The Lake Louise and Moraine Lake basins in Banff National Park represent the most intensive intersection of high-volume tourism and sensitive wilderness management in the Canadian Rockies. Access is strictly mediated by ecological constraints. Geology: Cambrian quartzite and limestone.

Transportation (2026). Moraine Lake Road is gated 24/7; personal vehicles prohibited year-round. Lake Louise uses a hybrid paid-parking and shuttle model. The Parks Canada Shuttle centralizes at the Lake Louise Park and Ride (at the Lake Louise Ski Resort): Lake Louise Lakeshore (Mid-May–Oct, every 30 min); Moraine Lake (Jun 1–Oct); Lake Connector (lakeshore to Moraine, every 15–30 min); Alpine Start (4:00 and 5:00 AM). Reservations open April 15, 2026 at 8:00 MDT; 40% of seats release then, 60% at 48 hours before departure. Fare approx. $8 adult. Roam Route 8X year-round from Banff; Route 10 (Moraine) during Larch Season. Super Pass (approx. $30) includes Lake Connector access. Upper Lake Louise parking approx. $40/day; lot often full by 3:00–4:00 AM. See Summer logistics for the full 2026 checklist.

Lake Louise trails. Lake Louise Lakeshore 2.3 km (flat, rock-flour delta at terminus); Fairview Lookout 1.2 km, 100 m gain (year-round, slippery in winter); Louise Creek 2.8 km, 195 m gain (village to lakeshore alternative for Roam passengers); Bow River Loop 7.1 km (southwest closed May 15–Oct 15 for Fairview wildlife corridor). Tea house circuit: Lake Agnes (3.5 km, 400 m); Plain of Six Glaciers (5.5 km one-way, 365 m); Abbot Pass Viewpoint 1.5 km past P6 (Death Trap crevasse field). Highline Trail: connects Lake Agnes and Plain of Six Glaciers (approx. 14.6 km loop), traverses southern slopes of Mount Niblock; avoids shoreline traffic. Saddleback Pass: 3.7 km one-way, 600 m gain from boathouse; gateway to Mount Fairview and Saddle Mountain; premier larch viewing; views into Paradise Valley and Mount Temple.

Moraine Lake trails. Moraine Lake at 1,884 m. Rockpile 0.8 km return, 30 m (sunrise photography); Lakeshore 2.9 km return (flat, Fay Glacier view); Larch Valley 4.3 km one-way, 535 m (Minnestimma Lakes at 4.5 km); Sentinel Pass 2,611 m (+170 m from Larch, 4.5–5.5 hrs total); Eiffel Lake 11.2 km return, 370 m; Wenkchemna Pass 19.4 km return, 720 m (Continental Divide). Paradise to Moraine: via Sentinel Pass.

Paradise Valley. Secluded corridor between lake basins. Lake Annette 5.7 km, 345 m (reflection of Mount Temple); Horseshoe Meadow 8 km (historic campsite); Giant Steps 10.3 km, 385 m (cascading rock-ledge waterfalls); Paradise Backcountry Camp Pa10 10.6 km. Paradise to Lake Louise: via Sheol/Paradise Connector and Saddleback Pass. High grizzly activity; Pa10 relocated from Horseshoe Meadow in the 1990s to separate humans and bears.

Scrambles. Tower of Babel: 518 m gain over 1.5 km; technical scramble; extreme rockfall hazard. Mount Fairview 2,744 m: 1,014 m gain; hikable (no hands-on); most popular summit. Saddle Mountain: 100 m from pass; quartzite boulders; family-friendly. Mount St. Piran 2,649 m: light scramble or hikable from Little Beehive; flat summit plateau with 360° views. Mount Temple 3,543 m: 1,690 m gain; YDS Class 3; 7–12 hrs; three cliff bands; helmet required; prone to thunderstorms and rockfall.

Ecological stewardship. approx. 65 grizzly bears in Banff; approx. ⅓ of reproductive females use the Lake Louise basin (glacier lilies, buffaloberry). Fairview Corridor (west) and Whitehorn Corridor (east) bisect the hamlet. Group access: 4+ required on Moraine Lake trails (since 1999). Bear spray mandatory; make noise near vegetation and water.

Winter. Lake Louise thaws early June; Moraine late June (higher, shaded). Avalanche hazard (mid-Oct–mid-Jun): Moraine Lake Road high beyond 2 km; Plain of Six Glaciers extreme (Victoria calving); Lake Agnes/Mirror Lake high (Big Beehive slides); Saddleback Pass moderate/high (Fairview slide path). Trails not “closed” but designated backcountry; not recommended without avalanche training.

Lake Louise and Moraine Lake Trail Systems