Same thought with Peyto Lake; too many tourons that only want an Instagram picture and climbing…read moreover railings and acting a fool. 3rd world country stuff here. If you take the trail off the beaten path, you can hike for miles without another person and get some peace and quiet to yourself! The overlook is a 2/5 for me, the trail is a 5/5!

This is a scenic and attractive lake with an entrancing deep turquoise color. It is conveniently…read morelocated right off of the Icefields Parkway about halfway between Banff and the Columbia Icefield, so there's really no excuse for not stopping for a view. There are actually two parking levels and only tour buses are allowed on the top level closer to the Kodak viewing lookout. Private cars need to park on the lower level and folks need to do a modest hike upward to the lookout. This lake is fed by a receding Peyto glacier that is in view also. We saw quite a few lakes on this trip, but they are all worth seeing and all spectacular in their own individual way, and this one was no different in that regards.

Even though my trip to Canada mostly cantered around Banff, my tour bus did take us into Yoho…read moreNational Park for a part of the day. Yoho is the smallest of the four contiguous national parks. The other ones are Jasper, Kootenay and Banff National Parks. Yoho is an interesting name for a National Park and comes from the Cree language. It means "awe and wonder". After a stop at Lake Louise and Moraine, we ended up finishing our day at Emerald Lake in Yoho National Park. One of the things that I enjoyed about this park and lake was that it was less crowded than Banff and the other two popular lakes. I ended up walking the nature trail around beautiful deep-green Emerald Lake. I enjoyed the views and came across a plaque about the fossil-bearing deposits of the Burgess Shale in the area. Sadly, Emerald Lake was the only area of Yoho National Park that I was able to explore. Hopefully I am able to see other areas like Takakkaw and Wapta Falls, Lake O'Hara and the Natural Bridge next trip.

After spending most of our week stay exploring Banff and Kootenay National Park's, we decided to…read morecheck out Yoho as well. We stayed at a timeshare in Radium Hot Springs, which was a perfect central location for exploring all three! Yoho was less busy than Banff and Kootenay, which we appreciated after almost a week of crowded stops. Our drive up to Golden was gorgeous in the Fall. We then headed over to Field, to visit Takakkaw Falls and Emerald Lake. Both were gorgeous! We even had lunch at The Emerald Lake Lodge during our visit. You can rent canoes on Emerald Lake. It's cheaper and less crowded than the more popular Lake Louise in Banff National Park. We also stopped to visit Natural Bridge. The glacial blue water was absolutely beautiful. My husband enjoyed the Spiral Tunnels stop more than I did. He found all the placards interesting. It would have been cool to see a train enter or exit the tunnel, but it didn't happen during our visit. Overall, we enjoyed our time here. It was much more relaxing than the busier ones. Don't sell this national park short. If you have extra time, it's definitely worth a visit!

Emerald Lake in Yoho National Park is a wonderful alternative for canoeing if the boathouses at…read moreLake Louise and Moraine Lake get too busy. What really stands out is the value; the canoe rental rates are significantly more affordable here than at the other major lakes. The staff that operates the boat house and the attached gift shop were wonderful, incredibly friendly, and helpful. While the lake is certainly less crowded than its more famous neighbors, parking can still a challenge. Expect to spend around an extra 20 minutes to park, and be prepared to walk a short distance from your spot to the water's edge. Once you're there, it's well worth the effort. There are also several beautiful, easy-to-moderate trails circling the lake to explore the scenery on foot after your paddle. Cilantro on the Lake restaurant can get busy, but The Window walk up food counter is quick, and perfect for grabbing some food for a picnic in the canoe. Highly recommended for a more relaxed and less crowded scenic mountain experience!

I go to see three beautiful lakes on my first day in Banff National Park. Our last stop was at…read moreEmerald Lake in Yoho National Park. Yoho National Park is one of the four contiguous national parks in Canada's Rocky Mountains. Emerald Lake is a freshwater lake near the town of Golden. The lake has a emerald green color to it and is enclosed by mountains of the President Range. I had a nice time here. I did some of the hiking trials and saw a little bit of wildlife along the way. This lake is less crowed than Louise and Moraine lakes which I enjoyed. I enjoyed the views while hiking and came across a plaque about the fossil-bearing deposits of the Burgess Shale in the area. I grabbed lunch at the Cilantro on the Lake restaurant before heading out. There are canoe rentals at Emerald Lake if you want to get out on the water.

After spending time at Lake Louise, our shuttle took us over to Moraine Lake. Seeing both of these…read morebeautiful lakes in person was awesome. Moraine Lake is only open during the summer season and requires a park shuttle to reach. It can get really crowed here. Moraine Lake is at an elevation of 6,181 ft and is situated in the Valley of Ten Peaks. There is an info sign in the front that shows you where the ten peaks are. Moraine Lake has a beautiful torquiest blue color to it. The color comes from the sunlight bouncing off the rock sediment in the lake and the surrounding glaciers. The water comes from the snow that melts in the glaciers. Moraine Lake has no dam and has not been altered by humans. The views of the lake are incredible. Because of the crowds, I hiked up to a higher point on top of a rock pile to get a better view. It was cloudy when I was here and it added to the beauty of the photos that I took. I really enjoyed my brief time at Moraine Lake and hope to come back and explore it a little more next time.

Really great views! About 30min outside of Lake Louise. Go 5-10min up the rockpile hike for the…read morebest views (watch your footing!) or down to the launch dock to put your feet in the water. Really nice gift shop and plenty of washrooms.

This hike is listed on a number of local websites and tourist brochures, and after talking to…read moresomeone at a visitor information center, my husband and I decided to try it out. All the descriptions list this hike as "easy", and as someone who is in pretty good shape but not an experienced hiker, I would have described this trail as being of "moderate" difficulty. The area is a little remote, and I would have felt more comfortable with bear spray or bear bells to scare off any locals. There is a small parking lot in the area, and the trail is located at the wooden trailhead sign (not the wider vehicle path heading into the forest in the opposite direction). The trail is steep and narrow in a number of sections, so much so that I wondered if we had the wrong trail at one point, and in one area the trail snakes along side of a slope with a fairly significant drop on one side and a sharp upslope on the other. Good hiking shoes are highly recommended for extra traction and stability. That being said, the views of the falls at the end are spectacular. The waterfall is roaring, powerful, and totally awesome. The return trip took us just about two hours, with about 15 minutes at the falls themselves. It's a great shorter hike, and only 20 minutes from Radium Hot Springs.

Bow Lake is one of the MUST-DO stops along famed Icefields Parkway. It's located right off the side…read moreof the road, 37 kilometers (or 23 miles) north of the Lake Louise area. And...it's situated just past Crowfoot Glacier. So...if you do stop at Crowfoot Glacier, be prepared to immediately stop again here at Bow Lake. Interestingly, I found Crowfoot Glacier to be absolutely wonderful, in terms of the incredible snowcapped setting from a quick pullover perspective. Now...here at Bow Lake, you still receive those wondrous snowcapped mountain viewpoints...but I had anticipations that the lake would be colorful and turquoise green/blue...and that was not the case, which disappointed me a little because of my sky high expectations. Yet...looking back at my photos and reflecting...I still have to give Bow Lake 5 stars no matter what! The scenery here would put many other lakes to shame throughout the world! The atmosphere was beautiful. It's just...this whole area in and around Lake Louise, even further south in Banff and just being along Icefields Parkway offered many glorious moments being in nature...I think I got spoiled by it all! Lol. I had this unblemished, postcard image in my head of Bow Lake, especially since there was fresh snow and ice floating in the water. So, when I didn't view any coloring to it (which would have been the pinnacle of it all!), it still remained terrific regardless of a slight letdown I may have had. A little north from Bow Lake is stunningly magnificent Peyto Lake. And...Peyto Lake has a short walk to a viewpoint (less than 1 mile) where you're standing "above it all" and it's there....where you'll discover those incredibly turquoise green waters. Now, lol, I know I'm being critical but, I do want to mention a few factors about maybe why, the waters weren't turquoise at Bow Lake... I visited back in late afternoon time and with the position of the sun in the sky...the surroundings weren't ideal for picture taking. My face was shadowy, which I'm trying to say that I was looking into the sun. I believe now thinking back...I would have been better served coming here in the morning time. This way, the sun could be at my back and help lighten up the backdrop and possibly offer that colorful effect into the waters. Another factor... Coming to Bow Lake, all you have to do is pull into the parking lot and walk a short distance to the edge of the waters. It's simple. But, now being nit picky about my exploring, lol...I think Bow Lake could have been perfect if I viewed it from an overlook perspective, where I'm looking down on the landscape. I find (in my travels) that seeing something at eye level doesn't always do justice. I guess maybe that's why they created gondolas and sky trams? Another element was...since it was already late in the day bordering on early evening, maybe I never gave myself enough exploring time around the lake to find those colorful perspectives. I think, just, when you compare Bow Lake to Peyto Lake, the comparisons much favored Peyto Lake, in my eyes. Ultimately, while writing this...Bow Lake is still fantastic and very, very worthwhile for stopping at while driving Icefields Parkway. Some last extras... - Here at Bow Lake, you can start the trailhead for Bow Glacier Falls - a 9 kilometer roundtrip hike that was recommended by other tourists. Unfortunately, I didn't have the time to hike it. - I used 20 - 25 minutes to casually walk over to Bow Lake's edge and admire the views. There's nothing like taking in sights of snowcapped mountains among nature. - Make sure to stop at Crowfoot Glacier before you arrive here...and stop at Peyto Lake once you leave here. - This section of Icefields Parkway is probably the most scenic you'll find along the journey from downtown Lake Louise north to Jasper...and vice versa. - Remember, if you can...visit here in the morning time. - Lastly, I came to Bow Lake in the middle of June, 2022...and the conditions were perfect outside without rain or wind. Also, there weren't many tourists around for the season yet, so I'm glad I got a head start seeing the popular attractions without all the congestion. Alright, well, this is Bow Lake, located along Icefields Parkway within the Lake Louise area of Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada.

Beautiful and scenic stop along the Highway of the lake. Amazing blue colour that is so clear and…read morereflective of the mountains and tree. The mountains in the background with snow peaks adds to the majestic view. Definitely a great stop to take photos that's quick and easy.

This place was a fun stop for our tour group and I'm happy it was on our itinerary. I really…read moredidn't know or research what was expected but walking across their Upper and Lower Skybridges was both thrilling and a bit scary, but they provided spectacular views of the canyon there. The Upper Skybridge is 426' above ground and I'm glad it wasn't a windy day to aggravate the modest but intimidating swinging as you go across. The site also has zip-lining, a giant swing, and a cool looking individual roller coaster ride called the Railrider Mountain Coaster. It all costs depending on what package you purchase, but it appears thrill seekers are willing to pay. Overall, I would say the Skybridge at least is a must-do if in or around the village of Golden.

This place was such a letdown due to poor management and terrible customer service. We were told…read moreour daughter was able to do all the activities of the adventure pass and paid accordingly. When we arrived to the activities they said she was too short. When we asked for a refund they said they could only refund ten dollars of the $381 which we paid. What!?? They weighed her and asked her age at the ticket counter and even made us go rent shoes for $15 more dollars. And then oops sorry she can't participate. And nope no refund. What a mess. Other than that The wait time for each activity was insane. We literally stood in line for nearly three hours for the mountain coaster. Not worth it at all. Awful. Do not recommend. There are much more beautiful and fun activities to do in the area. Don't waste your money or your time. I am so sad we wasted a whole day of vacation here.

I've always dreamed of seeing Lake Louise! We came in early March, so we didn't get to see the…read morebeautiful waters as everything was frozen over, but it was still so pretty! Love how they even cleared out an ice rink and ice bar right on the lake and they were multiple people skating on the rink! I was a bit scared to venture out onto the frozen lake since I've heard horror stories of frozen surfaces breaking and people plunging in...but seeing as they literally had a rink paved out, I felt better safety-wise. There definitely are some small pockets of melted water where the ice is thinner along those edges, so I would just be aware of your surroundings.  Overall, such a beautiful lake and definitely worth visiting! I'll have to come back in the summer to check out its beauty out in a different season. We also didn't get the chance to hike, but I'm sure the trails are stunning as well!

Very badly managed. Parking fill up by 6 AM. You are then sent to Ski resort parking only to learn…read morebus tickets are sold out. Private shuttle companies prey on tourists charging exuberant fees that go up every year. If you get lucky, you will find a spot in a dirt parking lot over a mile away. You'd have to pay $42 to park in the dirt and dust and walk on a road where there are no sidewalks and your option is to take a chance at getting hit by passing RVs and trucks or fall into the valley! Getting to the lake, we were greeted by high dusty wind followed by thunder and rain! Did I mention getting harassed by police on the way who ticketed us $400 for speeding when everyone else was passing us and going faster than us. The gov here will charge you for everything. The people look at you as an ATM machine and will overcharge you for everything from hotel stays to food. On top of that, you are not welcome and they treat you badly. Do yourself a favor and go somewhere else!

I came here on a Sunday morning, took the shuttle from the Park and Ride, parking at the lake was…read morealready full. Lots of people at the lake and ran into a ton of people coming down when we were going up. The hike wasn't too steep at the beginning to Larch Valley which was really beautiful. The hike up to Sentinel Pass was a lot steeper and there was ice and snow, which was not the most pleasant. Views at the top were amazing, especially with the larches. On the way down, the snow had mostly melted and turned into slush a bit, ran into quite a few people and it started snowing a bit closer to the lake. Really beautiful hike, definitely recommend!

As with many hikes in Banff, Larch Valley and Sentinel Pass is a must see. It begins at Moraine…read moreLake which can get quite busy at the parking lot so you'll want to go before 10 in the morning if possible. When the bears are out, it is the law to go up with a group of four or more. My wife and I were just two but we had read that it doesn't take long to find others who are going up. Many people came up to the base but mainly to take a picture of the sign stating that bears are in the area. Lame. We were beginning to doubt that other hikers were going to come but it turned out all right. We probably waited about 10-15 minutes before some nice hikers around our same age range came along. Simone, Eric, their dog Chico, along with their four friends from New Brunswick were nice enough to let us join them. Thankfully they were also about the same speed as us. We did see many groups less than four and even some solo hikers. Naughty. The hike starts with a series of switchbacks within the treed canopy. After a while you hit a fork in the trail with one route taking you to Eiffel Lake and the other to Larch Valley and then onto Sentinel Pass. Soon after you will hit an alpine meadow area which is huge, and then the larches. I did this in July so the trees were still green but if you do it in the fall, apparently everything turns yellow! When you get past Larch Valley and make your way to Sentinel Pass you see a huge 'Z' shape way off and high up in the distance. We weren't sure if we would have to climb that but yes. The 'Z' is the final switchback before you can be rewarded with the view. In July the higher elevations still had snow, which made it a bit tricky to trek through. In some parts the hike would take you through a very steep mountainside with snow. Thankfully we made it through without mishap and finally made it up the last switchback. At the top there is a 360 degree panoramic view. On one side you have the great view of Paradise Valley. On the other side is Larch Valley where you climbed up, and a view of Valley of Ten Peaks. Unfortunately the day we went was quite cloudy. Obviously it'd be better with clearer skies but it was still enjoyable. We had lunch up there as most people do before making our decent. I would budget about 5 hours round trip for this hike. Make sure to go in a group of four as they can fine you up to $2000 and carry bear spray.