Epic Travel → North America → Canada → Banff National Park → Peyto Lake Viewpoint

Location: North of Lake Louise, Banff National Park, Alberta

Distance: 2.6 km/1.6 miles roundtrip

Elevation Gain: 80 meters/260 feet

Time Required: 1 hour

Red Tape/Notes: This trail is incredibly crowded, so try to arrive very early if you want to avoid hordes of people. Entry into Banff requires a daily fee of about $10 per person (or ~$20 per family/group); alternatively, you can buy a Parks Canada Discovery Pass if you’re staying for an extended time.

What’s Nearby?: Lake Louise, Plain of Six Glaciers, Lake Agnes Tea House

The road from Banff to Jasper is dotted with nice spots to stop and stretch your legs, and this is one of the nicest. It’s also one of the most popular, so expect to have a raft of tourists on the trail with you and crowding over and beyond the viewing platform. From the parking area, a short paved trail heads uphill to a viewing platform at Bow Summit with an incredible view down to Peyto Lake, with its stunning blue water. Trails continue in multiple directions from the viewing platform if you want to extend your stop, which we plan to check out on our next trip.

Epic Travel → North America → Canada → Banff National Park → Peyto Lake Viewpoint