 | Banff National Park Hiking/Trails Reviews | Tips 1 - 10 of 19 |  |
Lake Agnes Teahouse was built in 1901 by the Canadian Pacific Railway. It was rebuilt in 1981 and serves soup, sandwiches, drinks and cake to hiker. This tearoom has the distinction of being the highest situated tearoom in Canada. The trail to the teahouse is considered a moderate trail. It consists of a steady climb all the way to the top.
There are various routes to take to complete this trail. I will try to describe the trail I took.
The trail to Lake Agnes is very popular and you will be with many people. Do not let this discourage you. The sights on this trail are worth it.
The trail head (Elev. 1731 m) is located 0.5 km from the Chateau along the shore side trail. The trail is broad and well maintained. The trail follows a steady incline for 2.6 km to Mirror Lake (Elev. 2027 m). Just before Mirror Lake you will come across a wooden barrier/gate. At this junction, go to your left about 100 meters to Mirror Lake. From here on you may encounter horses and what they leave behind….
Behind Mirror Lake is the Big Beehive. From here you can go left and find a junction to the highline trail and the Lake Agnes Teahouse, or you can go right and head to the Little Beehive, Mount St. Piran or the Teahouse.
Going to the right for about 0.4 km you will find a junction. The right will take you to the Little Beehive (Elev. 2210 m and Mount St. Piran (Elev. 2650 m). To the left you will see a waterfall and the Teahouse. Go to the left for about 0.4 km to the stairs at the waterfall which will lead you to the teahouse (Elev. 2134 m).
404 meter rise in 3.9 KM
There are many side trips from here. Little Beehive, Mount St Piran, Big Beehive, Devil's Thumb.
I will describe these in other tips, (As I hike them)
The pictures were taken when there was a lot of smoke from a forest fire in the air. The pictures do not do the view justice :-( Leave a Comment
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There is no better way to get close to nature and to avoid the hustle and bustle of tourist activity than to lace up your hiking boots and head for the hills!
There are over 1600kms of hiking trails in Banff National Park passing through unforgettable mountain scenery. The hikes are of varying lengths and difficulty so you should be able to find one that suits your fitness level.
I have included info on the hikes that I have done under Sports Travel Tips. Leave a Comment
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This trail goes along Lake Minnewanka. After crossing the bridge the trail goes left to a junction. The right trail follows the Lake shoreline. Go left here. On your left as you walk along the top of the canyon is the river. The most amazing thing about this river is the color and clarity. Amazing blue color. The trail slowly fades away. If you keep going, you eventually end up at the creek.. A good place to relax and get wet.
I would guess the whole length would be about 5 - 6 km return.
Easy trail for kids. Leave a Comment Directions: Trailhead: From the Minnewanka Interchange on the Trans-Canada Highway drive Lake Minnewanka Road 5.5 km to the parking lot at the west end of Lake Minnewanka.
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This is a continuation of my tip on Lake Agnes Teahouse Trail.
From here on you will encounter fewer people since most have the teahouse as their final destination.
Once you arrive at the teahouse and rest, you can continue on to Devil’s Thumb or the Big Beehive.
Follow the trail around the north side of the lake. You will end up at a step switchback that takes you to the saddle between Devil’s Thumb (Elev 2458 m) and the Big Beehive (Elev. 2270 M). This trail and switchback is approximately 1.1 km.
The unmarked trail to the right goes up around the back side of the Devil’s Thumb. The trail is 0.7 km long and involves some sections of scree. The view is supposed to be magnificent.
To the left is the Big Beehive. There is no real trail to the hut at the top but after 0.6 km you will find it.
From the Big Beehive/Devil’s Thumb junction, head down the south side of the saddle (the side away from Lake Agnes). The trail goes down some switchbacks and is narrow and tougher to navigate. This part of the trail is not as well maintained as the first part going to the teahouse. At the 0.9 km mark you will encounter the Highland / Mirror Lake junction. The right trail leads to the Plain of Six Glaciers Trail. Going left for about 1 km, you end up at Mirror Lake.
From here it is about 3.1 km back to the Chateau.
Unfortunately there was a lot of smoke in the air when the attached photos were taken. Leave a Comment
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This 2 km trail is a flat loop through a wetland (or fen). It is a nice trail to try on a hot day as you are walking on a spongy floor through a forest of spruce trees listening to the sounds of the creek which follows most of the trail. Remember horsetails you might have played with as a kid? On this trail you will find enough to make as long a tail as you wish.
You can hear birds throughout the walk, and according to the plaques, there might be kingfishers nearby. We appreciated the quiet walk - and you could easily walk from Banff townsite to the trailhead. Leave a Comment Directions: This trail is south of Highway # 1 at the Mount Norquay Interchange.
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We tend to shy away from the walk through all the tourist stores down the main street of Banff. Instead, we search out various hikes that we can accomplish even when we are past our prime.
One hike we have gone on many times is the climb to the top of Tunnel mountain - just in the back yard of the town of Banff. Leave a Comment Directions: You can start this hike from the townsite of Banff, or you can find the road that goes part way up the side of Tunnel mountain, and start from there
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There's nothing mini about Lake Minnewanka. It's a magnificent 22-km long, fiord-like lake. Maxiwanka is more like it. And clinging to the lake's north shore is a trail providing maximal scenery for minimal effort. views up and down the lake are excellent. Also visible are the shriekingly steep cliffs of Mt. Inglismaldie, above the south shore.
Minnewanka is a Stoney Indian name meaning "Water of the Spirits." According to legend, the lake is haunted by fish-people. Aboriginal artifacts discovered here suggest human habitation 11,000 years ago. The original, much smaller body of water was dammed to create the reservoir we see today. It's the only hydroelectric power source in a Canadian national park. Despite its v ast surface area, the lake is only 97m deep.
This was taken from the Calgary Outdoor Club Website (http://www.calgaryoutdoorclub.com/) Leave a Comment Directions: From the Minnewanka Interchange on theTrans-Canada Highway take the Lake Minnewanka Loop Road, following it to the west end of the lake 5.5 km beyond the Trans-Canada junction. Park in the large parking lot just above the tour boat concession entrance.
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Mirror Lake is another nice hike you can do from Lake Louise. Mirror Lake is a small lake in the area of the glaciers at Lake Louise. You start at Lake Louise and you just follow the paved path towards the glacier (Plain of Six Glaciers) in the back of Lake Louise. From there you follow the trail that goes up to the mountain.
A great hike of about 2.7 km (1.7miles) one way will bring you to this lovely lake with a great view of the Big Beehive...a mountain looking like a beehive. You can hike from Mirror Lake for another 3.2km (2miles) to get on top of the Big Beehive which give you some great views of Lake Louise. This same trail will bring you to Lake Agnes and the Teahouse. Leave a Comment Directions: At Lake Louise, follow the pathway until you see the sign for this trail
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Lake Agnes is found at Lake Louise after a hike of about 1 /1/2 hour. There is a lovely teahouse at the lake. The hike is about 3.5km (2.2miles) and takes about 1 hour to 1 1/2 hours one way. The views on the way are wonderful. Lake Agnes and its Teahouse at the lake is perfect for a half day hike. This trail starts at the Chateau Lake Louise.
You just follow paved trail along the side of the lake which will bring you up into the mountains. As you progress you will get all kind of different views of the valley below. You also pass Mirror Lake and the Big Beehive. When you reach Lake Agnes, there is the lovely Teahouse where you can have a drink, lunch or just a rest. Leave a Comment Directions: At Lake Louise. Just follow the the path along Lake Louise towards the Glacier until you see the sign for this hike.
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The Cave and Basin Centennial Centre is built around two hot springs. Visitors can walk through a tunnel to discover the hot spring in the cave and travel back to Edwardian times by strolling around the Basin hot springs and bathhouse. At the centre, which is the birthplace of Banff National Park, there are also year-round exhibits, films, and interpretive trails.
The 0.4 km Discovery Trail is a boardwalk built on the hillside above the Cave and Basin Centennial Centre. It takes you past the vent (the opening in the roof of the Cave) and to a spring flowing out of the hillside. Signs explain the geology and human history of the Cave and Basin. Benches along the trail allow you to relax and enjoy the views. Leave a Comment Phone: 403 762-1557Directions: Banff Township
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More Banff National Park Tips |
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on August 9, 2006
on July 14, 2004
on August 23, 2006
on June 9, 2003
on September 15, 2002
