Best first-time hikes in Banff National Park
To be fully transparent, I have only visited Banff National Park once, so this is not an all-encompassing review of hikes in the park. If you have never visited Banff before, however, you will love these hikes and should add them to your list for where to hike within the park. Many of these are accessible from the Lake Louise parking area. This makes them great options since most visitors will already be heading to Lake Louise.
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Banff National Park’s famous Lake Louise
I am fairly certain that every visitor to Banff National Park plans to visit the incredibly beautiful and photogenic Lake Louise. If you are looking for a beautiful and very beginner friendly hike, you can simply hike along the trail that borders Lake Louise. This will let you view the amazing glacial blue colors of Lake Louise, watch the canoes float across the lake, and let you take some amazing photographs to make everyone you know jealous of your trip to Banff.
In this area, you will also get incredible views of the picturesque Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise. If you have the budget for it, you might consider staying at this property and waking up to stunning views of Lake Louise. You can also choose to canoe across the lake instead of hiking and can rent canoes from the boat dock in order to paddle through the lake’s blue waters. If you want to book a guided tour of some of Banff’s most amazing sites you can book them through Tripadvisor here or take a look at additional tour options around Banff here.
Lake Agnes Trail
After walking along Lake Louise, you can continue on the Lake Agnes Trail. This trail leads to Lake Agnes and the Lake Agnes Tea House. The trail is roughly 4.5 miles roundtrip and around 1,600 feet of elevation gain. The trail is very wide and well maintained, which makes the hike much simpler than a hike on rougher terrain. This trail ends at Lake Agnes, which is another beautiful lake worth checking out. The tea house is also very neat, and you can fill up on some refreshments before hiking back down to Lake Louise or continuing up the trail to The Big Beehive. The tea house also provides a stopping point for anyone in your party that needs a rest while the rest of you continue on your way to The Big Beehive.
The Big Beehive Via Lake Agnes Trail
If you make it to Lake Agnes and your legs are still feeling fresh, you should absolutely consider continuing on The Big Beehive Trail. This trail will wrap around behind Lake Agnes before it climbs up the side of a mountain. The trail ultimately reaches a spectacular viewpoint of Lake Louise. The views of Lake Louise from this trailhead are definitely worth making the additional trek from Lake Agnes. This hike will end up being over six miles long and will have over 2,400 feet of elevation gain. If this seems manageable to you, do not miss this hike and the stunning views of Lake Louise that it provides.
Plain of Six Glaciers Trail
If you are up for a longer hike, Plain of Six Glaciers Trail should also make it onto your hiking itinerary while in Banff National Park. This trail also leaves from Lake Louise, so visiting this area two separate times will let you visit all of the previously mentioned trails as well as visit Plain of Six Glaciers Trail. This hike is over 8.5 miles roundtrip and has nearly 2,000 feet of elevation gain, so it is definitely a challenging hike. There is also another quaint tea house along this trail where less seasoned hikers might want to stop their hike and enjoy delicious snacks from the tea house before returning to Lake Louise.
For those that want an up-close look at the glaciers at the end of the trail as well as views of Mount Victoria, Victoria Glacier, and Mount Lefroy, you should continue past the tea house to the end of the trail. If you were lucky enough to visit before 2022, you would have been able to see the historic Abott Pass Hut. Unfortunately, this historic hut was declared irreparable and was demolished in 2022. Despite the lack of views of the historic hut, this trail is still worth the trek and should make your list for your visit to Banff. While I sat at the end of the trailhead, I was able to witness multiple avalanches plummeting off the surround cliff faces. It was a really amazing experience and made me very glad I decided to complete this entire hike.
Panoramic views of the glacial valley and Plain of Six Glaciers from the trailhead
The trail ends with stunning views of these glaciers. When I visited, numerous avalanches kept falling off the cliff in front of me.
Moraine Lake
After visiting the Lake Louise area, you can board one of the transport busses (if you have purchased a ticket) that takes you over to Moraine Lake. This might be one of the most picturesque lakes I have ever seen. There is a very short hike to the main lake overlook called the Rockpile Trail and there are some additional longer hikes that leave from the parking area as well. The Rockpile Trail is around 0.5 miles roundtrip and has very little elevation gain, but it will give you incredible views of the lake as seen in the photo below.
Since evening was rolling in when I was there, I just hiked up to the overlook and then walked the Moraine Lake Shoreline Trail past the canoe rental area and along the lakeshore for a little way before returning to the bus stop. When I was visiting, there were signs posted on the Panaroma Ridge Route, which continues past the Rockpile Trail, warning of lots of grizzly bear activity in the area. This served as a good reminder to always carry bear spray on hikes within Banff and the Canadian Rockies. Even if you just hike the shorter Rockpile Trail, Moraine Lake should not be missed on your trip to Banff.
If you go to Banff National Park:
When I visited, I stayed in Canmore at the Coast Canmore Hotel and Conference Center. Staying in Canmore was much cheaper than staying within Banff National Park and this hotel was still only about a 30-minute drive to the park entrance. The hotel had great amenities like an indoor pool and hot tub, fitness center, and steakhouse. It was also within walking distance to numerous restaurants, coffee houses, and breweries.
To read more about this property, check out my post about this hotel here. If you are not traveling on a tight budget, you might want to consider staying at the beautiful Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise right on the shores of Lake Louise. From this resort you have access to all of the trailheads around Lake Louise and can enjoy stunning views of the beautiful glacial lake all day long. You can also check rates and availability for other Banff National Park area hotels below.
