Lake O'Hara

Lake O’Hara is an alpine lake in Yoho National Park, 11 km from the Trans-Canada Highway. Often called the “jewel of the Canadian Rockies,” it is one of the most restricted destinations in the national parks: visitor access capped at ~250 per day via shuttle lottery. The basin holds Lake O’Hara Lodge, Elizabeth Parker Hut, and a trail network largely built by Lawrence Grassi. The land is the traditional territory of the Ktunaxa and Stoney Nakoda peoples.

History. J.J. McArthur of the Dominion Land Survey documented the lake in 1887 while mapping for the Canadian Pacific Railway; he spotted the “heavenly blue” water from Mount Stephen and initially dubbed it Lake McArthur (that name later moved to the larger lake nearby). Samuel Allen (Yale student and mountaineer, 1890s) named the lake for Colonel Robert O’Hara, an Irish officer who visited the area and advocated for it. Allen’s 1894 map formalised the name. The CPR promoted the “Canadian Alps” to wealthy travellers; Swiss guides led guests over the passes in the “Golden Age of Alpinism.” J.E.H. MacDonald of the Group of Seven spent nearly every summer from 1924 to 1930 sketching and painting here; he wrote that the area was “too big to paint.”

Stoney etymology. Place names derive from the Stoney Nakoda language. Oesa (“ice”): Lake Oesa remains frozen well into summer in its high cirque. Opabin (“rocky”): the Opabin Plateau, glacial debris and larch-covered rock ribs. Wiwaxy (“windy”): Wiwaxy Peak funnels prevailing winds over the Great Divide.

Geology. The basin is dominated by the Gog Group, hard Cambrian quartzite that resists erosion and creates sheer peaks. Softer shale beneath erodes to form hanging valleys like the Opabin Plateau. The lake’s turquoise colour is rock flour; glaciers grind quartzite to fine silt, which remains suspended and scatters blue-green wavelengths. See Gog Group and Lake Louise Geology for stratigraphy.

Ecology. Lyall’s Larch (Larix lyallii), deciduous conifers that turn gold in late September, grow here; some live 700–1,000 years. The area is a vital wildlife corridor; tucked from the Trans-Canada, it serves as refuge for Grizzly Bears. Parks Canada monitors bear movements and may close trails (e.g. McArthur Pass) during forage periods.

Access. By the late 1960s the basin was at risk of being “loved to death.” In 1974 Parks Canada restricted the 11 km road to shuttle buses and imposed a quota. In 2020 day-use seats switched to a random draw (lottery): roughly 20,000 applicants compete for ~3,000 seasonal seats. The most restricted access point in the Canadian national parks.