Hike to Consolation Lakes

Improvement District No. 9, Alberta

4.0/5

based on 1 reviews

Save

View all 8 photos

All 8 photos

Save Review Directions Add Photo

Details

Distance

3.7 miles

Elevation Gain

196.9 ft

Route Type

Out-and-Back

Description

Added by Colin Ayers

Hiking to Consolation Lakes is an easy escape from most of the crowds found at Moraine Lake. During the summer, this is a great spot for a swim.

Once at Moraine Lake, the directions to Consolation Lakes are quite clear. From the parking lot, head northeast past the rockpile, which provides fantastic views of Moraine, then follow the Consolation Lakes Trail for another 2.9 km (1.8 miles) past Taylor Lake until you reach the lake. Depending on the season, it might be two distinct lakes or one and an area of drainage, but either way the lakes provide a picturesque place to take a dip and enjoy the scenery.

This is a great little trip to do either before or after longer day hikes to Eiffel Lake or Larch Valley, and is more than worth the small effort needed to get there.

Driving directions: From Banff, drive northwest on Trans Canada Highway 1 and take the Lake Louise exit. Head southwest past Lake Louise towards the turnoff to Moraine Lake Road. Take a left on this road and continue about 14 km (8.7 miles) until you get to the lake.

Download the Outbound mobile app

Find adventures and camping on the go, share photos, use GPX tracks, and download maps for offline use.

Get the app

Features

Fitness

Rock Climbing

Chillin

Photography

Swimming

Hiking

Bathrooms

Easy Parking

Food Nearby

Forest

Lake

River

Wildlife

Reviews

Eric Beiter

Hike to Consolation Lakes

05/11/16

Once all the tour buses start to show up around Moraine Lake this is an excellent spot to escape to. If you are looking for a fairly easy hike from the parking lot with a very defined trail this is perfect. Something to be very aware of is that presence of grizzly bears. The trailhead is marked with a very large sign to inform hikers of the dangers of bears. If you do not hike with a party of at least 4 you can be fined by the park rangers. So make some friends at the trailhead and take a bear bell or bear spray with you for your own safety. The park rangers also lead hikes out to the lake, however, the groups they lead tend to be very large. Once you get out to the lake take your time to soak it all in. Climb around on the boulders and keep a look out for little creatures like chipmunks. The view is breathtaking and well worth the hike from Moraine Lake.

4.0

Leave No Trace

Always practice Leave No Trace ethics on your adventures and follow local regulations. Please explore responsibly!

Nearby

Trek the Valley of Ten Peaks to Eiffel Lake

From the lake, the trail is quite easy to follow, and clearly marked with signs and maps. Follow the lakeshore west 0.1 km (300 ft), then head up the Larch Valley Trail, which switchbacks 2.3 km (1.5 miles). At the top there is an option to continue up to the Larch Valley, then Sentinel Pass, or to keep going west towards Eiffel Lake.The Eiffel Lake Trail (3.3 km/2 miles) is easy, with very lit...

Scramble Mount Temple

Mount Temple is a stunning iconic mountain in Banff National Park located in the Canadian Rockies. It overlooks the Lake Louise area and stands at a massive 3542m (11,624ft) , making it one of the many sought after 11,000ers.To reach the mountain you will be headed down highway #1 and take the turn-off for Lake Louise and then follow the road signs up to Moraine Lake. Once at the lake you will ...

Climb the Tower of Babel

Fairly short approach that begins to the left of Moraine Lake on the consolation lakes trail. Follow a foot path until you see a faint trail in the scree that moves up towards the tower-would recommend wearing a helmet on the approach. This is active grizzly country- It would be a good idea to carry bear spray with you if your visiting this area. You can check the Canada Parks website for any t...

Hike Eiffel Peak

Starting from the parking lot at Moraine Lake follow the trail as it switchbacks up away from the lake. At a spot with two benches the trail will split, the majority continue on to Sentinel Pass and Mt. Temple, take the left fork, it will dip down to a rocky stream, cross that and ascend the skyline ridge.At the end of the ridge there is an obvious trail that works its way up the scree slope, ...

Hike to the Larch Valley

Starting at the Moraine Lake parking lot take, take the main trail the leads down past the cafe and lodges on the lake shore. A short way down the trail splits, to the left is just the lakeside walk. For Larch Valley take a right, it is clearly signed. Depending on the time of the year there are hiking restrictions. I would always recommend going with groups of 4-6 people. The area is frequentl...

Scramble the Ten Peaks via the Perren Route

A true adventure with lots of route finding, glacier travel, loose rock and high altitude views. This is not for the faint hearted or first timers.From the Moraine Lake parking lot walk down the east side of the lake along the well maintained trail. Towards the end of the lake you will cross the creek twice, there are cables to hold onto but it is a good idea to remove your boots and socks so t...

Hike to Consolation Lakes

Details

Description

Download the Outbound mobile app

Features

Reviews

Leave No Trace

Nearby

Trek the Valley of Ten Peaks to Eiffel Lake

Scramble Mount Temple

Climb the Tower of Babel

Hike Eiffel Peak

Hike to the Larch Valley

Scramble the Ten Peaks via the Perren Route

Discover

Community

Company

Follow Us

Mobile Apps