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About this place
Added by Julian Brezden
Moraine Lake is one of the most visited and photographed lakes in Banff National Park, in Alberta Canada.
Showing up at Moraine Lake before dawn is a must as to avoid the multitude of tours busses. The morning sun is subtle and magical. The lake, being glacially fed, does not reach its crest until mid to late June. When it is full, it reflects a distinct shade of blue. The color is due to the refraction of light off the rock flour deposited in the lake on a continual basis.
There are viewpoints of the lake a short distance from the parking area (5 minute walk). There is also a trail along the northern edge of the lake.
If you want to stay overnight, the Moraine Lake Lodge is located at the bottom of the lake. Canoe rentals are also available to explore the lake, which is certainly a must do activity.
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Leave No Trace
Always practice Leave No Trace ethics on your adventures and be sure to follow local regulations. Please explore responsibly.
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Jackie Vaughn
Club
8/30/2025
Great hike. Totally worth the required bus ride from town to visit. No private cars allowed. You must go up Rock Pile hike to ...
Well Maintained
Amazing Views
Well Marked
Great Conditions
Bathrooms
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Shawn Grenninger
8/31/2022
Bucket List Location
This place is a photographer's dream, likely on many peoples bucket list. My two visits were not the most conducive to photography but ...
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Sami Smith
8/31/2022
Incredible!
The mountains are so grand and beautiful here, it makes for a great back ground for any kind of pictures. Get there early to ...
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S Sahir
8/23/2022
Breathe in!
Beautiful place, easy hike and enjoy the view
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Kelly Drake
Club
10/2/2021
picture perfect
Filters can’t even make this look better. We reserved a spot on the park & ride shuttle, since the parking lot was full ...
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Andy
10/23/2020
Beautiful water
Another beautiful lake in Alberta. The water is an unreal blue.
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Elena P
7/24/2020
Spectacular
Moraine Lake is a spectacular spot to visit. It's a short walk to the scenic spot where you can take photos of the ...
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Zielono Mi
8/2/2019
Moraine Lake
Very picturesque place!!! Super easy walk from the parking lot. Only 300 m and you can have a look at the very magic place!
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Kaila Walton
5/2/2018
Classssic
I went here in July of 2017 for sunrise and it was amazing. A fair amount of people there in the morning but nothing ...
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Andy Morris
10/15/2017
Better that I Imagned
I proposed to my girlfriend here at the end of a week long trip visiting several US national parks. We finished the trip in ...
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Sachith Siriwardane
8/22/2017
Go at night
Unbelievable night photography spot. Bring some blankets up, enjoy the stars, and get out there
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Jordan + Jacki Bolt
6/25/2017
So peaceful
Definitely agree with the previous comment about hiking up the rock pile for some great pictures. For a late summer sunset we encountered more ...
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Brian Fulda
1/6/2017
Beat The Crowds, Go in the Fall
Go in the fall (late September, first week of October) to truly enjoy Moraine Lake at its finest and to avoid most of the ...
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Stephanie Vezina
9/2/2016
Do it early morning
I made a point of showing up early on a summer morning, at around 6am. This gives you incredible light and the parking lot is not too busy.
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Dan Deublein
8/1/2016
Rock Pile
The most magnificent lake in all if Banff. Author doesn't really state, but hike up to the rock pile for your shots!
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Lindsy Dugan
7/28/2016
Best Lake in the Rockies
Do not miss this gem if you are in the area. We stopped here for an extended period and just marveled at its beauty. ...
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Will Yeomans
7/16/2016
Amazing
This lake as an amazing, breathtaking color and I would highly recommend it to anyone
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James Furtado
6/6/2016
W😍W
This is my fav lake in Banff !!
Go early on in the day though as the area is popular with tourists.
Make sure you rent ...
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Eric Beiter
5/13/2016
The Most Photographed for a Reason
It is Beautiful. I got here at 6am and was all alone for about 10 minutes. Well worth getting up and making the early ...
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James Hueser
3/18/2016
Great Opportunity To Be Present
Moraine Lake is as beautiful as it is photographed! My choice of activity here is to find a spot to sit down and just ...
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Jason Hatfield
1/6/2016
This is the location that first made me want to visit the Canadian Rockies. Yes the crowds are crazy, but there are usually ...
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Wim Froyman
11/8/2015
It's a must see in Canada ! Come early or after 6 PM is the best option for parking and getting a nice shot ...
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Kyle Frost
5/12/2015
Much like Lake Louise, this is a great view with zero effort, but the crowds are ridiculous. Sunrise is probably your best bet.
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