Peyto Lake

One of the most photographed lakes in the Canadian Rockies, known for its brilliant turquoise colour and distinctive wolf-head shape when viewed from the Bow Pass lookout. Peyto Lake sits at 1,860 m and is fed by glacial melt from the Wapta Icefield; the rock flour (limestone silt) gives the water its turquoise colour, peak in late June and July when meltwater inflow is highest.

The lake was named for Bill Peyto, an early outfitter and trapper in the area who later became a park warden. The viewing platform at Bow Summit (45 km north of Lake Louise on the Icefields Parkway) is one of the highest points on the parkway and offers an iconic panorama. Access is seasonal; the road is maintained year-round but conditions vary.