Guide to the Best Hikes in the Banff/Canmore/Lake Louise area of the Canadian Rockies!

I'm a Torontonian born and raised, but I lived for about two years in Calgary. During my time there, I would go out to the mountains every weekend. I thought of them as my home more than Calgary (Calgary is still amazing and worth a 3-4 day visit though!). I thought I should share some suggestions for anyone who is considering visiting the Canmore/Banff/Lake Louise area for the best hikes if you want the fewest crowds, best views, and highest chances of seeing wildlife.

1. Plain of Six Glaciers (Lake Louise). This (combined with a stay at the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise) is the best way to experience Lake Louise. When you first get to Lake Louise, you'll have trouble finding parking, you'll be cursing at tour buses, and you'll find the lakefront busy with tourists taking the same photo that millions of others have taken. It's a lovely lake, and deserves more than just standing at the front or renting a canoe. The hike to the Lake Agnes Tea House is famous and has lots of tourists, and is what most people think of when it comes to hiking at Lake Louise. Instead of joining the masses and doing that hike, walk down the shoreline trail to the back of the lake, where you can look back across the lake to see the Chateau. Here begins the Plain of Six Glaciers hike. A path ascends up and through the forest, and here is where you begin to gain elevation (about 400m from the back of the Lake to the . In terms of wildlife on the hike, you will likely encounter pika, chipmunks, mountain goat, and bears (Grizzly more often than Black) if you're lucky. After about 3.5 hours, you will reach the tea house. It is far less crowded than the Lake Agnes Tea House, and everything is made fresh daily. [Edit: They also only take cash]. From the Tea House, you can look out and see multiple glaciers. You may also choose to take the 1 hour Abbot Pass Viewpoint loop, which is about 1km long and takes you past glacial crevasses, which are amazing to see, especially if you've never seen them before. When you return to the teahouse, you can either hike back down the way you came, or you can use the Highline connector to get to the Lake Agnes Tea House and hike down that way. The connector trail will take you over Devil's Thumb and Big Beehive. The views on the connector are amazing and unobstructed by trees but the hike is more strenuous than the Plain of Six Glaciers trail you just did. You'll end up at the Lake Agnes Tea House, where you can hike down the way you passed up to go do the Plain of Six Glaciers trail in the morning. The total route (Chateau > Plain of Six Glaciers Teahouse > Abbot Pass Viewpoint > Plain of Six Glaciers Teahouse > Lake Agnes Tea House (via Highline connector) > Chateau) is about 16km and can be done in about 8 hours, but as fast as 7 and as long as 10.
2. Mount Rundle (Banff). I've done round trip in 8 hours. If you start early (~6am) you can still be down and enjoy your afternoon/evening in town. The trailhead is just past Bow Falls and the Fairmont Banff Springs Golf Course. The hike is straight up an angled slab, but it's still a scramble (no climbing gear needed at all) and is the most well known and famous mountain in the Banff area. That being said, it is rarely climbed by tourists as it's not suited for East Asian grandmas and their walking canes, big tour groups, or anyone with limited mobility. The view at the top is incredible, you can see Canmore to the SE, Banff right below, and the Rockies extending 360 degrees around you. This is the best hike to do in the area due to the views and the lack of tourists.
3. Grassi Lakes (Canmore). The trailhead for Grassi Lakes is in Canmore about 2km past the Nordic Centre. You turn left down a paved road (don't take the gravel road) and stop when you reach the parking lot and restrooms. This is the easiest of the three hikes I've shared, being about 2 hours round trip. You'll find lots of families with kids, but almost all of them will be locals, either of Banff/Canmore or Calgary, rather than tourists. When you begin the hikes, the train diverges into "More Difficult" to the left and "Easy" straight ahead. Take the "More Difficult" route. It is through the trees and opens up to views of Canmore, a lovely waterfall, and mountain streams. It's actually a hike. The "Easy" route is a gravel emergency access road, not a hike. So, take the route to the left, and you will begin a really gradual ascent through the trees. Not too far in, you'll begin to hear the waterfall. Keep hiking, past streams that trickle over the path (just step over them, they are about 1 foot wide), and you'll arrive at the waterfall. Here you can stop to take photos of either the waterfall, or the view below. Then, continue up stone stairs and switchbacks. This is the hardest part of the hike, but is not much more difficult than your usual set of stairs, except they can sometimes be slippery. You will then arrive at a bridge across the stream that head to the waterfall, and you have a short flat walk until you arrive at the two lakes. Here is where most groups will stop for lunch or a snack, and you can dip your toes in the lake or skip rocks. There is a large rock face above with rock climbers you can watch, as well as small caves at the bottom to explore. When you finish here (take as long as you want), take the stairs that continue to the left, and it's a few minutes to a final lake. It is unlikely anyone else will be there, so you'll have another lake all to yourself. On the way down, you can either return the way you came or use the gravel access road.

I hope this guide was helpful, and these are some of the best hikes in Lake Louise, Banff, and Canmore. I opted to exclude the Three Sisters summit hike (Canmore) as it's strenous at times and not very often climbed, even though it's a fun hike. Don't hesitate to ask any questions!