Early morning view of the lake.

Lake Louise is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful places in Canada, and perhaps even the world. Pictures don’t do it justice. Its vibrant turquoise waters, set against the backdrop of the rocky mountains make for awe-inspiring views. It is a place that leaves an indelible impression on all who visit and deserves a spot on everyone’s bucket list.

Unfortunately, the Lake’s popularity comes with a cost. The area is often crowded with tourists, which takes away from the experience. This is not unique to Lake Louise. Large crowds are a common theme among many of the popular spots in Banff National Park.

Admittedly, we recognize our potential hypocrisy, since we are also tourists and are contributing to the problem. Like so many, we wanted to visit Lake Louise because of its beauty. Yet seeing the lakefront packed with tourists left us a bit worried.

How will Parks Canada manage the challenge of preserving the natural beauty and ecological history of this region, while still providing access and services to an increasing number of visitors?

Our Experience

We have had the privilege of visiting Lake Louise three times so far. Our first visit was on a late afternoon at 6pm, after an incredible 10 hour hike on the Cirque Pique trail. Tired but excited, we stopped by on our way back, finding parking for a $12 flat daily rate. The parking lot was nearly full but we managed to get one of the last spots - later we realized that the morning is the busiest time. The park staff directed traffic around the lot very efficiently.

Although we expected Lake Louise to be busy, seeing so many people made us realize how popular and accessible Lake Louise is. Apart from cars, there are various shuttle bus services that were dropping people off at dedicated spots, and it became evidently clear that we were not going to enjoy the same connection with nature we experienced on our hike to the top of Cirque Peak.

The lakefront is very accessible, just a short two minute walk along a dedicated paved path. It is undeniably touristy and is especially busy during the summer months, when it’s typically packed with visitors. Most people gather along the lakefront, lining up to capture the perfect pictures that are so prevalent on instagram and are probably the reasons Lake Louise became so popular.

As you approach the lakefront from the path, you will notice a flat wooden deck laid over the rocks. This spot is by far the busiest, as it offers the perfect angle for phots with the lake as the sole backdrop, without any of the rocks. Chances are, you have seen plenty of these pictures on social media.

Despite the crowds, Lake Louise remains absolutely breathtaking. The rocky mountains stand tall on the far side of the lake, and you can see the ice glaciers on the mountains slopes - the very source of the lake’s pristine turquoise waters. Tall Larch trees blanket the foothills of the mountains, giving way to the rugged and rocky summits that rise proudly into the sky. It is without a doubt, one of the most beautiful places we have ever been to.

We decided to keep going to the right further down the path to a less busy area and asked a friendly couple to take a picture of us.

Us at Lake Louise in the late afternoon

The Fairmont Chateau hotel sits just behind and a slightly to the left where this picture was taken. It’s easy to imagine the incredible views the hotel guests enjoy - a luxury that likely justifies the hotel’s steep prices.

Lake Louise is not for Swimming

After soaking in the views, and taking a lot pictures, it was time to do what Sanjar had in mind ever since we booked this trip.

Ever since we booked the trip, to dive head first into the water was on the itinerary. While Madison was only able to tolerate dipping her toes for a few seconds, Sanjar took a plunge. However it was freezing! The adrenaline and excitement only lasts for a few seconds in glacial waters it turns out, before your whole body realizes it’s too cold and you rush to get out.

Full disclaimer: swimming in the lake is only possible for a few minutes before you get Hypothermia. We don’t recommend it. Please be careful if you do, and do it on a hot summer day.

Sunrise Views Is When Lake Louise Really Gets Busy

The next day we left our hotel at 5:00 am in the hopes of catching the sunrise at Lake Moraine. Our hotel was close to Banff town so we had to drive about 30-40 min to the Lake Louise Village.

As it turns out we were naïve. The parking lot of Lake Moraine was full by the time we arrived. There is staff and a big digital board that says “Parking Lot Full”, right at the junction where a separate 14km road takes visitors to Lake Moraine. People fill up the parking lot as early as 3-4 am.

And as we are writing this now, visitors will no longer be able to park at the lakeshore of Lake Moraine. A shuttle system from the Lake Louise Ski Resort will be provided for people if they want to see Lake Moraine.

As disappointing as this may sound, it is for the best in the grand scheme of things. There is simply too much car traffic around Lake Louise and Lake Moraine and it is expected to get worse every year. Hopefully the new measures will divert and curb some of that traffic away from the lakes, while keeping them accessible.

Since Lake Moraine was no longer an option, we drove to the Lake Louise parking lot, but that was also full. We drove back down the road and parked at a small picnic area. There was a sign that read parking allowed only after 7am but we still left our car there around 6:45am.

With a slight feat of getting a ticket, we left our car and set off on a 15 minute walk along the roadside leading to Lake Louise. The walk was a refreshing change after our early morning disappointments. The air was chilly but fresh, and there was a stream alongside the road - water flowing directly from Lake Louise.

We arrived at the lake front just before the sun hit the peaks of the mountains behind the Lake, and it came as no surprise to find even larger crowds than the previous day.

Early mornings are the busiest time of day at Lake Louise. It’s due to a natural phenomenon called Alpenglow. It happens when the slopes of mountains are illuminated by the sun as it rises or sets. People gather as the sunlight gives the mountains a rosy or orange hue.

The lake and the mountains in the background make for one of the best views you will see in your lifetime - guaranteed. The images online don’t come close to doing it justice. You won’t regret waking up early, we promise you that.

Add Lake Louise at Sunrise to your bucket list. Make sure to get to the parking lot even earlier than us, a safe bet would probably be 5-5:30am. Although we can’t be certain since the popularity of the Lake is rising every year.

Another interesting thing to observe is the guests of the Fairmont enjoying the sunrise while sipping on some hotel coffee.

While many visitors linger around the lake, a lot of people hike up the various nearby trails. We decided to hike up to the Lake Agnes Tea House. This was a very busy hike. The trek was a constant, steady uphill endeavour, and pretty quickly we had to take off our jackets as we worked up a sweat.

A person was kind enough to snap this picture. Our best picture together in Sanjar’s opinion.

One of the many viewpoints along the hike where you can see the bright blue Lake Louise from atop.

It took us about an hour to reach the Tea House, which again, not surprisingly was super busy with a big line up. Apparently they serve tea and some food. The place was packed, while waitresses were running around taking orders and letting the people in line know the long wait times. There is a small lake called Agnes to the left of the Tea house, a stunning view of its own.

We sat down at a bench and had peanut butter and jelly sandwiches we made the day before, while relaxing and absorbing the amazing views. Then we made our way back down, stopping to take some pictures occasionally.

Our Thoughts And Conclusions

So is Lake Louise worth a visit? Absolutely yes, without a question. The views of the lake, its vivid colours and backdrop of the mountains are just spectacular. It makes us appreciate and love our country Canada even more and definitely instills a sense of pride. During our time in Banff we met many international visitors who mentioned how impressed they were with the views.

On the downside, as we already mentioned, there overwhelming number of visitors (yes we know we are part of the problem too!) detracts from the experience, making it difficult at times to feel one with nature. The busy parking lots, crowds of people taking pictures, or even very dirty washrooms at the Lake Louise site leave a bit of a sour note. This is probably a common challenge faced by many of North America’s most popular national parks.

One of many pictures Madison had me take.

To conclude, do make sure to visit Banff and Lake Louise whether you are from Canada or anywhere else in the world. Expect unbelievable views mixed with large crowds. You will leave with experiences to share. After all life is made of and enriched by memorable experiences, so travel as much as you can. It’s worth it.

Thanks for reading and stay tuned for future posts!