Amanda Olynik

How to canoe the crystal blue waters of Lake Louise in Banff

The Solo Scale:

One of the most known tourist activities is canoeing on the Lake. While you can do it alone or with a guide, it will be more work versus having more people with you (though not impossible!) If you’re not up for the challenge or are a beginner, opt for a guide to assist. Otherwise, enjoy exploring the grounds around the Lake!

Lake Louise is an incredible destination for travellers within striking distance of Calgary. It’s just over an hour, but it boasts beautiful vistas and other amazing stops along the way. It’s one of the jewels of the Rockies and the natural beauty is hard to deny. What makes Lake Louise a great active afternoon stop is your chance to canoe on the lake. Luckily, Fairmont provides rentals to do exactly that from late-May/early June to early October.

The canoe departure point at Lake Louise on a foggy day

The water’s unnatural blue is caused by rock flour carried into the lake by melt-water from nearby glaciers. In September, it most certainly was glacial. A single dip of fingers in the water reminds you to stay cautious and avoid tipping over. Don’t worry, though! You’ll be wearing a life-jacket while canoeing, which can put you at ease since it’s safety first.

View of the mountains on a foggy day from a canoe on Lake Louise

How long will it take you to reach the end? Per the Fairmont hotel’s website:

 The lake is 2.2 km (1.3 miles) long and 0.5 km (0.3 miles) wide and it takes about 30 minutes for experienced paddlers to get to the far end.

When I went, we wound up renting two canoes and pushing ourselves as far out as we could. That experience really pushed us to our time limit (since you’re charged by the hour). We had to be very careful to set ourselves a timer so that we had enough time to row back to the rental area. You will also end up a bit sweaty if you have to put in the effort.

If you’re up for the experience, the rates are per canoe. For non-hotel guests, it’s $155 plus tax per hour and $145 plus tax per half hour. For hotel guests the rates were $95 plus tax per hour and $85 plus tax per half hour (with guests receiving priority for canoe availability). This was the rate most recently, however, it may have changed. The hours are 11 – 7PM with the last boat departing at 6PM, so don’t leave your canoeing too late! The boathouse operates seasonally from late-May/early-June until October and is weather-dependent. Make sure to check the website above to get the exact dates.

Not ready to forge your way on the water? There’s a great deal of parking nearby and there are a few trails to hike for equally amazing views.

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