Postcards from Canada: Moraine Lake

When we were planning our Canadian road trip, one image we saw over and over again was Moraine Lake. This blue glacial lake surrounded by the imposing Valley of the Ten Peaks, is a must-do bucket list place to visit, trust me, it does not disappoint.

I highly recommend you visit this lake very early in the morning or late evening, as parking is limited. sadly Parks Canada do close the road if busy, not only to avoid over-crowding, but also to protect the precious habitat of many wild animals that live around here. Thankfully on the off chance when driving past one day we saw that the road was open. We felt incredibly lucky, as this is one place we completely fell in love with.

Nothing quite prepares you for just how blue this lake is, it really does not seem real and its made all the better by the ten stunning peaks that tower over you, these include Mount Fay, Mount Little, Mount Bowen, Tonsa, Mount Perren, Mount Tuzo, Deltaform Mountain, Neptuak Mountain and Wenkchemna Peak. They are all over 10,000 feet and there are many hikes you can take into these stunning snow topped mountains.

With lots of trails around the lake itself, there are many vantage points to take photographs and just enjoy the scenery, we however, decided to get away from the crowds by getting on the lake. Whilst it is pricey, I would highly recommend renting a canoe, if you have your own, even better.

The silence and tranquillity on the lake were unbelievable and we spent an hour paddling to the end of the lake and back. Doing this gives you the freedom to enjoy the lake and mountains away from the crowd and you really do get up close and personal with landscape. This really was one of the highlights of our trip to Banff and I could not put my camera away.

Back on dry land, we took the small hike up the rock-pile for the iconic image of the lake and mountains, here i didn’t put my camera away, it was breathtaking. Again, there are many hikes around here, but due to the area being popular with Grizzlies it is recommended you hike in groups of four or more. If lakes and mountains are not your thing (are you crazy?!) there are huge forests around the lake you can explore instead, as a tree obsessive, I had never seen so many pine trees in one place.

It really is a wretch when you have to tear yourself away from this place, but I am so thankful we got to see one of the most beautiful places on the planet, I’ll definitely be visiting again one day.