Rockpile (Moraine Lake)

The Rockpile at Moraine Lake is one of the most photographed spots in Canada. Its name suggests a glacial origin, but its true formation is more complex; its cultural and visual impact has made it a symbol of the Canadian wilderness.

Geology. Modern consensus holds that the Rockpile is a rockfall deposit, not a true terminal moraine. Walter Wilcox named the lake in 1899 and believed the pile was moraine (debris left by a retreating glacier). Scientists have since noted that the rocks are extremely sharp, angular, and lack the fine glacial till or striated stones typical of glacial transport. Instead, this 30 m high mound formed from a catastrophic rockslide from the adjacent Tower of Babel and surrounding peaks thousands of years ago.

The rocks are primarily Gog Group quartzite, an extremely hard Cambrian sedimentary rock roughly 500 million years old. Trace amounts of hematite (iron oxide) give the quartzite distinct pink, purple, and deep red hues. Because quartzite is brittle and hard, it breaks into sharp-edged, blocky fragments rather than rounding off; that creates the rugged, chaotic pile seen today.

The Twenty Dollar View. The vista from the summit is known as the “Twenty Dollar View.” Looking southwest across the turquoise water toward the Valley of the Ten Peaks, this perspective appeared on the back of the Canadian twenty-dollar bill in the “Scenes of Canada” series. The note was first issued in 1970 (often called the 1969 series) and remained the primary twenty until the “Birds of Canada” series gradually replaced it starting in 1986; it circulated in significant numbers through the early 1990s. That image cemented Moraine Lake as a national icon.

Trail. The Rockpile Trail is a short, well-maintained path: roughly 0.8 km round trip with about 30 m elevation gain. Stone steps and switchbacks are built into the rear of the mound. Just after the bridge over Moraine Creek, the path forks; the right branch ascends the Rockpile, the left serves as the trailhead for Consolation Lakes. The summit is broad, with several stone-walled platforms. The lower platforms face the Ten Peaks; the upper platforms offer a 360-degree view that includes the Tower of Babel to the east and the Larch Valley trail entrance to the west.

Photography. The Rockpile owes its fame to a convergence of light and chemistry. Alpenglow is most dramatic at sunrise: the Valley of the Ten Peaks faces northeast, so the first rays hit Mount Fay, Mount Little, and Mount Bowlen, turning the limestone and quartzite summits orange-red while the lake stays in deep blue shadow. The lake’s colour comes from rock flour; fine silt from surrounding glaciers remains suspended and reflects blue and green wavelengths. From the elevated vantage, the angle of the sun lets viewers see into the water more effectively, maximizing the turquoise saturation compared to the shoreline.

Flora and fauna. The Rockpile acts as an island habitat for alpine species in the cool, shaded crevices. American Pika are the most iconic residents; often heard before seen, emitting a high-pitched “eep” as they gather grasses for winter. Hoary Marmot sun on the flat quartzite blocks. Golden-mantled ground squirrels (often confused with chipmunks but lacking facial stripes) are frequent at the viewpoints. Hardy vegetation includes yellow mountain avens, bright yellow in early summer; map lichen (Rhizocarpon geographicum) covers rocks in neon-green and black patterns, growing a fraction of a millimetre per year. Stunted alpine larch (krummholz) occasionally appears near the edges; it turns gold in late September.