Lake Louise is the most photographed spot in Banff National Park. It is also the most visited, the most iconic and the most beautiful part of the park. And yet, Parks Canada is now killing the goose that laid the golden egg.
Recall my visit to lake Louise three years ago. I visited Lake Louise three times on that trip and Moraine Lake twice. Whenever we wanted to go to the lake, we just WENT there. Parking was abundant, readily available, and this was just three years ago. It was a slice of heaven, and the beautiful glacier waters trickling from the mountains and forming the lake was a sight to see.
Now? It's a zoo.
I get it. The number of visitors have boomed in recent times. But there must be an efficient way to manage that?!! Rather, the way Parks Canada has implemented shuttles leave a lot to be desired. I mean the Athabasca Glacier is the most visited glacier in the world, but Parks Canada manages that extremely well with the timeslots and the shuttles, so why can't they manage this well?!!
First of all, the parking lot gets filled around 6 am. Like what?!! OK, so apparently a lot of people want to catch the sunrise. So why not build more parking? But no - Parks Canada has a park and ride about 10 km away where you drop your car and take a shuttle to Lake Louise.
Fine. That should solve the problem in theory. But it doesn't. The shuttle timings are really inconvenient. They are supposed to run every 15 minutes but don't. You sometimes have to wait as much as 40-50 minutes in the line especially if you go late, say noon.
Second, the last shuttles are around 530 pm. Why?!!! The sun sets in the summer at 10ish. So why not run the shuttles till 9 ?
Third, the shuttle to and from Moraine Lake runs from Lake Louise. So if you want to go to Moraine Lake and the parking is full, you have to take the shuttle to Lake Louise, and then another shuttle to Moraine Lake, and then be back before the last shuttle departs Lake Louise for the park and ride location. All of which makes for a crummy time if you arrive slightly late (say noon) because you will end up waiting over an hour for your very first shuttle - that way if you are doing anything in Lake Louise, such as boating, then you can forget Moraine Lake.
And finally, the shuttle? It's a damn school bus.
So my advice for anyone visiting Lake Louise? Visit early. Try to be there by 9 am. Then even if you have to get the shuttle, at least you have enough time to do all the activities at both the lakes. And what activities can you do in Lake Louise? Other than the numerous pictures you will probably take?
Why, boating, of course.
Canoeing on the lake is a Canadian tradition, and most people go for the hourly slot. It is also more expensive ($130/hr) to rent a canoe here on this lake than on any other lake (duh, commercialism) but it is so worth it. This was honestly one of the highlights of the trip. You can fit three adults or two adults and two kids / canoe. I would recommend everyone to do it, particularly when the sun is beating hot overhead.
You don't have to paddle too hard, although the lake does have a small current (the water flows from the mountains in the distance towards the hotel) so no matter how deep into the lake you go, you can easily make it back to the dock. They do say they are very careful about you going over your time, but I didn't find them checking the time when you return your canoe - though they probably will go hard on you for anything over five minutes.
It is simply too beautiful once you are on the lake.
Keep in mind not to stand up on the canoe or change directions once you are seated, as that's the best way to tip over the boat. And trust me - you don't want to fall into the water. This is a glacier lake. The temperature of the water is just around 5℃. That's cold.
So while Parks Canada can do a much better job in managing the crowds, and the overcrowded nature of the lake does tend to take away from its enjoyment, Lake Louise is still so beautiful. It is amazing. It still remains a slice of heaven.
It's just that more people are now visiting this slice of heaven than before. So be prepared and plan accordingly.
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