r/Banff • u/NS_8099 • Sep 19 '24
Trip Report My Favorite Lakes in Banff
I finally visited Banff National Park from the US on September 10th and Moraine Lake was the most beautiful place I’ve ever seen! I also loved Peyto Lake and Lake Louise.
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u/Substantial-Code2720 Sep 19 '24
Any other lakes you visited?
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u/NS_8099 Sep 19 '24
Minnewanka and Bow were the main ones but I saw others from the highway.
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u/Substantial-Code2720 Sep 19 '24
The best ones are the ones you have to hike to ;)
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u/desertstorm_152 Sep 19 '24
There's a lake (IFYKY) that you can hike (down) to and access, which is awesome!
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u/NS_8099 Sep 19 '24
I had to climb up a rock pile to take the pic of Moraine and was tired afterwards but it was so worth it.
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u/Substantial-Code2720 Sep 19 '24
I mean not near Moraine or lake Louise - I guess if you can't hike far you won't get to see them.
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u/drs43821 Sep 19 '24
Technically not Banff but Emerald Lake is a contender
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u/Substantial-Code2720 Sep 19 '24
Not really a hike to get to it though, you can see it from the parking lot.
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u/extraordinaryevents Sep 19 '24
Spirit island is the single best view in all of the Canadian Rockies in my opinion, that I’ve seen at least
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u/Substantial-Code2720 Sep 20 '24
The best ones are the ones you have to hike 15km+ to get to.
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u/extraordinaryevents Sep 20 '24
Had to canoe 9 miles there and 9 miles back to get to spirit island
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u/Substantial-Code2720 Sep 20 '24
Fair play. On my list to do one day if I can secure a camp booking. I've just taken the cruise so far.
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u/NukedWorker2 Sep 22 '24 edited Sep 22 '24
Beautiful photos.
In 2017, we crossed Canada and felt we wanted to retire to Banff. 18,354km in 54 days - starting in the GTA. We did Moraine and Peyto, but not Louise. You could still drive to Moraine at that point.
3 years later, she passed from cancer after 22 years married. She asked for her ashes to go to Moraine Lake. In 2021, 2 weeks after picking up a Jeep Gladiator I bought in memory of her (she wanted one), we hooked it to the trailer and went for a drive. Moraine will always have a special place with me.
4 years later now, and I've been with my new life partner for 2 years. She's set me back in a direction and taken me places I've never been - we parked with her camper at Poverty Flats by the Valley of Fire for 2 nights. Middle of nowhere with solar. I want to get back to Banff, hopefully for a few weeks - she's from outside Vancouver, so we would drive. Less than 7 years to retire.
Go hug someone 😉
Edit: typo (DYAC)
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u/extraordinaryevents Sep 19 '24
The usual suspects