Moraine Lake vs Lake Louise: Which Banff Lake Should You Visit?

Comparing two of the most beautiful lakes in the world is no easy feat. Regardless, we often get asked which Canadian Rockies lake is better to visit – Lake Louise or Moraine Lake. I don’t have children yet, but this question would be like asking me to compare two of my offspring.

It’s impossible to answer! However, many aspects of each lake might make visitors prefer one. Of course, if you are on a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Banff, you must go to Moraine Lake and Lake Louise! However, in the rare occurrence that you can only visit one, we want to assist!

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About Moraine Lake

Moraine Lake is perhaps the most well-known lake in all of Canada and North America. This brilliant glacial lake sits under the iconic Ten Peaks. Which are ten beautiful mountain peaks in the Canadian Rockies.

In 1894, the peaks were named from east to west using the numbers from the Stoney Indian language as follows: Heejee, Nom, Yamnee, Tonsa, Sapta, Shappee, Sagowa, Saknowa, Neptuak, and Wenkchemna. They are now named Mount Allen, Mount Bowlen, Deltaform Mountain, Mount Fay, Mount Little, Neptuak Mountain, Mount Perren, Tonsa, Mount Tuzo, and Wenkchemna Peak.

It’s honestly hard to believe a natural setting as perfect as this exists. Moraine Lake is located 14 km away from Lake Louise at the end of the Moraine Lake Rd. Everyone who visits Banff wants to see Moraine Lake, and it’s easy to understand why.

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About Lake Louise

Lake Louise is located 60 km northwest of the town of Banff and one of the most scenic lakes in Banff. In the summer it is bright blue, which has everyone taking a million photos as soon as they lay eyes on it!

In the winter, it’s a cold wonderland, especially around Christmastime. Lake Louise was first named “Ho-Run-Num-Nay, which means the Lake of Little Fishes, by Stoney natives that had settled in the area. The area has been drawing hikers, tourists, and mountaineers in for well over a century.

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Accessibility: Moraine Lake vs Lake Louise

Moraine Lake Accessibility

Moraine Lake is not nearly as accessible as Lake Louise. This is mainly due to the fact that it is located at the end of Moraine Lake Rd (12km). The road closes in the winter, from mid-October to the end of May. Unless you are cross-country skiing or ski touring, Moraine Lake is completely inaccessible in the winter. The summer poses its own problems because of parking concerns (more on that later).

Lake Louise Accessibility

Lake Louise never closes and is a great place to head in both the winter and summer. Besides parking struggles during peak summer months, Lake Louise gets an A for accessibility!

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Parking: Moraine Lake vs. Lake Louise

Moraine Lake Parking

Parking at Moraine Lake has become a major issue in recent years. From the time the road opened up in early June, through the summer, and to the end of the larch season, parking was very limited. The parking area at Moraine Lake is much smaller than at Lake Louise. There are only 100 or so parking spaces at Moraine Lake, meaning that the lot often filled up before 6am in the summer.

Almost every visitor to Banff National Park is dying to see the bright blue lake with the famed ten peaks behind it, and therefore they were willing to wake up well before 3 am and leave their hotel room to guarantee a space.

Do you see that I’m using a lot of past tense there? That’s because while parking at Moraine Lake was a concern, it is no longer, because Parks Canada has closed Moraine Lake Rd to personal vehicles.

Now there are a handful of ways to get to Moraine Lake, but none of them are with personal vehicles (unless you display a handicap placard). You can now only take the Parks Canada Shuttle, book a spot on a private tour, book the Via Via shuttle from Banff or Canmore, book Fairview Limo, take the Hop On Bus, take the Moraine Lake Bus Company shuttle, take Roam Transit in the larch season, book a night at Moraine Lake Lodge, take a taxi, hike or bike in.

Phew that’s a lot of options – so we broke down all of your options for getting to Moraine Lake in this separate article.

Lake Louise Parking

Parking at Lake Louise is slightly less complicated than at Moraine Lake. However, that doesn’t mean it’s without struggle. All park visitors want to see both Moraine Lake and Lake Louise, so you can expect crowding and parking issues at Lake Louise.

Visitors can still park at Lake Louise. Typically, if you want to drive yourself, we recommend arriving before 6:30 a.m. in the summer to get a spot, sometimes earlier. The Lake Louise parking area is well-managed by parking attendants. Once the lot fills up, they will turn you around. Meaning you can waste a lot of time driving up to Lake Louise to not get parking, forcing you to make alternative plans.

To avoid this, we highly recommend booking the Lake Louise Shuttle, catching a ride on the Roam Transit bus from Banff, or getting the Super Pass. Parking at Lake Louise is rarely an issue in the winter.

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Lodging: Moraine Lake vs. Lake Louise

Moraine Lake Lodging

There is only one lodge at Moraine Lake, the Moraine Lake Lodge. It is one of the most exclusive places to stay in Banff, and its high rates reflect that. As Moraine Lake Road is only open during the summer months, the Moraine Lake Lodge has a short operating timeline.

There are few rooms and high demand, so it’s well worth it to book Moraine Lake Lodge well in advance. Expect rates to fetch well above $1000 per night in the summer. On the flip side, guests get a free canoe rental and easy access to parking at Moraine Lake with the room rate.

There is nowhere to camp at Moraine Lake.

Lake Louise Lodging

There are many more options to stay at Lake Louise, though not nearly as many as Banff or Canmore. The only place to stay on Lake Louise herself is the Chateau Lake Louise. This is a Fairmont property and one of the park’s most desirable hotels. Due to its location on Lake Louise, the Chateau books up well in advance during the summer months, even with a $1500 per night price tag.

There are other places to stay at Lake Louise, though they aren’t located on the lake but around the Lake Louise area. Paradise Lodge is our favorite place to stay, which is only open during the summer and is walkable to Lake Louise. The Deer Lodge is near Lake Louise but is poorly reviewed and run down. There are other options in Lake Louise village, including a hostel. You can also camp at the Lake Louise campground.

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Hiking: Moraine Lake vs. Lake Louise

Hiking at Moraine Lake

Some of the best hiking in Banff can be found around Moraine Lake. Sentinel Pass via Larch Valley is arguably the most popular hikes in the entire park during Larch season.

Some of the more accessible hikes are Consolation Lakes and the Moraine Lake Lakeshore, but most are considered more difficult hikes like the Tower of Babel scramble and Eiffel Peak Scramble. Then there is the granddaddy of them all with Mount Temple. Mount Temple is a famous mountain in the Canadian Rockies as it’s over 3000 meters, and you can summit it without having a mountaineering experience.

The only issue with hiking at Moraine Lake is getting to Moraine Lake with the new parking restrictions. The Moraine Lake Bus Company, can get you there at sunrise to start your adventure.

Hiking at Lake Louise

I always love hiking around Lake Louise as almost every hike gives beautiful views of the brilliant Lake Louise below. There are many hikes around Lake Louise for beginners and advanced hikers. The most popular is the Lake Agnes Teahouse Trail, followed by the Plain of Six Glaciers and the Beehive Circuit.

Fun scrambles in the area include Fairview Summit, Devil’s Thumb, Mount Saint Piran, and Mount Niblock. As Lake Louise sits at a lower elevation than Moraine Lake, many hikes are accessible sooner. Starting in late May/Early June, you can begin to complete some of the lower-elevation hikes.

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Canoeing: Moraine Lake vs. Lake Louise

Canoeing at Moraine Lake

Canoeing on Moraine Lake is a beautiful experience. Canoe rentals are run by the Moraine Lake Lodge. They are the only operator at Moraine Lake, though you can bring your own kayak, stand-up paddleboard, or canoe to Moraine Lake if you would like. Canoe rentals cost $160 per hour from 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM (last boat at 4:00 PM).

Canoeing on Lake Louise

If you thought the canoe rentals at Moraine Lake were expensive, you won’t find any relief at Lake Louise. Lake Louise canoe rentals are run by Fairmont, which charges a whopping $165 per hour. The Fairmont Boathouse is the only operator at Lake Louise, though bringing your own floating device to Lake Louise is completely possible.

We know these are both very expensive options, so to save a little money we recommend canoeing on Emerald Lake in Yoho National Park, as their rates are start around $100/hour.

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Other Activities at Moraine Lake and Lake Louise

Activities at Moraine Lake

Besides hiking on your own and canoeing, Moraine Lake offers few other guided or tourist experiences. Some people prefer this, but if you want a more serviced vacation with more activities, you may spend time at Lake Louise.

Activities at Lake Louise

There is much more going on at Lake Louise during the winter and summer, mainly thanks to the Fairmont, which plays host to many activities. Of course, there is hiking and canoeing. The Chateau has activities like Afternoon Tea and plenty of dining experiences in the summer. Trail riding is operated by Brewster Adventures, and rock climbing is also available in the area.

In the winter, Lake Louise offers dog sledding, ice skating, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, an ice bar, an ice castle, and sleigh rides. If you visit in January, you may even get to take part in the Ice Magic Festival!

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Moraine Lake or Lake Louise First

Seeing that you have to plan your first visit to these lakes carefully, we are often asked which one is best to visit first. And our answer is that it really depends on what activities you will enjoy at the lakes. In general, the waters are calmer in the morning. So if you plan to canoe at one of the lakes, choose that activity first, then lunch, and then a hike at the alternate lake!

Top Tip: Lake Louise often gets more crowded as the day goes on, and many visitors comment that they think Moraine Lake is more beautiful than Lake Louise. So keep that in mind when planning which to visit first!

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Truthfully, we don’t think Lake Louise is better than Moraine Lake or vice versa, and you should try to make plans to see both if you can! If you have any other questions leave a comment or see our Canadian Rockies travel guide for more articles about photography spots, lakes, hikes, and everything else.