Lake Louise is a quick 40 minute drive northwest of the Banff townsite. Lake Louise, like Banff has abundant moose, elk, deer, bears and other large animals wandering about town. Drive up the winding road to Chateau Lake Louise, which towers over the lake, yet is dwarfed by the surrounding mountains and glaciers.
A visitor to the hotel once asked a staff member, what made the water such a beautiful blue. The staff member was fired for replying "we pull the plug every night and completely repaint the bottom" In reality, it is due to rock flour from the glacial runoff reflecting the sunlight that gives the lake its aqua color.
There is lots to do at Lake Louise. You can rent a canoe, go horseback riding, or go skating on the lake(in winter). A favorite activity for Lake Louise regulars is a hike to the Lake Agnes Teahouse. This hike takes you up the hill for a stunning view of two small lakes, a waterfall and of course, Lake Louise below. The teahouse serves freshly baked muffins and cakes from ingredients hiked up the mountain. The hike takes about 1/2 day and you climb about 1000 feet, about the same as a 100-storey building.
After you toured the Chateau, drive up to Peyto Lake. Take a 1/4 mile hike from the parking lot for a view of the lake and about 60 miles of majestic mountain valley.
You can continue a little west of town towards Field, BC and cross the Continental Divide. At this point water on one side flows to the Pacific Ocean and on the other flows to the Atlantic Ocean, through Hudson's Bay. You can also check out the Spiral Tunnel on the Canadian Pacific Railway; because today's trains are about a mile long, you can actually see the locomotives leave the tunnel while the last cars are still entering it. This spiral tunnel is necessary to give enough track to get the trains safely up or down the steep slopes of the mountain passes.
Continue on your visit to Banff National Park by choosing the next button.
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