The Other Lakes in the Bow Valley, Banff

If you mention lakes in Banff, the first thing that comes to mind is Lake Louise and Moraine Lake. These two lakes are incredibly scenic and they exemplify the Canadian Rockies. However they have become victims of their own success. Due to skyrocketing popularity, Parks Canada has had to put strict measures in place to manage the crowds. Going to Lake Louise or Moraine Lake now involves having to pre-book a seat on a bus. The number of seats available on the bus is limited, and it is necessary to book far in advance. Gone are the days when you could simply drive up to Moraine Lake, park your car, launch your canoe, and go for a paddle, as I did in 2006.

The good news is that there are more than a dozen other lakes in the Bow Valley that offer incredible scenery. They are peaceful and tranquil, and you’ll hear the warble of the hermit thrush rather than the beep-beep-beep of the tour bus backing up. These lakes are accessed by hiking, and these days the challenge is to score a spot in the parking lot at the trailhead. I like to get an early start to beat the midday heat and to catch the best light on the mountains that form the backdrop to the lakes, and I’ve never had an issue getting a parking spot when arriving early. In winter, most of these lakes make great destinations for skiing as well.

Over the years I’ve hiked to most of these lakes, visiting many of them multiple times. This season I’ve revisited some of these lakes to photograph them with modern camera gear. So without further ado, here they are.

Vista Lake, Arnica Lake, and Twin Lakes

From the top of Vermillion Pass on Highway 93, a trail leads down to Vista Lake. Yes, down – this is one of the few trails in the Rockies where you start by hiking down. There is a nice view of Mount Whymper at the end of the lake.

From Vista Lake, a steep uphill hike leads to Arnica Lake. Storm Mountain towers above this pretty little lake.

A bit more uphill leads to a pass. A descent on the other side of the pass leads to Upper Twin Lake. In my opinion, this is one of the prettiest lakes in Banff.

A short distance beyond is Lower Twin Lake. Here, a boisterous waterfall pours into the lake.

One hike, four lakes.

Rockbound and Tower Lakes

Rockbound lake is a classic Bow Valley hike. The trailhead is near Castle Junction, and from there the trail heads up through pine and spruce forest. The trail aims for a hanging valley behind Castle Mountain. Eventually the trees open up, and you reach Tower Lake. In my opinion, Tower Lake is the real star of this hike. It is a very pretty little lake in a dramatic setting.

There was a sweeping rim of cottongrass growing at the edge of the lake.

At the back of Tower Lake, a short but steep trail leads up a headwall to Rockbound Lake.

The water level was shockingly low after years of drought and a low winter snowpack. I explored the rockslide on the left, chasing after marmots that didn’t want to be photographed.

Next I followed the dried-up outlet stream from the lake to the point where it pours over the lip of the headwall. There is a nice view of Tower Lake, Castle Mountain, and the Bow Valley with Pilot Mountain being visible in the distance.

Before hiking out I followed the edge of the headwall towards Castle Mountain. Five minutes of hiking yields this view of Tower Lake. Note the huge boulder with trees growing on it, at the bottom of the picture.

Skoki Area

Skoki is one of the premier hiking areas in Banff Park. It is located behind the Lake Louise ski hill. To get there, I parked at the Fish Creek parking lot and marched up the ski-out to Temple Lodge, which took about an hour. Most other hikers in the area had some type of motorized transportation to get to Temple Lodge. The one redeeming aspect of the ski-out hike is that, when looking over your shoulder back towards Lake Louise, there are some good views of Mount Temple.

Past the ski resort, the scenery steadily improves. Here is a view up a creek towards Mount Richardson.

A side trail leads to Hidden Lake at the base of Mount Richardson.

Continuing past Hidden Lake, the next feature up the valley is Boulder Pass. And yes, there are boulders galore at Boulder Pass. It must have made a terrific noise when that rockslide came down.

On the other side of Boulder Pass is Ptarmigan Lake.

From this location one has several options. Most people hike to Deception Pass, but I hiked to closer and lower Packer’s Pass. From Packer’s Pass there is a nice view back towards Ptarmigan Lake and Mount Redoubt. Keen eyes will spot Redoubt Lake to the left of Mount Redoubt.

On the other side of Packer’s Pass is the real reward for hiking in Skoki: Zigadenus Lake.

I would have liked to have descended to Zigadenus Lake for a closer look. But I was on a day-hike, and it was time to turn back. In 2007, while backcountry camping in the area, I hiked towards Zigadenus Lake and got a view of its companion, Myosotis Lake.

Taylor Lake

Taylor Lake is another classic Bow Valley hike. From the highway parking lot, a trail leads upward through the forest to some marshy meadows, followed by Taylor Lake. Taylor Lake is a quiet body of water at the base of brooding Mount Bell.

From Taylor Lake, a rough and poorly maintained trail leads around to the other side of Mount Bell, and to O’Brien Lake.

It was late in the season, and the sun was low. I got to O’Brien Lake just in time to photograph it in the sunshine. Fifteen minutes later, an outlier of Mount Bell cast deep shadows over the lake.

Bourgeau Lake

I didn’t get to Bourgeau Lake during the summer of 2025. These photos are from a hike I did in 2020. Bourgeau is a sombre lake set in a bowl below Mount Bourgeau.