Lake Louise and Moraine Lake

 Banff Hop On Hop Off bus - 30/08/2025

This is not a traditional hop on hop off bus as you would find in a city, rather it was an old yellow school bus.  Dominique provided an interesting commentary and excellent advice on planning your day.  

The first stop was at Johnstone Canyon, where people were given clear instructions on where to catch the next bus.

The bus then carried on the Bow Valley Parkway, to a 15 minute stop at Castle Rock viewpoint.

There was then a slight pause at Mordants Curve.

Then there was a break and the opportunity to get a coffee at the lodge at the base of the Lake Louise Gondola.

The bus then went to Lake Louise before heading upto Moraine Lake.  This, according to my watch, had taken 1hr 45min but due to the commentary and the amazing scenery, it didn't feel like it.

It was great on the bus being able to get a good view of the mountains behind the lake.

We reached Moraine Lake about 10 before the sun had fully reached the water.

First we walked down the Lakeside.  The view opened up as the light got higher, the lake changed colour and the mountains became more majestic.  

Then the colour started to appear in the water

Then it was up to the Rockpile. Yes it is a pile of rocks.

First the classic view with the trees from the viewing platform

But after nipping over a little wall.

It was stunning, a picture can not do it justice.  

The only downside was that I could not believe just how many people were there.

 

About 2 hours after we arrived the big yellow school bus pulled into the parking lot and it was off to Lake Louise.

We had plans to do the hike to the Little Beehive, but then thought better of it and just took a leisurely walk along the lake shore.  It turned out to be a glorious walk.

Before long the crowds thinned out, and more mountain came into view, and the hotel disappeared into the distance.

  We walked to the end of the lake onto the sandbar. 

And a very unusual view of the hotel

And then on to the boardwalk at the base of the cliff, to the start of the Six Glacier Walk.  

And the unusual sight of two water sources meeting

All along the walk we had the ever-changing woodland, streams and rocky outcrops, to one side and then glorious views over the lake to the other which was never static as the sunlight played across the landscape.

After about three hours we caught the big yellow bus back to Banff. 

Being a school bus the windows opened so there was the chance to take a few photos, out of the open windows of Vermillion Lakes on the way back.

None of the stress of trying to book shuttles, rather, a very distinctive bus on a schedule with excellent guides.   It may not be the cheapest, but you pay for quality.

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 Banff National Park

Our first stop

Cascade of Time Gardens

The classic view of Cascade Mountain from the gardens. 

Bow Falls

Bow Falls are only a short walk from the centre of Banff along a pleasant woodland walk lined with pieces of art.

Our first full day was a trip from Banff, via Castle Rock, to Johnstone Canyon, Sunshine Meadows, then back via the Hooddoo Viewpoint.  Then took the Roam bus to the Banff Gondola.

Castle Mountain

There was a great view of Castle Rock from the Highway at about 08:00 

And a couple of hours later, on the way to Sunshine.

Johnstone Canyon

We arrived at Johnstone Canyon at about 8:15 and the car park was less than a quarter full.  

The walk through the canyon is only around 5km round trip.  It is a relatively easy walk on good paths.

The falls may not be the most impressive in the area, but the canyon is accessible and near Banff, and it is well worth the couple of hours for the walk.  The walk is also a pleasant walk through woodland.

There are two main falls but there are several other smaller falls in the canyon.

Canyon View

Bottom Falls

Top Falls

Other water features

It was also our first sighting of a Chipmunk!

Sunshine Meadows

For anyone who wants to combine a good walk with a cable car, Sunshine Meadows was a superb choice.  It was not busy and had great walks.

The cable car was around 20 minutes, to be honest much of it was not particularly interesting through trees, but at times it opened up some spectacular views.

After a briefing about what to do, walk on the paths, don't pick the wildflowers, don't annoy bears and hire our bear spray, it was time to catch the chair lift for the final few hunred metres.

At the top of the chair lift this was the first view.

We walked a few hundred metres to the Standish viewing platform.  

This was the view.  

It is going on my wall!

 Then I remembered to look behind me

Rock Isle Lake is the focus of the walks 

We decided on the longest walk of around 7km which took in all three lakes. 

We walked through probably the nicest Alpine meadows we came across in the Rockies, to get down to the tree line, and then through glorious woods to Grizzly Lake.

The edge of the lake was more marsh / meadow like with more reeds that led to a spectacular view of the aftermath of a forest fire three years ago.

Then it was onto the Laryx Lake

Then back to Rock Isle

The path then climbed for a short distance

Before a gradual decent to the Cablecar, with yet more stunning views.

We also encountered a number of critters around the meadows, the Columbian Ground Squirrel, a favourite food of the bears.

Hoodoo Viewpoint

On the way back to Banff we took a detour via the Hoodoo Viewpoint for a short walk.

These are strange features caused by different rock eroding differently.

It was also a great view of the area beyond Bow Falls.

 

Banff Gondola

This was included as part of our Flydrive, but because of spending so long at Sunshine we didn't get here until around 16:15, when unfortunately the weather was closing in.

I was not as keen on the Banff Gondola, but that may have been very much a personal thing.  It is far more accessible than the gondola at Sunshine, and the top is all boardwalks, and it is a short bus ride from the town centre.  It gave a more detached view of the surroundings as opposed to being out among the nature.  Still amazing though.

Theres a great view of the whole area, with Lake Minewanka at the top centre and Bow Falls to the bottom centre and Tunnel Mountain in the foreground, and the Hoodoos on the middle right.  

The weather was closing in and the view North was lost in the rain.

There were some spectacular views

There was a close encounter with a pair of goats who seemed totally uninterested in the tourists.

When we were at the peak, the view was not very good, because of the weather.  But we were entertained by this chipmunk scurrying around the platform.  This is possibly my favourite view "The Prince of the Peaks"

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