15 Things to Know Before Visiting Lake Louise in Banff National Park

Lake Louise is one of the most spectacular lakes in the Canadian Rocky Mountains located in Banff National Park in Alberta, Canada.

Just 45 minutes away from Town of Banff and about 2.5 hours hour drive from Calgary this lake can easily be reached by car.

Lake Louise is busy throughout the year and proper planning is the must if you want to enjoy this gorgeous lake.

What to Know Before Visiting Lake Louise?

1. Is It Easy to Find Parking at Lake Louise?

More than 10,000 people visit Lake Louise daily during the busy summer months when the lake is not frozen.

To ensure that you get a parking spot try to visit the lake during the weekdays and arrive before 9 am or after 6 pm.

If there is no parking available, you can take a shuttle bus from the auxiliary parking lot located around 5 km from Lake Louise town.

The crowds can get huge in front of the Fairmont Hotel in the summer and if your goal is to take a few Instagram worthy photos without a bunch of other people arrive early.

2. What are The Best Hikes at Lake Louise?

There are several great hikes around Lake Louise area with some of them offering amazing aerial views of the lake.

If you prefer not to do any uphill hiking, you can just follow the trail along Lake Louise all the way to the end of the lake.

This is also a great way to explore the lake if you are short on time and want to escape the crowds around the parking lot area.

If you are a little more adventures, here are a few relatively easy hikes around Lake Louise:

• Plain of Six Glaciers – awesome 11 km hike to the glaciers behind Lake Louise. On the way there, you will have a chance to stop at a teahouse to take a break and try some amazing tea. The trailhead starts behind the lake so from Fairmont hotel go right along the lake all the way to the valley. There you will find a sign for Plain of six glaciers.
• Lake Agnes Teahouse – this is another teahouse in the Lake Louise area. The hike is around 3.5 km one way. To get to the trailhead go right from Fairmont hotel along the lake until you see a sign for Lake Agnes.
• Big, Little Beehive, and Devils Thumb – if you want to get amazing aerial photos of Lake Louise, from Lake Agnes you can hike up to Big and Little Beehive or Devils Thumb and enjoy the lake from the top.

3. Can You Rent a Canoe at Lake Louise?

Yes. In fact, renting a canoe is an awesome way to explore the lake and get some amazing photos.

Because Lake Louise is frozen most of the year the best time to rent a canoe it is between the middle of June and the end of August.

Canoe rates are not cheap and it will cost you around $65 per hour to rent a canoe during the early season.

Also, keep in mind that you might have to wait in line if you visit when it is busy.

4. Does Lake Louise Freeze?

Lake Louise is located quite high in the mountains and winter season is much longer at Lake Louise than in the rest of the southern Alberta.

Lake Louise starts to freeze in October and stays frozen until the end of May.

The cold temperatures at Lake Louise are the reason for the long skiing season at Lake Louise Ski Area.

5. Can You Swim at Lake Louise?

Lake Louise is a glacier-fed lake and the water temperature is extremely low throughout the year.

Most people who attempt to take a swim in Lake Louise usually end up doing a quick dip and then run back to the shore.

6. Is Lake Louise Thawed Yet?

Lake Louise starts to thaw in May and loses most of its ice by the beginning of June.

7. Is Lake Louise closer to Banff or Jasper?

Lake Louise is much closer to Banff than Jasper.

It takes around 45 minutes to drive from Banff to Lake Louise and close to 3 hours if you drive from Jasper.

8. Is Lake Louise the Same as Moraine Lake?

Some people mistakenly think that Lake Louise and Moraine Lake are the same but it is not true.

However, both lakes are located in the same area and can easily be visited during the same trip.

9. Can You Drink Water From Lake Louise?

Even though Lake Louise is a glacier lake and water might look crystal clear, you shouldn’t drink water from the lake without treating it.

Even glacier water may contain bacteria harmful to humans.

10. Does Lake Louise Require a National Park Permit?

Yes, Lake Louise is located in Banff National Park so you will need to have either a daily or yearly pass to visit it.

I found it cheaper to buy a yearly pass that costs around $136 per year instead of paying $20 daily.

11. Can You Fly a Drone at Lake Louise?

No, even though it might be tempting to take aerial footage of this magnificent lake please keep in mind that you can’t fly drones in any National Park in Canada.

12. Does Lake Louise have a gondola?

There are several gondolas at the Lake Louise ski area located on the opposite side of the Trans Canada highway.

13. How Deep is Lake Louise?

Lake Louise is about 70 m deep.

14. Where to Stay When Visiting Lake Louise?

There are a few hotels available in the Lake Louise area.

The most famous one is the Fairmont Chateau Hotel located right at the shores of Lake Louise.

Hotels get full pretty fast so if you are planning to visit and stay in Lake Louise area book your hotel far in advance.

15. Can You Snowboard and Ski at Lake Louise?

Lake Louise area is also known for its ski resort which offers some of the best skiing and snowboarding in Canada.

The place is huge and you can find all types of terrains for every skill level.

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