Summer Trails

Wide, paved path near the Chateau; gravel and dirt beyond. Views of Victoria Glacier and the Chateau. Accessible to strollers and power wheelchairs; some narrow sections and grades over 12% toward the back. Base for Plain of Six Glaciers and Lake Agnes.

Widely considered the reward-to-effort king of Lake Louise. Expansive alpine vistas, glacier sounds, and a historic teahouse. Bear spray mandatory. Travel not recommended until June or July due to avalanche hazard. Teahouse: cash only, opens June 1.

A pilgrimage through the history of Canadian mountaineering. Oldest tea house in Canada (1901). Steady grade; forested switchbacks to Mirror Lake, then 57 wooden steps past the waterfall to the tea house. Bear spray mandatory. Cash preferred; aim for 8:30 arrival to beat crowds.

Best view-to-effort ratio of the Beehives. Extension from Lake Agnes (spur before tea house). Roche moutonnée summit; secret larch spot in late September. Historic fire lookout foundations. Avalanche hazard May/June; check trail conditions.

Steep switchbacks from Lake Agnes to a top-down view of Lake Louise and the Chateau. Oldest surviving summit shelter in the Rockies (1916 CPR). Subalpine larch in late September. Avalanche hazard Oct–June; not recommended without AST-1. See Little Beehive for easier alternative.

Short but steep ascent; diagonal bird's-eye view of Lake Louise and the Chateau that shoreline visitors miss. Root-laden; can be slippery in shoulder season (microspikes recommended). Fairview Wildlife Corridor; bear spray mandatory. Can loop via Saddleback. Fairview Mountain summit is a separate 1,014 m ascent.

Local's choice; high-value alpine without the crowds of Lake Agnes or Moraine. Steep switchbacks; 2 km fork (steep up, easy down). 'Larch Valley Secret' with dense larch Sept 20–Oct 5. Extensions: Fairview Mountain (+414 m), Saddle Mountain (Class 2 scramble). Grizzly corridor; bear spray mandatory. Avalanche paths; not before mid-June.

Summit at 2,744 m via Saddleback Pass. Steep talus and scree above the pass; false summits on final ridge. North face is vertical cliffs; return the way you came. Golden larch late Sept; traction, layers, poles for shoulder season. Bear spray mandatory.

Flat, well-groomed path along the shore; views of Fay Glacier and waterfall at the back. Boardwalks over glacial streams near the far end are the quietest spot. For reflection shots, walk approx. 500 m down; more sheltered from wind.

Stone steps and switchbacks built into the rear of the rock mound. The 'Twenty Dollar View' (that perspective appeared on the Canadian twenty-dollar bill) looks southwest across the turquoise water toward the Valley of the Ten Peaks. Sunrise for alpenglow on Mount Fay, Mount Little, Mount Bowlen; by 10:00 AM harsh light. Right fork at the bridge; left goes to Consolation Lakes. Pika and marmots in the boulders. Bear spray mandatory.

Left fork at the bridge (right ascends the Rockpile). Crosses 200 m boulder field at the base of the Rockpile, then old-growth subalpine forest (Engelmann spruce, subalpine fir). Final approach to Lower and Upper lakes requires boulder-hopping over talus. Mount Babel and Fay Glacier dominate the skyline. Walter Wilcox named the lakes in 1899; 'Consolation' contrasted with 'Desolation Valley' at Moraine. Group of four often required; bear spray mandatory.

Roughly ten switchbacks through subalpine forest; trail levels in Larch Valley and passes Minnestimma Lakes ('Sleeping Water' in Stoney Nakoda). Premier larch habitat; golden window Sept 15–25. Continues to Sentinel Pass. Group of four required during bear season; fines up to $25,000 for non-compliance. Bear spray mandatory.

Via Larch Valley and Minnestimma Lakes. Pass at 2,611 m between Mount Temple and Pinnacle Mountain. Three phases: forest switchbacks, Larch Valley meadows, then steep scree ascent (trekking poles recommended). Ten Peaks south; Paradise Valley north. Mount Temple scrambler's route (Class 3) branches east; helmets mandatory. Weather can turn in minutes; no water above Minnestimma. Bear spray mandatory.

Shares first 2.4 km with Larch Valley; left at junction. Trail traverses rocky bench above the valley; Eiffel Lake is clearer and more aquamarine than Moraine (fed by snowmelt, not heavy glacial silt). Subalpine larch, grouseberry; Mount Fay and Deltaform dominate. Continues to Wenkchemna Pass (AB/BC border). Group of four often required; bear spray mandatory.

Continental Divide at the head of the Valley of the Ten Peaks. Gateway between Banff and Kootenay. Via Eiffel Lake trail; branches off at Sentinel Pass junction. Final approach: steep switchbacks over shale and quartzite. Wenkchemna Peak (3,170 m) looms over the pass; Wenkchemna Glacier (debris-covered) feeds the electric-blue lakes. View west into Tokumm Creek Valley and Mount Biddle. Group of four often required; bear spray mandatory.

Trailhead at Bow River Parking Lot (Sentinel Road, opposite the Train Station). East bank downstream, cross bridge at 3.5 km, return via Whitehorn Wildlife Corridor. West side closed May 15–Oct 15 (grizzly habitat); out-and-back on east side during closure. Bear spray mandatory. Mount Temple views; milky-blue glacial river.

Follows the historic CPR tramway route (1912–1930) between the village and Lake Louise lakeshore. Steady 3% grade; wide gravel path with minimal steep sections. Lower trailhead at the Bow River crossing on Lake Louise Drive; upper terminus near the Chateau parking lots. Subalpine forest (spruce, fir) with occasional views of the peaks; a halfway clearing offers a profile view of the Chateau and Victoria Glacier. Summer: popular with hikers and mountain bikers; winter: track-set XC ski route linking to Upper Tramline. Grizzly corridor; bear spray mandatory. Look for old railway ties and telegraph poles in the forest.

Forest trail paralleling Louise Creek between the village and Lake Louise lakeshore. Shorter alternative to the Tramline; can be combined for a loop. Subalpine forest; the creek runs beside the path in places. Part of the Fairview Wildlife Corridor; grizzly bears use the corridor for riparian foraging. Bear spray mandatory; make noise in forested sections. Often less crowded than the Tramline.