurance:Wedon’trecommendtravelingwithouttravelinsurance.WerecommendcheckingoutSafetywingorWorldNomadsofferscompetitiveratesforalltravelers. HotelsintheRockies:Therearemanyplacestostay,fromluxuryhotelstowildernesscabins.Seeallourfavoriteshere. PackfortheRockies:SeeourcompleteAlbertapackinglisthere. GetAround:Wesuggesteitherrentingacartogetaround,youcansearchforrentalcarsonKayak.OrembarkonanepiccampervantripwithcompanieslikeOutdoorsy. Tours:Banffandthesurroundingareasofferplentyoffunexcursionsandtours. GypsyGuide:ForanarrativeaudiotouraroundtheRockies,considergettingtheGypsyGuide AboutCameron CameronisaresidentofCanmore,Alberta.Aftertravelingtheworldforsixyears,hesettleddowninthebeautifulBowValleywithNatasha.Hehasbeenfeaturedasatravelexpertwithnumerouspublicationsworldwideandhasspokenonseveraloccasionsaboutthepoweroftravel.HehasapassionforallthingsintheCanadianRockiesandlovestospendhistimesnowboarding,scrambling,camping,biking,andtrailrunning.Conservationisadeepfundamentalinhislife,andheaimstoinspireotherstocareaboutournaturalworld.Youcanlearnmoreontheaboutuspage. IfyouhavefoundthecontentonthissitehelpfultoyourtripplanningpleaseconsidersupportingTheBanffBlog.Whetheritbebuyingacoffeeor(evenbetter)purchasingauniqueprintforyourhomefromTheBanffPrintShopallpurchaseshelpwiththeupkeepofthissitethatisupdateddaily.Allsupportismuchappreciated! 12thoughtson“MoraineLake•GuidetoVisitingCanada’sMostBeautifulLake” Thisisanamazingpost,sohelpful,thankyousomuch! ButI’mstillVERYconfusedabouttheshuttleservicewhichseemstobeneededtovisitMoraineLake.SoIhavetoknowexactlythedayandslotoftimeIwanttovisititbeforehandinordertobooktheshuttle?Ohmygod,it’sanightmare.ShouldItrymylucktryingtofindparking? I’msoconfused! Reply Wedon’tblameyou!Yes,itisalittleconfusing.Youdoneedtoknowyourdayandtimewindowforbookingtheshuttle.Iwouldrecommendyouwaituntilyouarriveforyourtripandthenbookwhenyouknowyourplans/weather.Parkingisaslimpossibility,butitishardtocomeby. Reply IAMSTILLCONFUSED,HOWTOTAKESHUTTLETOLAKEMORAIN,THEYGIVEYOUTIMESLOTS. Reply Pleaseseehere:https://thebanffblog.com/moraine-lake-parking/ Reply Hey!Wheredidyoufindthenewtentativedateof8thJune?🤞🏼 Reply WeareoftenintouchwithParksCanada Reply Ismorainelakestillfrozenatthemoment? Reply Itisnotfrozencurrently. Reply Thankyou! Reply LakeMoraineisbeautiful.However,theparkingisveryfrustrating.Wevisitedasfamilyandhadtwocars.Wewereabletoentertheparkbuttheparkingstaffswouldn’tlettheothercarinevenifthereareover10parkingspotsavailable.Theyloopthreetimes,seen3carsleftdowntheroad,pointedtoparkingstaffsthattherewerethreecarsthatjustleftbuttheystillwouldn’tletthemin. Ithinkit’shightimeforthestaffsoftheparktocomeupwithabettersystemusinganyavailabletechnologytobemoreefficientwiththeparkingissues. Reply HiCameron/Natasha, IfweheadtoMoraineLakeonsummerweekdaysaround7:00AM,whatarethechancesofgettingaparkingspot?Also,whatothertimeswouldyouthinkaregoodtimesforgettingaparking? Reply Idon’tthinkyouwillgetparkingarrivingthatlate.Manyhavebeenreportingtheyneedtobetherewellbefore5am,evenontheweekdayinthesummer.WehighlyrecommendtakingtheshuttleandnotdealingwithtryingtoparkatMoraine. Reply LeaveaCommentCancelreplyCommentName Email Website Savemyname,email,andwebsiteinthisbrowserforthenexttimeIcomment. Δ Hey,we'reCameronandNatashaandhavebeenwritingabouttravelforthelastdecade.In2018,wedecidedtosettledowninoneofthemostbeautifulplacesonearth,TheCanadianRockies. NowweliveinCanmoreandspendasmuchtimeaspossibleexploringandhikingaroundBanff.Wethinkthisisoneofthemostspectacularareasandtheperfectplaceforanoutdoorvacation.OuraimistohelpyougetthemostoutofyourtriptoBanffNationalParkandthesurroundingareas. Learnmoreonouraboutuspage!Ifyou'dliketosupportourworkcheckoutourshopforuniqueprintsandsouvenirsorsupportusdirectlyhere. SupportOurWork FollowUsOnSocial! Searchfor: Thisarticlemaycontainaffiliatelinks.Wereceivecompensationifyoumakeapurchase,butitwon'tcostyouanythingextra. Adventuresports,activities,andnon-supervisedactivitiescomewithinherentrisks,pleasetakenecessaryprecautions.TheWorldPursuitLLCisnotresponsibleforinjury,loss,ordamagewhileparticipatinginanactivity.Readersareresponsibleforensuringtheirownsafety. RelatedPosts About PrintShop Plan FrequentlyAskedQuestions TheBanffBlogRecommendations! BestTimetoVisitBanff TheBestBanffHotels WhattoPackForBanff ThingsToDoinBanff AmazingBanffHikes WhereToEatinBanff Regions B.C. 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