Line © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), checked by Global Adventurer.
The paddling route
Launch from the shore by the canoe dock and boathouse, a few minutes' walk from the lakeshore car park, and paddle west down the length of Lake Louise. The water is the famous milky turquoise, coloured by glacial silt, and the lake fills a deep valley between Fairview Mountain and the Big Beehive, with the Victoria Glacier hanging at its head. Paddle as far as the shallows where the inlet stream fans out across the head of the lake, then turn and come back towards the château.
It is 2.1 miles (3.4 km) there and back; allow about an hour in a canoe or kayak, or a little more on a paddleboard. The grade is Easy, but the water seldom rises above 10°C (50°F) even in summer, so a capsize is dangerous: stay near the shore and come in if the wind rises. The lake is ice-covered for much of the year.
Every boat needs a Parks Canada aquatic invasive species self-certification permit, from the kiosks by the lake or online, and must be cleaned, drained and dried first: for 30 days if it was last used outside Alberta, BC, Yukon or the Northwest Territories. Each person must have a life jacket. Lakeshore parking is paid and fills early; the season runs to October 12 in 2026. You cannot paddle your own boat on Moraine Lake. Wear a lifejacket and check the conditions before you set off.
Route drawn by Global Adventurer along OpenStreetMap waterways (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), with figures worked out from it. Check the forecast and the ground on the day: paths change.
Good to know
- From the canoe dock to the head of Lake Louise, below the Victoria Glacier
- Water seldom warmer than 10°C (50°F), even in summer
- Your own boat needs an aquatic invasive species self-certification permit
- Moraine Lake is closed to private boats and to private cars
On the water
- Put in: Lake Louise shore by the boathouse (bank) 51.41630, -116.21850
- No locks or weirs on the way.
- About 3.4 km (2.1 mi) on open water, up to 270 m from the shore: wind and waves build quickly.
- Rules and licences: Parks Canada (Banff National Park). Check whether you need a licence before you go: on many inland waters in England and Wales you do, and Paddle UK membership includes one for many of them.
- Suits canoes, kayaks, paddleboards.
Getting there
Start: Lake Louise shore by the boathouse. 51.41630, -116.21850
By train: Lake Louise station is 2.6 km from the start.
Places to stay nearby
Rooms in and around Lake Louise: Booking.com → Expedia → Hotels.com →
Affiliate links: if you book, Global Adventurer earns a small commission at no cost to you.
Water levels, flow and the weather decide the day. The line and figures come from OpenStreetMap and our own checks; wear a buoyancy aid, check the river levels and the forecast, keep well clear of weirs and powered boats, and don't go out in flood.