Emerald Lakeshore Trail: Complete Hiking Guide

The Emerald Lakeshore Trail is one of the easiest ways to enjoy more of Emerald Lake than the busy area around the bridge and boathouse. This 5.2 km loop circles Emerald Lake in Yoho National Park, with changing lake and mountain views, almost no elevation gain and plenty of places to stop along the way.

As Canmore locals, we’ve visited Emerald Lake and hiked the Emerald Lakeshore Trail many times over the years. On our most recent walk around the lake, we paid closer attention to the trail conditions, accessibility and how the experience changes as you move from the smooth western shoreline to the rougher eastern side.

The western side of the Emerald Lakeshore Trail is wide, smooth and very easy to walk, with plenty of lake views and benches. The eastern side is rougher, with muddy sections, tree roots and stretches where you hardly see the lake at all. Parks Canada has been making some significant improvements to this side of the trail, including beautiful new wooden boardwalks over some of the wettest areas.

In this guide, we’ll share exactly what to expect on the Emerald Lakeshore Trail, including trail conditions, the best viewpoints, parking, accessibility, hiking with kids and whether you really need to walk the entire loop.

We also have an Emerald Lake guide covering parking, canoe rentals, the best hikes, where to eat and our tips for making the most of your time at the lake.

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Is the Emerald Lakeshore Trail Right for You?

How Long is the Emerald Lakeshore Trail?

The Emerald Lakeshore Trail, sometimes called the Emerald Lake Loop or Emerald Lake Trail, is a 5.2 km / 3.2 mile loop around Emerald Lake. Despite its mountain location, it has very little elevation gain.

How Steep is the Emerald Lake Loop?

The Emerald Lake Loop is very flat by Canadian Rockies hiking standards. There are some minor undulations as you walk around the lake, but there are no sustained climbs. The western side in particular feels more like a lakeside walk than a hike.

How Hard is the Emerald Lakeshore Trail?

We rate the Emerald Lakeshore Trail as an easy Yoho National Park hike. The distance and elevation are both very manageable. What prevents us from calling the entire loop an easy stroll is the condition of the trail on the eastern side of Emerald Lake.

After crossing the Emerald River, the trail becomes noticeably rougher. Depending on recent weather, you may encounter mud, uneven ground, tree roots and wooden planks. Parks Canada also warns hikers to expect muddy and rooty conditions on the east side of the loop.

You don’t need to be an experienced hiker to complete the Emerald Lake Loop, but proper footwear will make the second half more enjoyable.

How Long Does the Emerald Lakeshore Trail Take?

Most visitors should allow approximately 1.5 to 2 hours to walk the Emerald Lakeshore Trail. If you like stopping for pictures, sitting on the benches or enjoying the viewpoints, I’d allow closer to 2 to 2.5 hours.

Is the Emerald Lakeshore Trail Accessible?

The full Emerald Lakeshore Trail is not wheelchair accessible, but the western side of the lake is significantly more accessible than the eastern side.

Starting from the main visitor area and walking along the western shore, the first approximately 400 m / 1,300 feet is paved. It then changes to a wide, well-groomed crushed gravel trail.

A big-wheeled stroller should manage this portion of the Emerald Lake Trail reasonably well in dry conditions. Wheelchair users may also be able to enjoy part of the western shoreline with assistance.

The biggest issue with completing the entire loop comes near the far end of Emerald Lake. On our most recent visit, the bridge over the Emerald River had gravel ramps leading up to it, followed by a sizeable step of roughly 12 to 18 inches on both sides. Beyond the bridge, the trail becomes muddy and uneven in places, with roots and other obstacles.

If mobility is a concern, we recommend walking the western shore as far as is comfortable and then returning the same way rather than attempting the complete Emerald Lake Loop.

Alternatives to Walking the Entire Emerald Lake Loop

You don’t have to walk all 5.2 km to enjoy the Emerald Lakeshore Trail. In fact, if your main goal is beautiful lake views, I think the western side gives you the best return for your time.

Walk past the boathouse and continue along the western shoreline. You’ll get changing views across Emerald Lake, several benches and easy access to the water. You can simply turn around whenever you’ve had enough.

If you want a slightly more challenging hike, the Emerald Basin Trail begins from the far side of the lake and is one of our favourite moderate hikes in the Emerald Lake area. For something much shorter, the Hamilton Falls Trail begins near the Emerald Lake parking lot.

Another excellent Yoho hike of a similar distance is the Wapta Falls Trail. This easy hike visits one of the largest waterfalls by volume in the Canadian Rockies.

What to Expect on the Emerald Lakeshore Trail

We recommend walking the Emerald Lakeshore Trail clockwise, beginning on the western side of Emerald Lake.

This gives you the easiest and most scenic portion of the trail first. It also means that if you decide you don’t want to complete the entire loop, you’ll still have enjoyed what we think is the better side of the lake.

Emerald Lake to the Western Lakeshore

From the parking area, make your way towards Emerald Lake and the famous bridge leading to Emerald Lake Lodge. Rather than crossing the bridge, turn right and begin walking along the western shore.

The first 400 m or so of the Emerald Lakeshore Trail is paved and almost completely flat. The trail then transitions to well-groomed crushed gravel. There are some very minor undulations, but it remains an easy walk.

This is also one of our favourite parts of the Emerald Lake Loop. The trail rarely gets far from the water and you’ll have plenty of opportunities to look back across Emerald Lake towards the lodge and surrounding mountains.

There are several benches along the western shore, including four that we counted along the northwest side of the lake.

You’ll also pass interpretive signs about the Burgess Shale, an important fossil site within Yoho National Park.

The Avalanche Path

As you continue along the northwest shore, you’ll cross a large avalanche path. It looks very different in summer than the surrounding forest. When we walked the trail in September, there was plenty of fireweed growing through this open area.

Pay attention to the avalanche warning signs here. During the summer hiking season, you can simply continue along the maintained trail, but this is serious avalanche terrain in winter.

Parks Canada changes the winter routing in this area once conditions allow because the regular lakeshore trail crosses an avalanche path. A typical avalanche season in Yoho can extend from November into June.

The Emerald Lake Alluvial Fan

At approximately 1.6 km, you’ll reach the large alluvial fan at the far end of Emerald Lake. This wide, flat area has been created by sediment carried down from the surrounding mountains by the Emerald River and its tributaries.

The scenery changes noticeably here. Rather than walking beside a forested shoreline, you get a much broader view across the end of the lake with mountains rising around you.

This is also where several of Emerald Lake’s longer hiking trails begin to branch away from the Lakeshore Trail.

Emerald Basin Trail Junction

At approximately 1.7 km, you’ll reach the junction for the Emerald Basin Trail. There are two benches here, making it a convenient place for a short break. Look towards the mountains above the basin and you can see glacial ice tucked high above the valley.

The Emerald Basin Trail leaves the lakeshore here and travels deeper into the valley. If you have more time and want a moderate hike rather than an easy walk, it’s an excellent option. We often combine the Emerald Basin Trail with the Emerald Lake Loop for a longer hiking day.

Continue following the Emerald Lakeshore Trail and you’ll almost immediately pass another junction leading towards Yoho Lake, Yoho Pass and ultimately Takakkaw Falls.

Crossing the Emerald River

The trail remains well-maintained crushed gravel as you continue around the head of the lake. At approximately 2.2 km, you’ll reach a bridge crossing the Emerald River, which is where the character of the Emerald Lake Trail begins to change.

On our most recent walk, there were gravel ramps leading up to the bridge, but there was also a sizeable step at each end. This is one of the reasons we don’t consider the full Emerald Lakeshore Trail wheelchair accessible.

Once across the bridge, the beautifully groomed trail you’ve been enjoying largely disappears.

The Rougher Eastern Shore

The eastern side of the Emerald Lakeshore Trail is noticeably rougher than the western side. Expect sections of mud, uneven natural trail, tree roots and wooden planks. You’ll also spend more time walking through the forest.

This is our least favourite part of the Emerald Lake Loop. The hiking itself isn’t difficult, but you lose many of the continuous lake views. For significant portions of this section, you can barely see Emerald Lake through the trees.

This is important if you’re short on time. I wouldn’t walk the full loop simply because you assume every kilometre gives you beautiful lakeshore views. It doesn’t.

Returning to the Lakeshore

At approximately 3.2 km, the trail moves back towards Emerald Lake and the views improve again. After spending quite a bit of time in the forest, it’s nice to get back near the water.

At approximately 3.6 km, you’ll start seeing some significant trail improvements made by Parks Canada. When we walked the Emerald Lakeshore Trail in September 2026, there were beautiful new wooden boardwalks crossing some of the muddy areas. These boardwalks make a big difference through what would otherwise be some of the wettest sections of the trail.

Parks Canada was still completing trail work during our visit, so conditions on this portion of the Emerald Lake Loop may continue to improve.

Emerald Lake Lodge and Peaceful Pond

At approximately 4.1 km, you’ll reach a junction where you can continue towards Emerald Lake Lodge and the parking area. The trail becomes more natural again here, with plenty of large tree roots underfoot.

At approximately 4.7 km, you’ll reach the Emerald Lake Lodge area. There is also a short side trail to Peaceful Pond. We walked to it on one of our first visits here, but with so many better views around Emerald Lake, I wouldn’t make a special effort to add it unless you have plenty of time.

Continue towards Emerald Lake Lodge and you’ll finish the loop by crossing the famous bridge. After spending much of the previous hour on quieter sections of trail, crossing the bridge brings you right back into the busiest part of Emerald Lake.

Emerald Lakeshore Trailhead, Parking and Directions

The Emerald Lakeshore Trail begins at Emerald Lake in Yoho National Park, approximately 10 km west of Field, B.C. via the Trans-Canada Highway and Emerald Lake Road.

From Lake Louise, the drive to Emerald Lake takes approximately 35 minutes. From the Town of Banff, allow around 1 hour and 15 minutes.

Emerald Lake Road is paved and open year-round.

Parking is one of the biggest challenges when hiking the Emerald Lakeshore Trail. The Emerald Lake parking lot is quite small for such a popular destination. Parking is extremely limited, so we recommend arriving early or later in the day.

On our most recent visit, we arrived at approximately 9:30 a.m. on a cloudy Wednesday in mid-September and still had to park about 1 km down Emerald Lake Road. That means our 5.2 km Emerald Lake Loop became more than a 7 km walk by the time we added the walk from our vehicle. If hiking the Emerald Lakeshore Trail is important to you, we recommend making Emerald Lake your first stop of the day.

There is currently no public transportation within Yoho National Park. We share alternate ways of getting here in our guide to visiting Emerald Lake.

Best Time to Hike the Emerald Lakeshore Trail

For most visitors, summer through early fall is the easiest time to walk the Emerald Lakeshore Trail. The lake can remain frozen well into spring, and snow and ice can linger on the trail even after conditions have started warming elsewhere in the Rockies.

Fall can be an excellent time to walk around Emerald Lake, but mountain weather changes quickly and early snowfall is always possible.

Winter is very different. Parks Canada maintains winter routes around Emerald Lake for snowshoeing and cross-country skiing, but the route may change to avoid avalanche terrain. The northwest side of Emerald Lake crosses an active avalanche path and should be taken seriously.

Don’t assume that because the Emerald Lakeshore Trail is an easy summer hike it is equally straightforward in winter. Always check the current Parks Canada trail report before heading out.

Read more: When Do Banff Lakes Thaw?

Emerald Lakeshore Trail Map

The Emerald Lakeshore Trail is easy to follow. For most of the hike, navigation is simply a matter of following the shoreline around Emerald Lake. There are signs at the important junctions for trails including Emerald Basin, Yoho Pass and Yoho Lake.

Even on straightforward hikes, we like having an offline trail map available. We use the AllTrails app when hiking in Banff, Yoho, Kananaskis and when travelling around the world. We recommend downloading your Emerald Lakeshore Trail map before you arrive because cell service can be unreliable.

Hiking the Emerald Lakeshore Trail with Kids

The Emerald Lakeshore Trail is a very good family-friendly hike. There’s almost no elevation gain, the distance is manageable and there’s plenty along the trail to keep kids interested, including the lake, bridges, boardwalks, forest and mountain views. For families with younger kids, you don’t necessarily need to complete the entire 5.2 km loop.

The western shore would be my first choice with toddlers or kids who aren’t used to longer walks. It is smoother, has better lake views and gives you the flexibility to turn around whenever you need to.

A big-wheeled stroller should also manage much of the western side in dry conditions.

If your kids are comfortable walking 5 km on uneven trails, the full Emerald Lake Loop should be manageable for most active families. Just be prepared for mud and roots on the eastern shore.

Best Places to Stop for Lunch or a Break

There are plenty of benches around the Emerald Lakeshore Trail. The western shoreline has the best combination of benches and lake views. We counted four benches along the northwest shore alone, and there are several other places where you can stop close to the water.

The benches near the Emerald Basin junction are another convenient place to stop, especially if you want a break around the halfway point.

There are also picnic tables closer to the main visitor area at Emerald Lake.

If you prefer to buy something after your walk, you can get food at Emerald Lake Lodge. Cilantro on the Lake operates seasonally and has a patio overlooking Emerald Lake, while The Window offers quicker grab-and-go food.

Emerald Lakeshore Trail Safety

Even though this is an easy hike, you’re still in the Canadian Rockiess. Bears and other wildlife live throughout Yoho National Park. Carry bear spray, know how to use it and keep it somewhere immediately accessible rather than buried in your backpack. Make noise as you hike, especially on the more forested eastern side of the lake where visibility is limited.

Dogs should be kept on leash.

The avalanche path on the northwest side of Emerald Lake is another important consideration outside the summer hiking season. Follow Parks Canada signage and never enter avalanche terrain in winter unless you have the appropriate training, equipment and current information.

Finally, trail conditions can change quickly. The eastern shore is prone to wet and muddy conditions, so check the current Yoho National Park trail report before you leave.

Emerald Lakeshore Trail Facilities and Logistics

There are public washrooms near the Emerald Lake parking area, including an accessible toilet. There are no toilets once you begin walking around the lake, so use the facilities before starting.

There is no public transportation within Yoho National Park, so most independent visitors will need a vehicle to reach Emerald Lake.

Cell service is unreliable, so download any trail maps or information you need before you arrive.

You’ll also need a valid Parks Canada admission pass to stop and hike at Emerald Lake. The same national park pass you use for Banff National Park is valid in Yoho National Park.

What to Bring on the Emerald Lakeshore Trail

You don’t need specialized hiking gear for the Emerald Lakeshore Trail, but we still recommend being prepared for changing mountain conditions.

Wear comfortable walking or hiking shoes with decent grip. On a dry day, running shoes should be sufficient for most people, but waterproof hiking shoes are a better choice after rain because the eastern shore can get quite muddy.

Bring water, a light layer and rain protection. Mountain weather can change quickly even when the forecast looks good.

We also recommend carrying bear spray whenever hiking in Yoho National Park.

For more help getting prepared, see our Banff hiking gear essentials.