Lake Louise and Moraine Lake: Two Canadian Icons

Photo by The Six

When you see the iconic pictures of Canada, you’ll most likely see a photo of Lake Louise. It is one of the most beautiful places to visit in the Rockies. To be honest, I’m sure there are even more spectacular places tucked away in the mountains, but Lake Louise is relatively easy for tourists to visit, and because of that, it has become one of the best-known places in Canada.

However, for me, the lake next door, Moraine Lake, is even more beautiful.

It is a place that has left a mark on my soul. From the very first time I saw it, it has stayed with me. There is something about that lake, surrounded by those mountains and that incredible blue-green water, that I find almost impossible to put into words.

So when we decided to spend the day visiting both Lake Louise and Moraine Lake, I already knew which one I was most excited to see.

Getting There

We decided to book a tour that left from Banff rather than try to organize the logistics ourselves. With the popularity of both lakes, parking and shuttle arrangements can be a bit complicated, so this seemed like the easiest way to do it.

It worked out well for us. We could just sit back and enjoy the ride, taking in the scenery along the way while someone else worried about getting us where we needed to go. We didn’t need to think about parking or whether we were going to make the next shuttle.

The only downside was that we were working with a schedule.

I would have loved more time to explore both places and wander without looking at the clock. We were given about an hour and a half at each lake, though, which was actually a pretty good amount of time to see the highlights.

Our first stop was Moraine Lake.

Moraine Lake

Moraine Lake is in Banff National Park, surrounded by the mountains of the Valley of the Ten Peaks. It is a glacially fed lake, and the colour of the water is the first thing you notice, and takes your breath away. The fine rock particles  carried into the lake by glacial meltwater helps give it the incredible blue-green colour.

And yes, it really is that colour.

There were a lot of people at the lake, especially around the Rockpile. That probably isn't surprising considering just how spectacular the view is from there. 

The view was breathtaking.

It is one of those views where you can take photo after photo, but somehow none of them quite capture what it feels like to stand there.

I could have stayed much longer, and wish we could have.  There is a trail to walk to the other end of the lake where a waterfall flows into the lake. We only had enough time to walk a short way down the trail and enjoy the lake from a different viewpoint.

Lake Louise

Lake Louise is the more famous of the two lakes, and it was certainly the busier one when we visited. There were even more people here than there had been at Moraine Lake.

Lake Louise is another glacially fed lake in Banff National Park, surrounded by the Rocky Mountains. Its turquoise colour, mountain backdrop and the Victoria Glacier at the far end of the lake have made it one of Canada's most recognizable landscapes.

We spent our time taking in the view and walking along the lakeshore, enjoying the scenery and watching all of the activity around us.

Lake Louise has a very different feel from Moraine Lake. It is larger and more developed, with the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise sitting right on the shore and a number of trails leading away from the lake. The Lakeshore Trail follows the water for about 2.3 kilometres, while some of the more ambitious hikes head up into the mountains.

There is no question that Lake Louise is beautiful. It is one of those places that you see in photographs long before you ever get there, and standing beside it, you understand why it has become such an iconic Canadian destination.

Plan Ahead

Both lakes are incredibly popular, and getting there does take a little planning. Today, Moraine Lake Road is closed to personal vehicles year-round, and Parks Canada recommends using its shuttle system or a licensed commercial operator. Lake Louise also has significant parking and traffic challenges during the busy season.

For us, taking the tour from Banff meant we didn't have to think about any of that. We could just enjoy the ride, enjoy the scenery and let someone else worry about getting us back to Banff on time.

Would I have liked more time at both lakes? Absolutely.

But even with the clock ticking in the back of my mind, we had enough time to see two of the most beautiful places in the Canadian Rockies.