Moraine Lake

Many visitors argue that Moraine Lake is even more beautiful than Lake Louise — deeper colour, more intimate scale, more dramatically enclosed by peaks. The Valley of the Ten Peaks rises directly from the far shore, and the Rockpile at the eastern end of the lake gives the famous elevated view over the water toward the mountains.

The 3.4 km Consolation Lakes trail climbs easily from the lake to two quieter alpine lakes above. The Larch Valley trail (5.8 km one-way) climbs into subalpine terrain where golden larch trees turn brilliant amber in late September — one of the great autumn spectacles in the Rockies. Access is seasonal (typically June through October) and tightly controlled: in 2023, private vehicles were banned and the lake is accessible only by Parks Canada shuttle, which must be booked weeks in advance. Do not assume you can drive directly in.

things to do sight
A story
Moraine Lake appeared on the back of the Canadian twenty-dollar bill from 1969 to 1979. The image, taken from the Rockpile at the eastern end of the lake, shows the ten peaks of the Valley of the Ten Peaks reflected in the still water — one of the most reproduced photographs in Canadian history. The lake itself was formed by a massive rockfall that dammed the valley, not by glacial moraine as its name suggests — a naming error made by the surveyor who first documented it in 1899.

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