The Best Hikes to do at Lake Louise in Banff National Park

The views you see while hiking Lake Louise will stop you in your tracks, in the best way possible. These are some of the best hikes in Banff National Park, bringing you to ancient glaciers, mountaintop lookouts, and peaceful alpine lakes.

This guide covers the must-do Lake Louise hiking trails, how to get there, and what to know before you go so you’re prepared, from the trailhead to the summit.

What’s in the Guide?

• What and where is Lake Louise?
• Best hikes at Lake Louise in Banff National Park.
• How to get to Lake Louise for hiking.
• What to know before you go hiking in Lake Louise.
• Indigenous experiences in Banff National Park.

What and Where is Lake Louise?

The raw beauty of Lake Louise sets the stage for some of the most memorable hiking in Banff National Park. Shimmering turquoise waters, evergreen forest, and the majestic Canadian Rocky Mountains unfold at every turn.

Whether you’re an experienced mountaineer chasing a summit or a casual adventurer with big views in mind, Lake Louise hiking trails deliver spectacular scenery that will leave you in awe.

Between lakeshore strolls, mountaintop tea houses, rugged alpine passes, and golden larch forests, you’ll find a hike here that will stay with you long after you’ve left the trail.

Did you know?

• Nearest Town: Lake Louise, Canada.
• Lake Depth: 70m (230 feet).
• Trails: 24+
• Skills: Easy, Moderate, Difficult.
• Time to visit: Year-round, with some hikes only accessible between June and October.
• Most notable peak: Mount Victoria with the hanging Victoria Glacier.
• Indigenous Lands: Treaty 6, 7 and 8, Rocky View Métis District, and the Métis Homelands.

Best Hikes at Lake Louise in Banff National Park

Strolling between golden larches. Eating homemade delights at an alpine tea house. Summiting a ridge revered by Swiss mountaineers. Hiking in Lake Louise brings you to some of the best trails and most unique viewpoints in Banff National Park, all accessible from the lakeshore trailhead.

Some lower-elevation Lake Louise hiking trails are open year-round, while the alpine hikes are only accessible in the summer and fall.

• Lake Louise Lakeshore Trail.
• Fairview Lookout.
• Lake Agnes Tea House Trail.
• Little Beehive.
• Big Beehive.
• Plain of Six Glaciers Teahouse.
• Saddleback Pass.
• Fairview Mountain.

Lake Louise Lakeshore Trail Hike

• Distance: 2.3km one way (1.43 miles)
• Elevation gain: 175m (571 feet)
• Time required: 1 hour round trip
• Difficulty: Easy
• Season: Year-Round
• Trailhead: Lake Louise Lakeshore parking lot.
• Best for: Young families and travellers looking for easy, low-barrier access to the beauty of the Canadian Rockies, any time of year. Dogs on leash are also welcome.

The Lake Louise Lakeshore trail offers an easily accessible close-up view of the Canadian Rocky Mountains as they frame the turquoise waters of Lake Louise.

This casual stroll along a flat, wide path brings you along a short wooden boardwalk and into the subalpine forest, with a waterfall at the end. Lake Louise is also a favourite haunt for curious and adorable Canada jays, also known as grey jays and whiskey jacks.

Fairview Lookout Hike

• Distance: 1.2km one way (0.7 miles).
• Elevation gain: 100m (328 feet).
• Time required: 45 minutes to 1 hour round trip.
• Difficulty: Easy.
• Season: Year-Round.
• Trailhead: Lake Louise Lakeshore parking lot.
• Best for: Those looking for a short, but rewarding hike with views of the iconic Lake Louise and Chateau Lake Louise. The trail is family-friendly and allows dogs on leash.

Fairview Lookout is a staple for anyone hiking Lake Louise. This signature hike in Banff National Park is a short but steep trail that offers big rewards at the top. The wooden viewing platform overlooks Lake Louise and the historic Chateau Lake Louise hotel.

If you’re looking for an easy route to majestic views, this hike is a must.

Lake Agnes Tea House Trail

• Distance: 3.9km one way (2.4 miles).
• Elevation gain: 495m (1,624 feet).
• Time required: 2.5-3 hours round trip.
• Difficulty: Moderate.
• Season: June to October.
• Trailhead: West shore of Lake Louise (past the Chateau Lake Louise).
• Best for: Hikers who want to trek farther into the Lake Louise area and enjoy refreshments at a European-style alpine tea house with stunning views.

Hiking the Lake Agnes Tea House Trail brings you to striking views and a mountaintop treat. The trail begins at the shores of Lake Louise and climbs through the forest to Lake Agnes, passing Mirror Lake along the way. Together, the trio of Lake Louise, Mirror Lake, and Lake Agnes are referred to as “Lakes in the Clouds.”

Here, at 2,135m (7,004 feet) in a hanging glacial valley, an inviting European-style tea house beckons. With a lake view and mountain backdrop, the family-owned Lake Agnes Tea House has been serving handmade cakes and loose-leaf tea to hikers since 1905.

From here, you can head back down or continue on to other hikes, including Plain of Six Glaciers Tea House, Little Beehive, and Big Beehive.

Little Beehive Hike

• Distance: 4.8km one way (3 miles).
• Elevation gain: 584m (1,916 feet).
• Time required: 3.5 to 4 hours round trip.
• Difficulty: Moderate to difficult.
• Season: June to October.
• Trailhead: Lake Louise Lakeshore parking lot.
• Best for: Hikers who want to add more elevation to their adventure and enjoy a bird’s eye view of Lake Louise on a lesser-known hike. Dogs on leash are also welcome.

Little Beehive is a slightly smaller, less-travelled mountain, and a rewarding addition to the Lake Agnes hike. Reaching the peak gives you completely different views than the other hikes, plus, you get to stop for a photo-op from the perfectly placed lookout rock.

From Lake Agnes, continue up a series of gentle switchbacks through the forest around the backside of Little Beehive until you reach the site of a former fire lookout. The viewpoint offers sweeping views of Lake Louise and the Bow Valley, including Lipalian and Castle mountains.

You can also see the rounded summit of Big Beehive from the top of Little Beehive. Continue on to Big Beehive, or head back down to Lake Louise.

Big Beehive Hike

• Distance: 5.4 km one way (3.4 miles).
• Elevation gain: 731m (2,398 feet).
• Time required: 4.5 to 5 hours round trip.
• Difficulty: Difficult.
• Season: June to October.
• Trailhead: Lake Louise Lakeshore parking lot, via Lake Agnes.
• Best for: Hikers looking to gain elevation, take in a bird’s eye view of Lake Louise, and summit one of the most unique mountains in the Lake Louise area. Dogs on leash are also welcome.

Big Beehive is a commanding, round mountain that towers over Mirror Lake. From the Lake Agnes Tea House, continue your journey around Lake Agnes and along steeper switchbacks at the back of the lake that lead to Big Beehive Pass and the summit.

At the top, you’ll enjoy panoramic mountain vistas of Lake Louise and the Bow Mountain Range.

Plain of Six Glaciers Teahouse Trail

• Distance: 5.8km one way (3.6 miles).
• Elevation gain: 595m (1,952 feet).
• Time required: 4 to 5 hours round trip.
• Difficulty: Moderate.
• Season: June to October.
• Trailhead: West shore of Lake Louise (past the Chateau Lake Louise).
• Best for: People who want to hike deeper into the mountains near Lake Louise to see glaciers up-close, with the added treat of snacks at an alpine teahouse.

Living up to its name, the Plain of Six Glaciers trail introduces you to a string of icy faces in the mountain cirque around Lake Louise. You’ll get a close-up view of the distinct textures, rock layers, and ice, formed by millennia of geological activity in the Canadian Rocky Mountains.

A popular hub for Swiss mountain guides since the 1920s, Plain of Six Glaciers Teahouse is a welcoming refuge decorated with Tibetan prayer flags that serves up tea, light food, and baked goods.

The same family has been operating the teahouse for the last 60 years. Take in the view, enjoy a bite, then continue on for 1km (0.6 miles), crossing moraine debris before you get to the breathtaking panorama of all six glaciers.

Victoria Glacier is among the most prominent, feeding into Lake Louise and helping to give it that famous glacial blue colour.

From the Plain of Six Glaciers hike, you can take a short hike to Abbot Pass Viewpoint (about a one-hour round trip away).

This hike also makes for a great loop with Lake Agnes Tea House.

Saddleback Pass

• Distance: 3.6km one way (2.2 miles).
• Elevation gain: 600 m (1,969 feet).
• Time required: 3 to 4 hours round trip.
• Difficulty: Difficult.
• Season: June to October.
• Trailhead: Southeast of the Lake Louise lakeshore.
• Best for: Hikers who want to feel tiny amongst towering mountain peaks, and those who want to see the golden larches in the fall.

The Saddleback Pass hike takes you through the forest to an alpine meadow between two extraordinary peaks, Fairview and Saddle Mountains. The hike cuts through the forest before opening up and levelling out in the mountain pass that links the two peaks.

As you crest the pass, you’ll catch a glimpse of the tallest mountain in the area, Mount Temple, which stands at 3,543m (11,626 feet).

While this Lake Louise hiking trail is popular in the summer months, the golden larches in fall make this a true show-stopper.

Watch for wildlife in the boulder fields on Saddleback Pass, home to marmots, pikas, and ptarmigan. Once in the pass, you can choose to summit Saddle Mountain or Fairview Mountain for an even more jaw-dropping view of the Bow Valley.

Fairview Mountain

• Distance: 5km one way (3 miles).
• Elevation gain: 990m (3,248 feet).
• Time required: 5 to 6 hours round trip.
• Difficulty: Difficult.
• Season: June to October.
• Trailhead: Lake Louise Lakeshore parking lot.
• Best for: Experienced hikers and alpinists who want to reach the summit of one of the most well-known mountaineering areas in Lake Louise.

Hike your way from the turquoise shores of Lake Louise to the tallest ridges of Fairview Mountain, one of the most sought-after hikes in Banff National Park.

Following the same route as Saddleback Pass, turn north from the larch forest and head up the steep, rocky ascent to the summit. After putting in a little work, you’ll be rewarded by views of impressive glaciers and awe-inspiring 360-degree views of the valley below.

Visit Parks Canada for a full list of hiking trails in Lake Louise.

How to Get to Lake Louise for Hiking

Lake Louise is one of the most popular hiking areas in Banff National Park and parking lots fill early, especially during the summer months when paid parking is in effect.

Going car-free is a convenient and easy way to get to Lake Louise for hiking. Take one of the Lake Louise shuttles, offered by Parks Canada and private operators.

If you’re staying in Banff, you can take the Roam Transit 8X direct route from downtown Banff to the Lake Louise Lakeshore.

Book a guided sightseeing and hiking tour to enhance your trip and get insider access to the most coveted hiking spots in Lake Louise.

What to Know Before You Go Hiking in Lake Louise

Every adventure to Lake Louise begins well before you hit the trail. Start by choosing hiking trails that suit your comfort level and experience. Always check the weather forecast and Parks Canada bulletins before heading out, and bring a backpack with clothing layers, extra food, water, and other essential gear. Lake Louise is bear country, so it’s also a good idea to bring bear spray and know how to use it.

Read the summer checklist for more on what to pack for hiking Lake Louise.

Trail tips:

• Stay on the trail to protect sensitive vegetation.
• Avoid feeding or approaching wildlife to protect yourself and them.
• Keep dogs on leash and clean up their waste.
• Pack out what you pack in (there are no garbage cans on the trails).
• There is limited cell service at Lake Louise.

Indigenous Experiences in Banff National Park

Lake Louise is located on the territories of Treaty 6, 7 and 8, Rocky View Métis District, and the Métis Homelands. Walk gently through these lands and travel with gratitude for the original stewards who have cared for them for many generations.

While you’re visiting Banff National Park, take the time to connect with their stories through authentic Indigenous experiences.

Plan your Lake Louise Hiking Trip in Banff National Park

Lake Louise offers hiking trails for every kind of adventurer, whether you're lacing up for the first time or chasing your next dramatic summit. The lake itself is just the beginning.

Start with a stroll along the lakeshore, where that signature turquoise water frames every step with one of the most breathtaking views in the Canadian Rockies. From there, the trails climb into something bigger: sweeping glacier views and rocky ridgelines that put the full scale of Banff National Park right in front of you.

Lake Louise rewards those who go beyond the shoreline. The trails here have a way of changing how you see a place, and maybe even how you see yourself.

Start planning your Lake Louise hiking adventure today.