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Improvement District No. 9, Alberta
Hike to Consolation Lakes
3.7 Miles Total - 196.9 ft gain - Out-and-Back Trail
Originally 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.
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Avoid the Crowds
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
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12.4 Miles Round Trip - 6430.4 ft gain
