The most Beautiful Lake and Town of Banff

If there’s a hidden gem in Banff National Park, it will be the Moraine Lake. Honestly, I didn’t have much expectation from this lake although it was also in my bucket list. But definitely, it is worth seeing even if it’s not easily accessible as Lake Louise.

The road to Moraine Lake is only open from May to October and even when it’s open the glacier-fed water remains frozen until late May or into June depending on the temperatures. Another thing to consider is the time when visiting this lake, early morning or late in the afternoon would be ideal. It is because the road up to Moraine Lake closes once all of the parking spaces fill up which usually happens during peak hours and the only way is to drive around the area and try checking it again like what we did.

Most importantly, to get this view like what I had you have to climb the Rockpile trail which is 300 metres long. It’s not a difficult ascent and you are sure well rewarded with the most scenic view once you reach the top. The azure water during summer with the contrast of white glazed mountains as the backdrop is worth every effort. You can still appreciate the view of this lake though from the ground level like the photo in the right shown below.

No doubt, the town of Banff is very picturesque, vibrant and lively. If you’ve been to the south island of New Zealand, you can closely compare it to the combined charm and vibe of Arrowtown and Wanaka. I felt hypnotised while walking in the streets of Banff with buildings of different colours and vivid summer flowers everywhere.

As expected from a resort town, this place is full of restaurants, cafés and souvenir shops. I bought 2 Pandora charms with Canadian designs, will show it on my upcoming post. The souvenirs can be pricey and my tip if you’ve got a lot of time is not to buy in the first shop that you swing by as prices vary significantly. I bought heaps of fridge magnets in the first shop only to find out it’s 2 bucks cheaper each next door, oh well!

Though I only had a chance to eat once in the town, it’s worth noting the pizza I got from Rocky Mountain Flatbread Co. inside Cascade Shops Food Court is worth checking out. I felt like it’s not a wasted chance at all 🙂

Some people think the place is a tourist trap but as a resort town it’s inevitable for it to become busy, crowded and expensive. I guess you just have to be conscientious on your spending but who cares sometimes that is part of going on holiday. And the town of Banff I reckon is truly one of the most beautiful settings in Canada and in fact the world. It is worth visiting in spite of the otherwise touristy aspects of the place. I’m pretty sure I want to see it again one day. Thank you Odi and Sarah for taking us here!