We made it to Lake Louise! Since my trip with my parents in 1989, access to Lake Louise has become much harder. In reality, unless you’re staying at Chateau Lake Louise, you have to plan ahead. With some strategizing, we visited Lake Louise twice this vacation.
On our first day in Banff, we found parking after 7 pm, which was unplanned but rewarding. The other visit occurred when we booked a half-day bus tour to Lake Louise and Lake Moraine for later in the week.
Getting to Lake Louise
If you’re staying at Chateau Lake Louise, you’ve got it made since you can park in the hotel lot. Otherwise, you have to fight for limited parking or find alternative transportation, which includes taking the bus or signing up for a tour. Uber/taxis aren’t available.
Parking at Lake Louise
Parking at Lake Louise often fills up by sunrise (between May and October). Since parking costs $42 CAD, chances are most people stay for most of the day. However, I read that early evening is a great time to visit since most of the hikers have finished. Plus, parking is free beginning at 7 pm. When we arrived shortly after, we found tons of parking spots.
Bus and Other Transportation to Lake Louise
Parks Canada offers easy trips to both Lake Louise and Lake Moraine for only $12. However, these book up when the portal opens for the season, typically around April 15. All is not lost if you miss the window since Parks Canada releases another 60% of shuttle tickets available for purchase at 8 am two days in advance. For example, if you wanted to take the shuttle for Wednesday afternoon, check the Parks Canada website at 8 am on Monday. In peak season, these tickets sell out by 8:01 am. However, I found that checking the website multiple times during the day is beneficial, as some people cancel due to a change in plans.
Other operators include Moraine Lake Bus Company, Roam Transportation, guided tours, and private cars. Since we didn’t want to risk missing out on shuttle tickets and I didn’t know we’d find parking on the first evening, I booked the Rockies Journey Half Day Tour – Lake Louise and Moraine Lake for our next-to-last day. The only problem with guided tours is limited time (75 minutes) at Lake Louise. That’s why we took the chance on finding parking on our first day in Banff, simply to have more time with fewer crowds.
Early Evening Visit to Lake Louise
Parking was plentiful, and crowds were nonexistent during the early evening visit. This was on a Saturday night in early June, so I don’t know what it would be like during the peak months of July and August. With recent rain, the clouds created a moody atmosphere over the lake.
Fairview Lookout Hike
We decided to do a short hike, and the 1-km trail (only 0.6 mile) to the overlook looked easy enough to do. Although short, there is a 500-foot elevation gain, which slowed us down a bit. Remember, it was past 7 pm and we still had to drive to our hotel at Emerald Lake. Fortunately, at the beginning of June, the sun doesn’t set until close to 10 pm.
For the most part, evergreen trees lined both sides of the trail, so you wouldn’t even know there was a lake nearby. We had to carefully tread on patches of snow here and there, too. After about 20 minutes, I started seeing little dots of turquoise through the trees.
For whatever reason, the turquoise colors appeared more vibrant from this vantage point. Earlier in the day, we learned that the lakes appear turquoise because of rock flour that melts off glaciers in the spring. The rock flour (basically tiny little clay and silt particles) doesn’t settle to the bottom but stays suspended in the lake. Somehow, with light refraction, absorption, and things I don’t understand, the suspended rock flour gives off the turquoise color. That’s why the water is so vibrant during the summer months after the lakes thaw.
We got to the lookout just in time to see wisps of clouds begin to shroud our view of Chateau Lake Louise. Literally, two minutes later, we couldn’t see the hotel at all! But seeing the turquoise in the lake and the different viewpoint of the lake made the hike worth it.
Morning Visit to Lake Louise
Five days later, we hopped on the guided tour to Lake Louise, arriving there around 9:30 am. There were definitely more people at that time of day, but we didn’t find it too crowded. We quickly walked through the Chateau Lake Louise. If I’d had more time, I would have loved to book afternoon tea, gazing at the view from the arched windows.
Technically, non-registered guests aren’t supposed to walk through the hotel, but I wanted to relive some memories from when we stayed there back in 1989. The lobby didn’t look familiar, but I remember the view from our hotel room looked just like the one above.
Our iconic view as we exited the hotel featured the Victoria Glacier flanked by Mount Fairview and Mount St. Piran. Clouds covered Mt Whyte, but we could sort of see the rounded top of Mount Niblock. Lake Agnes is nestled up there.
I really wanted to hike up to the Lake Agnes Tea House, built in 1901. It’s about 2 miles to the top with over 1,200 feet of elevation gain. More adventurous hikers typically continue from there to Little Beehive, Big Beehive, or Plain of Six Glaciers. We didn’t have the time required for the round-trip hike (with a stop at the tea house) or the trekking poles needed for the icy portions, so we’ll save that for another trip.
Instead, we walked along the lakeshore where we encountered fewer people. Surprisingly for a cloudy day, Lake Louise still displayed the beautiful turquoise hues.
In Conclusion
Lake Louise is not to be missed! More importantly, it is doable if you plan ahead. The Parks Canada shuttle is the easiest and most affordable option. Because we missed reserving tickets in advance, we opted for a guided shuttle tour. We selected the Rockies Journey guided tour because it began at the Banff Train Station (free parking) we could make cancellations a few days in advance.
For information about Lake Louise, click on the website here. Also, check out the website for Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise to book accommodations, dining, and boat rentals.