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| Bow Lake |
Traveling the ice field highway to Lake Louise is so beautiful. This mountain range roars up to the sky and I could not stop taking pictures of it. The range dusted in snow from the night before really brought out its beauty. I'm only posting three photos and it took a lot of restraint not to fill this whole post with them. :)
We spent only one night at Lake Louise due to having to travel and spend an overnight in Canmore to find a new chassis battery. After arriving we found out Parks Canada has a very efficient shuttle service which takes you to some of the most popular areas such as Lake Moraine and Lake Louise.
It was a quick drive from our campground to the Visitor Center to pick up a shuttle. The shuttles are well staffed with pleasant and helpful folks who direct you to the right bus and advise you when the last bus leaves the area you are visiting. We took the Lake Moraine shuttle. If you drive you car there instead be prepared to go early in the morning to snag a very limited parking space. The bus was hassle free and easy.
We decided to hike up to the overlook of Lake Moraine and to not look at the lake until we got up there. It's an easy trail and once you reach the overlook, even on a cloudy day the views are stunning. The water is a light blue from glacier melt and so clear.  |
| Lake Moraine |
We then hiked down and had a snack at the lodge. From there we hiked around one side of the lake. Once you got away from the lodge the crowds soon dissipated. It's a beautiful place to rent a canoe.
Our next stop was Banff for four nights. We woke up to this unexpected snowfall the next morning. It was one of those Christmas card snowfalls and so beautiful. It didn't last very long and melted completely the next day.
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| Tunnel Mountain Trailer Court Campground |
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| "What the...???" |
Jimmy was very confused about the snowfall. He hasn't walked in any for about six years. He used to love it but seemed rather confused by it this time.
Our nephews Dan and Ben visited Banff this spring and suggested the Johnson Canyon Hike. The next day we drove out. In the summer finding a parking place here can be a challenge. There is actually a sign as you enter telling you how many spaces are left. At this time of year it wasn't an issue but if you come in the summer plan accordingly. There is not a shuttle to this area. A coffee shop and restaurant are also on the premises.
It's a beautiful hike and well maintained. You go by lots of waterfalls and even one you view from inside a cave. The metal bridges make access so easy to this beautiful place. We spent most of the afternoon just taking our time.
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| Waterfall viewed inside a cave |
Our visit to Lake Louise did not disappoint. Again we took the shuttle bus to here from our campground. It was very crowded but once we got on the overlook trail we did not see very many people. I guess most visitors go down to the lake to view it. However, the overlook was a much better way to see the beautiful resort and escape the crowds. This was the first National Park established in Canada.
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| Chateau Lake Louise |
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| View looking out from the hotel |
Campground Reviews:
Lake Louise Trailer Campground: 5 stars, well spaced, 30 amp full hook ups, no WiFi, good Verizon signal in some places, make reservations well in advance, great location
Tunnel Mountain Trailer Court Campground, Banff National Park, 5 starts, most sites are pull through, 30 amp full hook ups, no WiFi, good Verizon signal, great location, one of the best campgrounds we have stayed in, make reservations well in advance. This campground had been sold out for months.
Lake Louise Trailer Campground: 5 stars, well spaced, 30 amp full hook ups, no WiFi, good Verizon signal in some places, make reservations well in advance, great location
Tunnel Mountain Trailer Court Campground, Banff National Park, 5 starts, most sites are pull through, 30 amp full hook ups, no WiFi, good Verizon signal, great location, one of the best campgrounds we have stayed in, make reservations well in advance. This campground had been sold out for months.
There was a long gap in your posts so it's hard to figure out when you were at Lake Louse/Banff. When was this ? and did you have reservations for the campgrounds? Thx
ReplyDeleteI will adjust the dates to reflect when we were there more accurately. My computer crashed so I'm doing some "catch up" posts. We were in the Banff and Lake Louise area from September 14-25. We had reservations for all the Park Canada campgrounds except Columbia Icefields. We confirmed them as soon as they were available which was in February 2018. Even though it was September our campgrounds were mostly sold out each night. In Banff they told us they had been sold out for months. We tried to change one two months prior and it was very difficult. We had to change sites twice during our stay to accommodate the change.
DeleteI forgot to mention that I really enjoyed following along this summer. Great photos, lots of good info. Thx for taking the time to do so.
ReplyDeleteThank you! It was a trip of a lifetime. I follow a lot of blogs too and try to write it with information which would have been helpful to know ahead of time.
DeleteThanks so much for the wonderful photos and details about your trip to Alaska and British Columbia. It's really helpful! We're planning to make that trip in the next couple of years and will be referring to your suggestions. Looks like you had a fabulous adventure!
ReplyDeleteIt was an amazing adventure. My best advice is to set a date and start planning.We were very excited and started planning it about two years out. It beat out all our expectations.
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