Banff National Park is the most visited national park in Canada, and once you experience all the beauty, it’s easy to see why.

While there’s a lot to see in Banff National Park, two places stand out – Moraine Lake and Lake Louise, the most iconic lakes in Canada.

Due to their popularity, visiting both lakes is becoming increasingly difficult. No personal vehicles are allowed to drive to Moraine Lake, and very limited parking at Lake Louise. Therefore visiting from Banff (a 40-minute drive away) is more tiring than it used to be.

Good news!

Lake Louise Village offers many accommodation options to make your lake visits easier. You can find whatever fits your budget and needs here, from campgrounds in/near Lake Louise to beautiful hotels.

One of them is Mountaineer Lodge, which we enjoyed staying at. It’s downtown, close to shops, the visitor’s centre and shuttle bus stops.

And the best thing? Their stay includes breakfast! That’s very rare for hotels in Banff National Park.

Lake Louise is a popular destination to visit year-round. You can ice skate on Lake Louise, see the gorgeous frozen waterfalls in Johnston Canyon in winter, or canoe/stand-up paddleboarding and biking in summer.

We enjoyed visiting Mountaineer Lodge in spring; this blog post is our honest review.

*In the spirit of full disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, which means that if you purchase through them, we receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. See more details here. We appreciate your support!

Mountaineer Lodge

We drove from Calgary to Banff National Park and stopped to stretch our legs at Johnston Canyon: another great destination and a year-round hike to see several beautiful waterfalls.

Since it’s been so hot the past few weeks, the road to Moraine Lake was clear, and Lake Louise thawed just in time for our visit!

Once we arrived in Lake Louise, clear blue skies welcomed us, and we were even more excited for the fun day ahead. We checked into our room at Mountaineer Lodge, put our bikes in bike storage, and went to rest.

We had a Queen Explorer Suite booked with two rooms, one with a queen bed and bunk beds and one with a seating area, fireplace, fridge, and microwave. It’s perfect for families – adults can enjoy their drinks and conversation by the fireplace while kids go to bed.

In the morning, we headed for the breakfast before our bike ride. The breakfast room offered omelettes, sausages, hash browns, bacon, pancakes, muffins, bagels, toast, granola, whole fruit, yogurt, cereals, and drinks.

With our bellies happy and full, we drove to the beginning of Moraine Lake Road to start our bike ride. Because Moraine Lake Road was still closed to vehicles, we biked to Moraine Lake and enjoyed the serenity of the road and the astonishing beauty of Moraine Lake.

Seeing the most beautiful lake in Canada waking up from its hibernation before the crowds arrive is an opportunity we couldn’t pass up.

Once our ride ended, we extended it and rode to Lake Louise. But the traffic was heavy and crowds insane at the lake, so we soon turned around. We stopped at Deer Lodge for dinner and returned to Mountaineer Lodge to rest and process the beauty we saw.

Visiting Moraine Lake and Lake Louise is one of the best things to do in Banff, no matter the season.

Back at the lodge, we headed to the main building to soak in a hot tub. We had it all to ourselves, which was most appreciated by our son, who loves to splash around.

Because it was still early, we walked around the lodge and found a newly built Lake Louise Sport & Recreation Centre. All the options blew me away – there’s a rink for year-round skating, a playground, tennis courts, a community seating area with a fireplace, a slackline course and more. I’ve never seen a playground with a more beautiful view than with a glacier in the background.

After this eventful day, we took it easy the next day. We started with another delicious breakfast and headed to Lake Louise for stand-up paddleboarding. Mornings tend to be quiet, the lake is calm, and hiking trails are empty.

SUP on Lake Louise, Banff National Park

It was an amazing spring trip to Lake Louise, and we filled our cups to the brim thanks to Mountaineer Lodge.

If you’d like to stay at Mountaineer Lodge for your vacation in Lake Louise, click here to see more reviews and current availability.

Thank you, Mountaineer Lodge, for hosting our stay. As always, the opinions expressed above are our own.

Fun adventures around Lake Louise

The most popular tours in the Lake Louise area

 

About Maya Steiningerova

Heyo, I’m Maya! An adventure athlete currently living near the Canadian Rockies with my partner in crime Michal. I love running in the mountains, jumping in the ice cold lakes, mountain biking and trying not so common activities, such as mountaineering. By showing that an ordinary person can live an extraordinary life, my hope is to inspire you to live an adventurous life and provide you with tips and tools for your own adventure.

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