If you’re going to be visiting the rocky mountains sometime soon one thing you should put on your list of things to do is visit all the best lakes in Banff National Park. I’ve been to all these lakes and I will let you know the best parts about each one of them.
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Two Jack Lake
Two Jack Lake is a gorgeous lake with amazing views surrounding it. It’s a great lake for swimming, skating, and you can also kayak, canoe or paddle board here as well. Two Jack Lake isn’t far from the town of Banff so this is an easy lake to get to.
Johnson Lake
Johnson lake is an amazing lake. It has a small beach area when you first get there but what we decided to do was get on our paddle boards and go off to a more secluded area to spend the day. I thought this was a great lake for swimming, paddle boarding, kayaking, and canoeing. There was also a heat warning during my time at Johnson lake so the swimming was particularly great for me. You can also go skating at this lake in the winter time.I actually also wrote a blog post about my few days in Banff if you’re interested you can read that blog post too.
Lake Louise
Lake Louise is a lake I’m sure you’ve all heard of but I’m sure I can guess one thing you’re thinking; is Lake Louise worth visiting? And the answer to that question is at least once. Lake Louise is absolutely gorgeous but it is insanely popular and crowded. If you want to go I suggest getting there right after sunrise so you know you will have some space to look around. I honestly wouldn’t even bother going in the middle of the day because there are multiple parking lots and they are also completely full.
Although Lake Louise does have a hike you can do that starts right at the base of the lake called the Tea House Trail. This hike has amazing views and you can continue up to the Beehive hike to get to the mountain top for some even more incredible views of the mountains.
Moraine Lake
Moraine Lake is a lake that is definitely underrated. It’s starting to get more popular because of the gorgeous views though. Moraine lake has some canoe’s there you can rent to be on gorgeous lake. There is also a little trail so you can walk along the lake. This is not a lake you can swim or fish at but you can skate at it in the winter.
Some people wonder which is better Lake Louise or Moraine Lake and in my opinion it’s Moraine Lake. Moraine Lake has amazing views and trails but there way fewer people which is what I’m looking for when I got to the mountains. I think Moraine Lake is one of the best lakes in Banff National Park.
Lake Minnewanka
Lake Minnewanka is a great place to visit in both summer and winter. In the summer the views are great and my engagement pictures we took there look great! In the winter you can also go skating and they also have ice fishing there. This is a huge lake with so many mountains surrounding it so you can always get a good view.
Barrier Lake
Barrier Lake was a lake I accidently found on Instagram and I’m so excited that I did. It actually has a huge beach area so you can spend the entire day at this beach as well as having some privacy. I would say that is probably one of the best beaches for swimming and as you can see it’s great for paddle boarding, kayaking, and canoeing. This is a very unknown lake and it very deserving of being one of the best lakes in Banff National Park.
Peyto Lake
You may be thinking to yourself; what should I not miss in Banff? Peyto Lake is the answer to that question. There is a small hike you need to take to get to the lookout point but it is so worth it. In my opninion this is one of the best views you can find in Banff and should be on the top of your must see list of the best lakes in Banff National Park.
Bow Lake
Bow lake is mostly for just looking at how incredible it is. it is glacier fed so I wouldn’t suggest swimming in it unless you’re looking for a bit of a polar dip. There were people canoeing on the lake when we were there so you can do that when you visit if you want. There is also a hike you can go on along the lake that leads to a waterfall you can see in the center of this picture. Keep in mind this is a bug filled hike so bring your bug spray with you.
And those are what I think are the best lakes in Banff National Park. If you’re wanting to see some lakes make sure you check out the ones on this list because they are some of the best. If you’re looking for somewhere to stay in Banff I’ve stayed at Brewster’s Mountain Lodge and loved it. I actually wrote a blog post on it too if you want to check out my review.
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Love lake Louise!
Me too 🙂
What a beautiful part of the world! Your photos are stunning!
Thank you so much! Banff is amazing 🙂