Lake O’Hara Lodge sits on the shore of Lake O’Hara in Yoho National Park. Built by the Canadian Pacific Railway in 1925–1926 as a “Bungalow Camp” for travellers who wanted wilderness without the scale of Chateau Lake Louise, it remains a preserved sanctuary of the Golden Age of mountain travel. Since the 1970s the lodge has been stewarded by the Miller family (Bruce and Marla Miller and partners).

Construction. Materials were hauled 11 km up the approach by horse-drawn sledges over deep snow. The lodge was designed in the rustic style—peeled logs, local stone—to harmonise with the forest. Before the main lodge existed, a bungalow camp of small cabins sat in the Alpine Meadow near the current Elizabeth Parker Hut. In the winter of 1926–1927, under CPR superintendent Basil Gardom and master builder Jim Boyce, eleven cabins were jacked up and skidded across snow on runners to the lakeshore using horses and a capstan winch—centralising accommodation around the new lodge.

Trail legacy. The basin’s trail network is arguably the most sophisticated in North American alpine terrain. The Lake O’Hara Trails Club (LOTC), founded in 1949 by George K.K. Link and A. Carson Simpson, maintains the standards set by Lawrence Grassi—who built the Lake Oesa Trail stone staircases by hand. The LOTC funds maintenance and publishes definitive maps; Parks Canada manages the land while the LOTC preserves the cultural heritage of the trails.

Access. The 11 km road is closed to private vehicles. Day-use and lodge guests reach the basin by Parks Canada shuttle; day-use seats are allocated by lottery (see Lake O’Hara).

Stewardship. The Millers operate with “invisible management.” No power lines or sewage pipes—waste is back-hauled by shuttle; power from solar, batteries, and high-efficiency generators; water from alpine sources. No phones or televisions in rooms; meals served family-style. The focus is the landscape—the quietude J.J. McArthur first marvelled at over 135 years ago.

Lake O'Hara Lodge