Canoeing at lake louise vs moraine lake
If you are traveling to Banff in the summer months, you might find yourself wondering if canoeing at Lake Louise or Moraine Lake is worth the cost, and if so, which one to choose. First of all, the answer is YES! It is absolutely worth the cost. Banff is a beautiful destination that draws massive crowds in the summer, so canoeing is a wonderful way to experience the stunning lakes while escaping the crowds. The further you paddle, the quieter and more peaceful it becomes.
So now that you have decided you are going to splurge on a canoe experience, the question still stands – which lake? Having canoed on both lakes, I can honestly say you will not be disappointed with either experience. Lake Louise offers that turquoise blue water with a stunning glacier as your backdrop, while Moraine Lake has a deeper blue water with the iconic mountains as the backdrop.
If I had to choose just one, I would recommend Moraine Lake for the following reasons:
1. Scenery: Both lakes are stunning, but I personally find Moraine Lake’s backdrop to be the prettiest. The further you paddle, the more you can see in the mountains. Canoeing allows you to view the scenery in a way that the lakeshore trail doesn’t.
2. Size: Moraine Lake is half the size of Lake Louise, so you can cover the whole lake within an hour. It’s a better value since you are paying by the hour for the canoe rental (plus it’s less physically taxing), which brings me to my next point.
(the lake color isn't correctly depicted here - it looks bright turquoise in person)
3. Cost: (rates as of 2023) Moraine Lake: $140 CAD/hour (read my blog Moraine Lake Lodge if you want to learn more about canoeing for free) Lake Louise: $155 CAD/hour
Please note, if you choose to canoe at Moraine Lake, it is located at a significantly higher elevation than Lake Louise, so you will want to bundle up even more! If you know you want to canoe, but can’t fathom paying that much for the rental, you can always try Emerald Lake in British Columbia’s Yoho National Park if you have the time. They charge $90 CAD/hour and the lake is typically less crowded than it’s Banff counterparts.
