- Johnson Lake
The Johnson Lake trail is a 1.5 mile loop around Johnson Lake that is flat and easy. There are stunning views all around the lake, so it doesn’t matter which direction you start in. Lake Johnson, Two Jack Lake, and Lake Minnewanka are all in a row on the same road so it might be helpful to do all three in one day. There is plenty of parking at Lake Johnson. There were only a few cars there when we arrived at 09:00 a.m. on a Saturday and the parking lot was not much fuller when we left. This lake also has picnic tables and a little beach area, so a lot of people come here to spend the day.
2. Peyto Lake
I accessed Peyto Lake via Caldron Peak Trail. This is a 2.5 mile out and back trail. The parking lot was full when we got there, as the lookout area on this trail is very popular. There was also a very long line to use the bathrooms. The good news is there is plenty of parking alongside the road and it was worth walking a little further and parking on the side of the road. The first section of this trail is a paved uphill path to the lookout point, which takes the form of a wooden observation deck. Be prepared for big crowds on the paved trail and at the observation deck. You will also notice some trails through the woods just before the deck where some, but not as many, people will gather to take pictures of Peyto Lake. The crowds really thin out as you pass the observation deck and turn left. You will see a summit trail straight ahead and an unmarked trail to the right going downwards. You want the trail to the right. There will be a white sign warning about a collapsed bridge (this doesn’t affect you getting to the lake). This trail descends down the mountain, then turns into steep switchbacks down the mountain. The last section consists of steep switchbacks down an open wildflower field with some loose gravel. The trail opens up at the base of the lake, where you may need to cross some creeks to get to the lakeshore. Max went for a swim and then laid down to rest. I sat down with him on the rocks to rest my knees, which were killing me from the steep descent to the lake. We had the entire lake to ourselves. Taking the trail back up is even worse. I had to stop at the corner of every switchback on the wildflower meadow section. Next you have to survive more switchbacks up the mountain. I had an extremely difficult time coming up this trail despite it being labeled “moderate.” For me, personally, I would label this trail as “hard.” The entire return is an uphill battle, and I don’t think the reviews prepared me for just how difficult it was going to be. On the way up, I did pass a group coming down the trail that included two very young children and an adult with a baby strapped to her, which surprised me given the difficulty of the trail but also made me question if I am just weaker than the average hiker.
3. Bow Lake
Although there are trails you can take at Bow Lake, Max and I just stopped at the scenic overlook on the side of the highway. From this parking area, it is only a few steps down a steep embankment to the lakeshore. There appeared to be a little path along the lakeshore that leads to the campground. There is also a road further down off the highway that takes you to an enormous, but still packed, parking lot. Max enjoyed a quick swim in Bow Lake and I enjoyed the beautiful views.
4. Two Jack Lake
Two Jack Lake is a busy recreational lake. There are two parking lots: an upper and a lower. I parked in the lower parking lot and regretted it when I left and it took me forever to back out of my spot because of how close the line of cars behind me was. The trail is to the left of the lake and follows up a hill. The entire side of the lake slopes down sharply toward the lake and the trail is very small and corroded. At some parts, it looked like a landslide completely wiped the trail out. I found it very sketchy and scary; one wrong step and you could slip and fall down the side of the hill into the water. I was even nervous for my dog, who is much more skilled and surer footed than I am. It is hard to make out where the trail ends. We only did one-mile round trip, but supposedly the trail is longer than that. The views of the lake were beautiful, but I would not recommend this trail to anyone hiking with kids or without proper footwear. When you get back to the beach part of the lake you will notice a whole party of people there picnicking, using SUPs and kayaks, swimming, etc.
5. Lake Minnewanka
A little further down from Two Jack Lake is the massive and awesome Lake Minnewanka. I arrived around 2:00 PM and there was a sign saying the parking lot was full. I pulled in anyways and got a spot immediately. It seems to me that there is a fast turnover of cars here and there are constantly cars coming and going, making it more likely than you think at first glance to get a parking spot. You can walk along the rocky shore of the lake and explore the woods beside it. There are picnic tables dispersed throughout the area and a small cafe selling things like pizza and ice cream. Max and I spent so much time exploring the lakeshore that we ran out of time for our actual hike. One trail available here is the Stewart Canyon Trail. There is a bridge at the one mile mark of this trail that you can only cross if you are in groups of four or more due to bear activity. My original plan was to hike to the bridge and back since I was a group of one plus Max, but we spent too much time at the lake. Also of note is the lakeshore and its surrounding rocks and trees are crawling with chipmunks. It is obvious that people have been feeding the chipmunks despite the signs not to because they are very trusting and will come right up to your hand. This was slightly problematic for me because Max loves a good chipmunk chase and I felt like I spent half our time here pulling him away from chipmunks.
6. Moraine Lake
The famous Moraine Lake! I set my alarm for 2:30 AM to make it to Lake Moraine at sunrise. Max was not too happy with me. Cars are no longer allowed access to Moraine Lake, so the only way in is to book a shuttle. Thankfully there is ONE shuttle company that allows dogs: Fairview Limousine. We met the shuttle at a local hotel parking lot at 4:45 AM. Max did great on the bus and mostly napped because it was still dark outside. Our group made the 0.5 mile out and back trek to the “rock pile” to watch the sun come up. After sunrise, Max and I walked the Lake Moraine Lakeshore Trail, which is any easy 2.3 mile out and back trail along the shores of the lake. The views did not disappoint. This was my favorite activity of the trip.
7. Lake Luis
Lake Luis does allow cars. However, the parking lot has been known to fill up by 6:00 AM, so I opted to take another shuttle from Moraine Lake to Lake Luis with Fairview. I did not find Lake Luis quite as enjoyable or beautiful as Moraine Lake and I think it was because of the crowds. Because we got to Lake Moraine so early, we had the lakeshore trail almost entirely to ourselves. At Lake Luis, there were Disney-like crowds at the lakeshore, all fighting to get a picture of the famous lake. The lakeshore trail, a 2.8 mile out and back trail along the lake, was crowded and I just didn’t find the views as good as they were at Moraine Lake. I still think it is worth seeing, but I wish I hadn’t wasted my time with the lakeshore trail and had done one of the more interesting trails instead, like Lake Agnes Teahouse.
