{"id":1339,"date":"2025-10-27T20:39:58","date_gmt":"2025-10-28T02:39:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/journeyswithjohn.com\/wordpress\/?p=1339"},"modified":"2026-01-30T19:48:33","modified_gmt":"2026-01-31T02:48:33","slug":"best-first-time-hikes-in-banff-national-park","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/journeyswithjohn.com\/wordpress\/index.php\/2025\/10\/27\/best-first-time-hikes-in-banff-national-park\/","title":{"rendered":"Best first-time hikes in Banff National Park"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

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.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

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Banff National Park’s famous Lake Louise<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this area, you will also get incredible views of the picturesque Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise<\/a>. 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<\/a> or take a look at additional tour options around Banff here<\/a>. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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My dad and I grabbing some photographs in front of Lake Louise. You can also see some of the glaciers that comprise the Plain of Six Glaciers in the distance.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Lake Agnes Trail<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

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. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Views from the back end of Lake Agnes looking back towards the Lake Agnes Tea House. This photo was taken from the Big Beehive Trail that wraps around the back side of Lake Agnes.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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The Big Beehive Via Lake Agnes Trail<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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The views of Lake Louise from the end of the Big Beehive Trail are stunning.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Plain of Six Glaciers Trail<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n