The 7 Best Moraine Lake Hikes

For many, visiting Moraine Lake in Banff National Park is an experience they will never forget. To get the most out of your visit, we recommend you try one of these Moraine Lake hikes to earn better views of the incredible aquamarine-turquoise colored lake and the incredible Valley of the Ten Peaks.

While many visitors to Moraine Lake will simply enjoy a short walk to the Rockpile Trail to enjoy an elevated viewpoint of this iconic Banff lake, many more will want to venture further to explore the beauty of this area. Lucky for them, there are many amazing Moraine Lake hikes including several of our favorite hiking trails in Banff National Park.

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The 7 Best Moraine Lake Hiking Trails

With so many high quality choices, it’s a near impossible task to determine the order for the best Moraine Lake hikes. We really enjoy all of the seven Moraine Lake hiking trails listed below, so we’ve used our experience to help you pick the best of the best.

When we go hiking at Moraine Lake, we prefer the moderately challenging hikes to get better views, but if you are looking for an easy Moraine Lake hike, some of the choices towards the end of our list will be a great choice for you.

1. Larch Valley Trail

Without question, the Larch Valley trail is the most popular hiking trail in Moraine Lake and one of the best Alberta larch hikes. While it’s true that locals and visitors alike go crazy over this hike in late September when the larch trees turn a beautiful golden color, Larch Valley is a must-do Moraine Lake hike no matter what time of year you visit. In fact, it’s a feature hike in our 7-day Banff hiking itinerary.

We won’t lie… the first 2.5 km (1.6 miles) of the Larch Valley trail are challenging, but if you are in reasonable shape, you’ll make it no problem to Larch Valley. In fact, you will be amazed and inspired by the number of people on this incredible Moraine Lake hike who persevere and make it to Larch Valley.

You may find this hard to believe, but the turquoise water color of Moraine Lake gets even more incredible the higher up you go. Don’t be afraid to take a break on the steeper sections of the trail and enjoy the elevated views of this natural wonder. Everyone does this Moraine Lake hike at their own pace and eventually makes it to the top.

The trail flattens out significantly after 2.5 km (1.6 miles) as you enter an extensive forest of larch trees – one of the largest stands of larch trees in Banff National Park. The larch trees are beautiful no matter if you visit Moraine Lake in spring, summer or fall.

There’s much more to the Moraine Lake hiking trail than larch trees, as the mountain scenery is truly incredible. The massive Mount Temple (3,544 m) looms overhead through the trees, while the mountains of the Valley of the Ten Peaks come into view as you venture deeper along the Larch Valley Trail.

Deltaform Mountain (3,424 m), Mount Tuzo (3,246 m), Mount Allen (3,310 m), Mount Perren (3,051 m), Mount Bowlen (3,072 m) and the Mount Fay glacier are just of few of the visible peaks you’ll see above the larch trees. This is one of the best views of the Canadian Rockies you’ll find anywhere in Banff National Park.

Many who enjoy this excellent Moraine Lake hike stop at the far end of the larch forest. There are benches here to stop and enjoy the outstanding vistas of the Valley of the Ten Peaks.

If you feel like continuing, the hike to the Minnestimma Lakes is highly scenic and very rewarding. There’s a ton of boulders scattered around the Minnestimma Lakes, making it an ideal spot to stop and just soak it all in.

No matter what the season, Larch Valley is one of the best hikes in Moraine Lake. But, if you have the option, hiking Larch Valley in the fall is truly spectacular, it’s widely considered to be one of the best larch hikes in Banff National Park.

In mid-September to early October, the Larch Valley hike is an unforgettable walk through an expansive forest of golden larch trees. This, coupled with the Valley of the Ten Peaks and the otherworldly color of Moraine Lake, makes it a Banff hike you’ll never forget.

2. Sentinel Pass Trail (via the Larch Valley Trail)

The Larch Valley hike officially ends at the Minnestimma Lakes, but there is another excellent Moraine Lake hiking trail which continues on past the lakes. It’s hard to improve on the scenery found in Larch Valley, but if you want to try, the Sentinel Pass trail just may accomplish this feat.

After crossing a stream flowing from the Minnestimma Lakes, the Sentinel Pass trail snakes its way up a steep mountain pass in-between Pinnacle Mountain (3,070 m) and Mount Temple.

Standing at the bottom of Sentinel Pass, the trail looks like a bolt of lightning, with sharp zigzags up the side of these two majestic Moraine Lake-area mountains. Because of the shape, our kids like to call it the ‘Harry Potter hike‘.

If you can make it to the end of the Larch Valley hike, chances are good you can also hike to Sentinel Pass. It’s not as bad as it looks, and it’s surprisingly quick to hike to the top of Sentinel Pass.

Once at the top of Sentinel Pass, you’ll have earned one of the most amazing views in all of Banff National Park. With Larch Valley at your back, you’ll enjoy an incredible view of Paradise Valley and the majestic peaks of Mount Aberdeen (3,152 m), Haddo Peak (3,070 m), Sheol Mountain (2,776 m), Mt. Lefroy (3,423 m) and The Mitre (2,886 m).

In addition to the vistas of Paradise Valley, you’ll get an amazing up-close view of the Grand Sentinel on Pinnacle Mountain, a massive, dramatic quartzite pinnacle thrusting straight up into the sky.

Turning back to where you came from, you’ll enjoy an incredible vista of the Larch Valley (incredible in fall!), Minnestimma Lakes and nearly all of the Valley of the Ten Peaks (I counted 8 peaks).

With 360° views of the Canadian Rockies, this Moraine Lake hiking trail really delivers some amazing scenery. For many, the Sentinel Pass trail via the Larch Valley trail is the best hike in Moraine Lake, and it’s hard to argue with them. Why not try it and see for yourself?

3. Eiffel Lake Trail

The most famous Moraine Lake hiking trail may be the Larch Valley trail, but the Eiffel Lake trail could quite possibly be the most beautiful. A moderately difficult Moraine Lake hike, the Eiffel Lake trail offers incredible, up-close views of the majestic mountains of the Valley of the Ten Peaks – likely the most photographed peaks in the Canadian Rockies.

The first 2.5 km (1.6 miles) of this Moraine Lake hiking trail is along the same difficult switchback section of the Larch Valley Trail (there’s just no avoiding it! Ha-ha!). But, just as with the Larch Valley trail, once you reach the top of the steep section, it’s pretty easy and enjoyable hiking from then on.

The best part of the Eiffel Lake trail? We estimate that roughly 95% of the hikers continue onto the Larch Valley trail and Sentinel Pass, instead of taking the Eiffel Lake trail. We find that the magnificent Moraine Lake scenery you earn on the Eiffel Lake trail is so much better without the crowds found in Larch Valley.

Another great thing about the Eiffel Lake hike is the nearly non-stop views of the Valley of the Ten Peaks. As you progress along the hiking trail to Eiffel Lake, the view of the Valley of the Ten Peaks continues to evolve, providing you with a wide variety of Moraine Lake scenery.

At one point, you can even see nine of the Ten Peaks, with just one hidden around the corner. Around this point, you can catch occasional views of the electric blue waters of Moraine Lake through the trees below.

As you near Eiffel Lake, the evergreens give way to the larch trees. Some of the larches are found hugging the hiking trail, but the majority of them are in a large forest visible below the trail.

Soon enough, the forest surrounding the trail disappears as you are now walking through an extensive landslide, which must have wiped out the larches here long ago. Without trees, you’ll marvel at the unimpeded views of the Valley of the Ten Peaks.

Marmots and pikas (two of Banff’s cutest creatures) call this massive pile of rocks home. Please keep these special creatures alive and wild by not feeding them human food, no matter how cute they are.

Eiffel Lake is a relatively small alpine lake, but the color of the water is indescribably beautiful; it’s a deep greenish-blue, almost like blend of turquoise & dark teal.

As with many other Moraine Lake hiking trails, fall is the best time to hike to Eiffel Lake. The magnificent views of the Valley of the Ten Peaks are present year-round, but the golden larch trees in September in Banff help make this Moraine Lake hike special.

4. Wenkchemna Pass Trail

Just as the Larch Valley Trail has its Sentinel Pass extension, the Eiffel Lake trail has the Wenkchemna Pass extension. From the end of the Eiffel Lake trail, the Wenkchemna Pass trail is a very scenic hike rewarding hikers with panoramic views from the far end of the Valley of the Ten Peaks.

Beyond Eiffel Lake, the hiking trail continues through the remnants of an old rock slide, but now you’ll occasionally have to navigate through a few sets of larger boulders which block the trail.

If you look up, you’ll see the massive rock wall, which was once home to all the boulders now surrounding your feet. Due to the harsh conditions, there are very few trees left between Eiffel Lake and Wenkchemna Pass. A few hearty larch trees grow here, but they are pretty tiny.

Don’t forget to stop and enjoy the amazing views of the Valley of the Ten Peaks looking back towards Moraine Lake. You’ll notice a large, vertical glacier running down one of the peaks. It made some incredible cracking noises on our most recent hike to Wenkchemna Pass.

As you near the bottom of Wenkchemna Pass, you’ll walk through an incredible meadow filled with boulders scattered around delicate alpine plants and flowers.  

The hiking trail suddenly becomes steeper as you begin your ascent up a series of switchbacks towards Wenkchemna Pass. The trail is mostly easy to follow, but if you feel you are off the trail, look for one of the cairns which marks the way.

The final few hundred meters of the Wenkchemna Pass trail require a bit of scrambling through much larger rocks. Again, cairns lead the way to the top.

Once you reach the top of Wenkchemna Pass, the views are incredible. Looking behind you, you’ll have a once-in-a-lifetime view of the Valley of the Ten Peaks from the very far end. Looking ahead, instead of a mountain vista, there’s a massive rock wall belonging to Curtis Peak (3,051 m).

Interestingly enough, if you follow the valley bottom northward, you’ll reach Lake Opabin in the Lake O’Hara area of Yoho National Park, another of the most coveted locations to visit in the Canadian Rockies.

5. Consolation Lakes Trail

As you have seen, our top four Moraine Lake hikes are moderate-to-difficult trails, but if you are not up to that, don’t worry. There are a few easy Moraine Lake hiking trails too. In fact, the short Consolation Lakes trail is one of our favorite easy hikes in Banff National Park.

The Consolation Lakes trail has long been one of our favorite easy Moraine Lake hikes as it packs in a ton of scenery in a very short distance. Along the way to the Consolation Lakes, you’ll pass the Moraine Lake Rockpile (another of the best Moraine Lake hikes), walk through a rockslide fallen off the Tower of Babel (2,310 m), and enjoy a walk through a lush forest along the shores of Babel Creek.

As you near the Consolation Lakes, you’ll reach a beautiful, wide open meadow along the shores of Babel Creek. The beauty of the creek surrounded by towering Rocky Mountains is one of the highlights of the Consolation Lakes hike.

In fact, most people end their hike in this meadow, before reaching the shores of the Consolation Lakes. There’s an unfortunate field of massive boulders in front of the lakes, making them a little difficult to get to.

That said, after seeing the world-renowned beauty of Moraine Lake, Consolation Lakes can feel less dramatic by comparison. They are nice mountain lakes in their own right, but it’s not really a fair comparison.

Despite being a very scenic, easy Moraine Lake hike, the Consolation Lakes trail is often not very busy. If you are seeking respite from the hordes of visitors around Moraine Lake, the Consolation Lakes trail is an excellent choice.

6. Moraine Lake Rockpile Trail

The vast majority of people visiting Moraine Lake make a beeline for the Rockpile Trail, and for good reason. The Rockpile Trail, otherwise known as the Moraine Lake Viewpoint Trail, is a very short hike to a series of elevated viewpoints. It’s from these viewpoints that the iconic images of Moraine Lake and the Valley of the Ten Peaks are captured.

While the Rockpile Trail is quite short, there are quite a few stairs to climb. Despite the stairs, almost everyone should be physically capable of this highly scenic, short Moraine Lake trail.

7. Moraine Lake Shoreline Trail

Banff National Park is blessed with an incredible amount of scenic locations, but Moraine Lake just might be the most scenic spot of them all. The easiest of the ‘true’ Moraine Lake hikes allows visitors to walk the shoreline of this world-famous Banff lake.

Along the Moraine Lake Shoreline trail, you’ll not only enjoy the beauty of the turquoise water of the lake, but you’ll marvel at the towering mountains of the Valley of the Ten Peaks looming directly overhead.

Things to Know About Visiting Moraine Lake

How to Get to Moraine Lake

Moraine Lake can no longer be reached by private vehicle, so it’s important you plan ahead by booking a shuttle or tour.

There are several ways to get to Moraine Lake, and most require pre-booking a shuttle or a tour. We highly recommend you read our post on Getting to Moraine Lake, but if you are short on time this is a summary of the best options.

In addition, the Moraine Lake Road is only open to Parks Canada shuttles and licensed commercial vehicles between June 1st until mid-October. Shuttles won’t start until June 1st at the earliest and the road closes after Canadian Thanksgiving in October (though it can close earlier if the road conditions make it unsafe).

Seasonal Closure of Moraine Lake Road

Since Moraine Lake Road is only open from early June to mid-October each year, the season to see Moraine Lake is very short.

During the winter closure, visitors can enjoy cross-country skiing on Moraine Lake Road which is trackset on a regular basis. Even if you ski the road, there is a turnaround point near the top of Moraine Lake Road (well before you reach the lake). Beyond this point is dangerous avalanche terrain and you should not go further unless you are trained and have the proper gear.

The Moraine Lake Lodge

Another way to guarantee yourself the ability to visit Moraine Lake is to make a reservation at the Moraine Lake Lodge. Being the only hotel at Moraine Lake, and one of the best hotels around Lake Louise, competition to stay at the Moraine Lake Lodge is high, so book early.