Location: Banff National Park – Alberta, Canada
Destination: Lake Agnes Teahouse
Distance: 4.5 Miles / 7.2 Kilometers Round-trip from Chateau Lake Louise
Elevation Gain: 1,250 Feet / 381 Meters
Difficulty: Easy Day Hike | Class 1 – Hiking with a low chance of injury
Lake Agnes Teahouse Hike is located in the Lake Louise area of Banff National Park. The hike starts along the shore of beautiful Lake Louise (photo above). This hike is one of the most popular hikes in Banff, so be prepared for crowds. It’s best to leave earlier in the day, or come in the off-season. The Lake Louise area is so popular that the parking lots fill up (between 10am and 6pm) and you can be waiting over an hour just for a parking space! We had a most pleasant time because it’s late fall, but we’ve been here in the summer as well and we know just how busy it can get!
The trail climbs through the trees to Mirror Lake before heading up to the teahouse. From Mirror Lake there’s a connecting route to the Plain of 6 Glaciers, where there’s another teahouse and you guessed it, amazing views of 6 different glaciers.
Just before the teahouse, there’s a waterfall and several flights of stairs.
Once you’ve reached the teahouse, it’s time to sit back and enjoy the views!
It’s definitely worth it to hike around the lake, especially if it’s later in the day because the light is perfect for pictures from the end of the lake. From the other side of the lake you can also hike to the Big Beehive which is a high point overlooking both Lake Agnes and Lake Louise.
In the fall the larches are turning golden and the color is stunning against the lake.
As you walk along the lake it reveals different colors ranging from aqua to deep blue, almost like Crater Lake, in Oregon.
This is the view looking back towards the teahouse.
On the way back down the trail there’s grand peaks above you, and in the fall they’re sprinkled with golden highlights.
As you descend, there’s a viewpoint looking far down into the milky aqua colored Lake Louise
In the fall, there’s an abundance of foliage that turns gold along the lake and the colors are unparalleled.
