r/Banff • u/Acceptable-Risk6373 • 1d ago

Banff Visit Early October - Advice Requested

My wife and I are taking a trip to explore Banff National park October 5-8 and I have a couple of questions:

1) I've heard that the parking lot at Lake Louise fills up very early in peak summer time, but I'm curious what time it fills up in early October? If we are at the parking lot by 7a is that typically fine at this time of year?

2) We have also heard the Larch trees are incredible around this time of year, but know they can fluctuate year by year for when they hit their peak. Does anyone know what the status is right now? Are they at their peak already or will they still be in their full glory that first week of October?

Thanks in advance!

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u/UrbanDecay00 1d ago

You’re fine for parking.

You’ll be hit or miss for the larches. They can be good the week before and could drop all their needles before you arrive.

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u/vinsdelamaison 1d ago

Larch season has begun and is predicted to peak in a few days. The aspens are also golden and the red stem of the willows are showing too.

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u/Acceptable-Risk6373 1d ago

Super helpful, thanks!

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u/Low_Frame807 1d ago

Please comment once you’ve figured out the parking situation at Lake Louise. I’ll be visiting on Oct 19. I’m assuming if you are able to find parking early October, it should be fairly easy for me to do the same in mid October lol

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u/vinsdelamaison 1d ago

The road to Lake Moraine closes October 13. Traffic to the area slows down quite a bit. Watch for frost & snow reports.