Home»Photo Galleries»Canadian Northwest»Banff National Park 2019»Lake Louise

Lake Louise is considered by many to be one of the most beautiful places in the world. Although there are many competitors, it’s true that the setting is truly majestic. The lake is like a jewel, with crystal-blue/green waters framed by forested mountains and luminous snowfields. The iconic Chateau Lake Louise sits on the moraine at the end of the lake, and it is the starting point for several world-class hikes. During our stay in Banff National Park, we enjoyed several walks along, above, and beyond Lake Louise.

On the evening we arrived, we walked along the lake shore, experiencing it at dusk on a cloudy day. The next morning, which started out sunny and then developed clouds, we walked a circuit that included Reflection Lake, Little Beehive trail, Lake Agnes Teahouse, and the Highline Trail. It was a long hike, on a warm day, and the first couple of miles it was extremely crowded, making us wonder if we made a mistake coming to Lake Louise. But after we started on the Highline trail in the late afternoon, we understood the reason why we were there. The crowds disappeared, the view opened up, and the clouds parted briefly from time to time to let the sun cast its soft rays on the ridges.

On our second day we hiked up to the Plain of the Six Glaciers Teahouse, which sits at almost 7000 ft altitude, a 1200 ft elevation gain from the start of the trail. There was a steady rain from the early morning, and snow was falling at the top of the range that we walked beneath. The famous views were completely missing, as we were basically walking in the clouds. However, there were brief glimpses along the way of the ridges and hillsides. Instead of views, we had some very nice cascades flowing down the sides of the cliffs, and the flowers along the way were decorated with water droplets. And no bowl of soup ever tasted better than our dish at the teahouse! We sat inside, protected from the rain, for a couple of hours as people came and went, sharing our table with several interesting hikers, nursing our cups of tea and our nice dessert.

On our third day, we decided to drive the Icefields parkway. The morning had started out sunny and fresh from the previous day’s rain, which had continued all night. But as soon as we entered the parkway, the clouds were moving in, and by the time we reached the Columbia Icefield’s Visitor’s Centre, all we wanted to do was get inside to stay dry and warm. It gave us a chance to see a nice film and walk through exhibits about the Columbia Icefield, but afterwards we drove back in the rain, stopping a few times and walking down to the river. All in all, it was not a pleasant or enjoyable day, although it gave us a taste of the weather that helps create the beauty of Banff National Park. And it gave us a good test of our rain gear!

While at Lake Louise, we visited Moraine Lake on several occasions. Please visit the Moraine Lake gallery for a continuation of our journey.