Catching Sunrise at Moraine Lake vs Lake Louise (decisions, decisions…)

So you’ve planned your whole trip to Banff and the itinerary is nearly nailed down to a tea. But there’s one thing you’re still debating about – catching sunrise at Moraine Lake or Lake Louise.

Of course, you could theoretically catch sunrise at both on two separate days. But logistically, this may not be very doable. And let’s face it—the sunrise is incredibly early in the summer, meaning you’ll be waking up before 5 a.m. on two days of your vacation—that doesn’t sound super vacation-like to me.

So, if this is you, and you’re debating where to see sunrise—Moraine Lake or Lake Louise—let’s try to help make your decision easier as we have caught sunrise at Moraine Lake and Lake Louise numerous times.

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Sunrise at Lake Louise

Unlike Moraine Lake, catching sunrise at Lake Louise is possible 365 days a year – even on Christmas. Witnessing the sun’s first rays of the day hitting Mount Victoria is a sight that will surely take your breath away.

Many people staying at the Fairmont will be up to enjoy the morning, and there are plenty of hiking trails around Lake Louise where you can get an early head start before the crowds. Last summer, we made it our mission to catch sunrise on top of the Little Beehive with a coffee in hand!

You can still drive and park at Lake Louise, and many people do this well before sunrise in the summer. In fact, the parking area at Lake Louise is usually full by the time the sun makes an appearance. Because of this, and the fact that the massive Fairmont hotel is right there, we find the shores around Lake Louise at sunrise more crowded than Moraine Lake.

The waters, however, are typically calm, and if you have your own watercraft, you can launch right from the shore. Lake Louise canoe rentals do not open until later in the day. However, Fairmont does run special sunrise canoe experiences for guests only.

If you want to beat the hiking crowds to Lake Agnes, getting out on the trail before sunrise is a great time.

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Sunrise at Moraine Lake

Catching sunrise at Moraine Lake is a special experience that many first time visitors to Banff wish to experience. While catching the sunrise at Moraine Lake has never been a simple task, it’s a bit more complicated now with the parking restrictions at Moraine Lake.

Personal vehicles cannot drive to Moraine Lake, meaning to catch sunrise, you have to look into a private operator like Moraine Lake Bus Company, or book the Parks Canada Alpine Start shuttle.

Getting to Moraine Lake for sunrise involves effort and time, but it’s worth it to see the beams of sunlight gracefully traverse the Valley of the Ten Peaks.

Since there is no giant hotel at Moraine Lake, and you must book some sort of shuttle to get there for sunrise, the crowds are much more manageable at sunrise. Most visitors tend to head up the Rockpile Trail for sunrise. Though if you walk the lakeshore, or put in the effort to get a stand-up paddleboard there, you’ll likely be the only person around!

If you’re staying at Moraine Lake Lodge, you have the advantage of not worrying about getting to Moraine Lake in the morning. This means you could feasibly go on a sunrise hike to Consolation Lakes or up to Sentinel Pass.

The Moraine Lake Boathouse, which is where you can rent canoes, is not open until 9am. So if you want to paddle on the lake you’ll have to bring your own paddleboard or kayak with you on the shuttles. We did this last year with Moraine Lake Bus Company!

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If I Could Only Choose One, What Would I Choose?

Of course, in an ideal world you could catch sunrise at both Moraine Lake and Lake Louise. This is possible for guests of the Fairmont who are staying two nights, as they can wake up one morning and enjoy the sunrise at Lake Louise right from their hotel. The next morning, they can catch a shuttle to Moraine Lake for sunrise.

We obviously know that not all of you have $1500 a night to spend on a hotel room there. If it were me, I would choose to spend the morning at Moraine Lake. I would catch sunrise at Moraine Lake and then hike to Consoaltion Lakes before the crowds arrive around 9 a.m.

However, if I really wanted to focus my time and whole day on hiking, I would catch sunrise at Lake Louise, head up to Lake Agnes and the Beehives, and then continue hiking to the Plain of Six Glaciers for an absolutely epic day hiking in the Canadian Rockies.