The Best Hiking Trails in Banff National Park

The easier trails at Lake Louise get loads of traffic during the summer. The path to Fairview Lookout is no exception, but it’s far less crowded than the Lakeshore Trail or even the trail to Lake Agnes....

Once you’ve captured the obligatory photo at the front of Moraine Lake, you can escape the brunt of the crowds by venturing onto the Lakeshore Trail. You aren’t likely to have it all to yourself, but the little bit of walking is enough to keep the majority of people away....

"Lake Louise may be the most-photographed location in Banff National Park, famed for milky turquoise water reflecting dramatic, snow-capped peaks,” [says](https://fatmap.com/guidebooks/13803/hike-the-8-best-trails-in-alberta's-beautiful-lake-louise) adventure travel writer Jesse Weber. If you want to do more than simply snap a photo of the dramatic view, but you don’t feel like climbing a nearby mountain, opt for this mellow hike along the shore of the lake....

A trip to Lake Louise is incomplete without a hot drink and cake at a teahouse set high in the mountains. Inspired by inns of the Swiss Alps, two classically styled teahouses are unique fixtures of Banff National Park....

One of the best views of Lake Louise is atop The Big Beehive, where you can gaze upon the turquoise water from high above. Sometimes called the Beehive for short (though there is another rock called Little Beehive), this formation is the buttress that’s reflected in Mirror Lake, and it’s said to resemble a giant beehive....

Little Beehive is a rocky summit near Lake Agnes that grants an especially wide panorama. From the top you can see over Lake Louise and much of the Bow River Valley unfolding below, and mountains all around....

The valley called Paradise lies between the valleys of Lake Louise and Moraine Lake, and though thousands drive past it every day, relatively few stop and hike here. Its trails are much longer and a bit more rugged than those of the more popular destinations, so Paradise Valley remains uncrowded even during the busy season....

Helen Lake is a popular day hike from the Icefields Parkway near Bow Lake. The attention is well deserved because it’s one of the most all-around beautiful short hikes in Banff National Park....

This route really is one of the best in Banff National Park and it has everything you could possibly want from a hike, with scenic views for the majority of the trail, two awesome alpine lakes, and one of the best campsites you will find anywhere....

When at the edge of Lake Louise, Fairview Summit is the massive cliff-faced mountain towering to the immediate left of the lake. Not to be confused with the shorter, but still picturesque Fairview Lookout trail, this 9....

From the Chateau and the beginning of any hikes at Lake Louise, you can look up and see a wall of mountain peaks. Their summits look far away and inaccessible, but Mount Saint Piran is one that you can actually reach on a hiking trail....

Fairview is the mountain that looms over the south shore of Lake Louise. Viewed from the lakeshore, its cliff-banded face looks unscalable. But there is in fact an easy route on the mountain’s south slopes which begins from the Chateau area....

Larch Valley is just what it sounds like–a basin forested by lovely deciduous conifers. It is far from the only valley of its kind in Banff National Park, but it may be the most spectacular....

The Cory Pass Edith Pass loop trail is known to be one of Banffs toughest and most beautiful hikes. It's a very steep climb for the first two-thirds of the hike up Cory Pass which is mirrored at the end by an equally steep descent down Edith Pass on loose gravel....

The first half of this hike is on the trail along Lake Minnewanka––a wide and relatively flat path that’s popular with hikers and bikers. It’s a pleasant walk through the forest, with intermittent views over the large, blue reservoir....

Beginning from Mount Norquay Ski Resort, this hike is very convenient to the town of Banff, but you’ll quickly forget the proximity of civilization once on the trail. After a short distance among ski runs and lifts at the resort, the trail dives into dense forest and later crosses a stream on a footbridge....

This is the first leg of the Brazeau Loop, a 4-5 day circuit called, “the ‘grand tour’ of the southern ranges” by [Jasper National Park](https://www.pc.gc.ca/en/pn-np/ab/jasper/activ/passez-stay/arrierepays-backcountry/sugg-sentiers_trip-ideas/Brazeau). The route makes more of a lollipop or lasso shape instead of a circle, and this portion makes the stem....

This is day 2 of the 3 day Skoki loop backpacking trip. Today you will finally get to see the historic Skoki Lodge, travel through the very scenic Skoki valley, and have the option for a side trip to Merlin and Castilleja Lakes....

This trail is typically the start of a multiday trip to visit the breath-taking Mt Assiniboine Provincial Park. For the purposes of this route I'm going to assume the Sunshine Village Gondola is not open, as this shouldn't be relied upon as a guaranteed way to get to the main ski area....

There's no hiding the fact that this is a long day. If you are not comfortable completing this distance in a day, there are campgrounds on route to make this a two day trip....