Nevaeh Parker, Author at Canadian Rockies

5 Beautiful Lakes in Canada’s Banff National Park, Stunned!

Traveling to Canada, it’s not fun if you don’t stop by Banff National Park. The oldest park in the country that is famous for this maple tree has many interesting attractions to visit. One of them is the beauty of some beautiful lakes that are able to hypnotize the eye.

One of them is the beauty of Lake Vermilion at the foot of Mount Norquay. He cried again when visiting in winter because the surface of the lake is frozen and can be used for activities such as ice skating.

There are still 5 beautiful lakes that can make you amazed in this national park, you know! Curious? Let’s explore one by one.

Lake Peyto

The beautiful lake, which is located between the Canadian Rockies Mountains, has the color of Tosca with the shape of a lake that almost resembles a wolf animal. The beauty of the lake is more charming because of the presence of pine trees that surround the lake. A perfect composition that makes the holiday more exciting.

When summer comes, Lake Peyto has a nickname as a jewel. Because, if the glaciers are covering the mountains around the lake melt, ice will enter the lake. And if you notice, flickering lights on the ice bounce like a jewel.

Lake Louise

It has a depth of 70 meters, the name of Lake Louise was taken from the name of Queen Victoria’s daughter, Louise Caroline Alberta. Famous for its turquoise water, Lake Louise is the most sought after place by photographers to capture this extraordinary natural beauty.

A vacation to Lake Louise will be more exciting with the existence of Chateau Lake Louise, a luxury hotel located on the edge of the lake, which makes your sleep decorated with sweet dreams. Besides its location on the edge of the lake, the high mountains become one of the best views in this hotel.

Lake Moraine

Among the six beautiful lakes in Banff National Park, Lake Moraine, which has its own uniqueness. Where the water in this lake can change a color, you know. When the mountain glaciers melt, the lake water will turn to Tosca green. However, in general, the color of the lake water is light blue and clear.

The uniqueness and beauty of Lake Moraine often made as a wallpaper gadgets. Another interesting fact about Lake Moraine is that it was once named one of the most beautiful lakes in the world by the CNN version.

Lake Minnewanka

In Banff National Park, Lake Minnewanka is the largest lake among other beautiful lakes. It is said that this beautiful lake is the residence of the spirits which are believed by the surrounding community to be the inhabitants of the lake. Especially in 1941, around the lake was built a dam that aims to raise the surface of the water. Unlucky, all that remains is hope when the city in the lake region becomes submerged.

Although sinking to the bottom of Lake Minnewanka, the sinking city is a favorite place for lovers of scuba diving down the lake.

Lake Bow

Not as famous as Lake Moraine or Lake Louise, Bow Lake has a beauty that is no less beautiful than the lakes in Banff National Park. This lake has clear water, and if we look at it from above, it will be very clear what is at the bottom of the lake.

Entering the winter season, there is Crowfoot Glacier, which is a thousand-year-old chunk of ice. But unfortunately, a long glacier can reach 5 km. Because eroded, now there are only 1.5 km. But, it does not reduce the beauty of Lake Bow to visit.

In your opinion, which is the most beautiful lake?

Look at the beauty of the Banff National Park in Alberta, Canada

Canada is famous for its beautiful natural scenery and well-maintained. Even today, there are more than 40 national parks scattered throughout Canada. One of the best known and the oldest national parks in Canada is the Banff National Park in Alberta.

End of 2018, my family and I had the opportunity to visit the national park that has existed since 1885. We started the journey from Calgary in a rental car driven by my sister, who had gone to Banff quite often. The Calgary-Banff trip takes about 1 hour, 30 minutes.

My sister arranged the itinerary while in Banff and explained that we would go to several lakes. When we first heard, we immediately protested, “Why are all the lakes?” But apparently, all the lakes we visited were very beautiful and had different impressions from each other.
We plan to stay in the city of Banff for 3 days 2 nights. It turned out to be a short amount of time because there were still so many places that we hadn’t been able to visit. It was actually still autumn, but the snow was thick with temperatures ranging from -10 to -18 degrees celsius, so some locations were closed.

What have we been able to visit?

Lake Minnewanka

Our first destination is Lake Minnewanka, which is located about 5 kilometers from the city of Banff. For more than 100 centuries, locations around Lake Minnewanka’s initial location were very strategic hunting and camping sites. Local residents are very respectful and afraid of the spirit of the watchman of the lake, so they are given the name “Minn-waki,” which means “Water of the Spirits.”
Part of this lake was once a popular holiday town in the late 1800s called Minnewanka Landing. But the city sank because of the construction of dams in 1912 and 1941.
At present, the view of the city underwater can still be seen by divers. But for those who do not want to dive, the view on the water is no less beautiful, and if we are lucky, we can also see Northern Light in this area in winter.

We come in autumn, so we can only enjoy the beauty while taking pictures because it will be very cold if we take a boat around the lake. But in the summer, more activities can be done, such as hiking, diving, fishing, boarding, and more.

Lake Louise

After being satisfied with admiring Lake Minnewanka, we continued our journey to Lake Louise. Before arriving in Canada, my father had advised us to go to Lake Louise because he often saw pictures of the beauty of this lake in several publications about Banff.

The lake is named after the fourth child of Queen Victoria, who is also the wife of the Governor-General of Canada (Marquess of Lorne), namely Princess Louise Caroline Alberta.

In summer, there are usually many visitors who enjoy the beauty of nature by kayaking or canoeing. But when we came, the lake water was frozen, and we could even walk on it very easily. At that time, the air had reached -7 degrees celsius even though it was still autumn.

Right on the east side of the lake stands a luxury hotel, The Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise, which was established in 1911. From inside the hotel, we can see the beautiful views of Lake Louise while relaxing and dining.

Actually that afternoon I still wanted to take a picture of the lake but was rejected outright by my father, who was already cold. Even my mother and other siblings had warmed themselves first by drinking hot chocolate and eating soup at the Fairmont hotel.

Near Lake Louise, there is also a lake called Moraine Lake, which is quite well known in the world, one of which is the Windows 10 login screen. But unfortunately, when we went there, Moraine Lake was closed because the terrain was quite dangerous in cold weather.

Peyto Lake

One of the lakes most often promoted by my sister is Peyto Lake. Because the view of Peyto Lake seen from the Bow Summit is indeed beautiful. So that Peyto Lake immediately entered the main visit list.

To get to the Bow Summit, we walked, so we had to rent winter boots for my father, while I and the others had indeed bought them in Calgary.
The rental fee was not expensive, only CAD 10 per day (around Rp 110,000). Rental of shoes, ski equipment, and other winter equipment can easily be found in the city of Banff at an affordable rental fee.

We are all ready for combat! Fight with snow and wind. Apparently, when he arrived at the location, the temperature was -13 degrees celsius. All our equipment is lacking. Beautiful, brightly colored jackets to be photographed must be sacrificed. I ended up wearing a thick jacket with a large size that belongs to one of the brothers. Forget all your wishes for beautiful photos.
The footpath that my brother used to take turns out to be closed, so we have to take another road that is more uphill. In the first few minutes, we were still excited to walk while taking pictures. But because of the very thick snow and the cold air, we could not walk quickly. Then my sister walked faster to see how far we had to walk, and indeed it was still further along the increasingly uphill road.

Finally, after 15 minutes, we decided to turn around and get back in the car. The wind was getting stronger and stronger, not to mention if we made it to the top, we had to walk far back to the car.

The jacket I was wearing was quite able to withstand the cold air. But parts of my face are still very cold. Finally, occasionally I use a hot pack (which is supposed to be for my hands) on my almost numb nose. Enough to reduce cold.

10 Canadian National Parks that Challenge Adventurers

Canada is a major destination for nature lovers and outdoor enthusiasts. This country has the largest national park in the world in terms of number and size. According to the Canadian Sky website, national parks in Canada provide complete packages for adventurers who like to climb mountains, explore caves, camp on the edge of the lake, and limitless wilderness. From east to west, these are the top 10 national parks in Canada.

Fundy National Park, New Brunswick

When looking for the widest maritime national park in the world, visit Fundy. Its extent reaches along 8 miles of coastline around the Bay of Fundy, near St. John on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean. From the coast, this national park stabs inland to the vast Acadian Forest.

The specialty of this beach is its ebb and flow, which reaches a depth of 12 meters from the shoreline. Thus at low tide, marine flora and fauna create pathways that can be used to see the marine ecosystem. Guides can be hired to explain every detail of marine flora and fauna.

Mount Revelstoke and Glacier, British Columbia

Located near the town of Revelstoke in the Selkirk Mountains, this park is the perfect stop for those who drive the Trans-Canada Highway between Vancouver and Calgary. Revelstoke is deep valleys, ancient forests, and grasslands filled with flowers. The recommended activity is to cycle or motorize across the Meadows on the Sky Parkway, with a 26-kilometer long route winding through wildflowers filled with wildflowers.

Mountain Riding National Park, Manitoba

Although not as extensive as other national parks, Mount Riding has an amazing diversity of habitats, flora, and fauna. Every step of the foot always meets with the “family” of forest wildlife. The most enchanting things of Mount Riding are the forests, lakes, and grasslands. This mountain trek offers fantastic activities for hiking, biking, horse riding, and cross-country skiing. Around this national park, there is a perfect resting place, in the form of the ancient Wasagaming resort located on the shores of Clear Lake, with shops, restaurants, golf courses, boat rentals, and calm lake beaches.

Gros Morne National Park, Newfoundland

Located on the west coast of Newfoundland, this is Canada’s second-largest national park. Gros Morne is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, which is filled with mountains of granite rocks and fjords (bays of melted glaciers). The cliffs on the right and left sides of the bay offer views of the forest, beach, waterfalls, and beaches, with several small fishing villages. When you’re satisfied with impressive geology, try boating or kayaking along the rocky coastline, or hiking and seeing wildlife in the highlands. Gros Morne is the most beautiful rock tourism destination in the world.

Cape Breton Plateau National Park, Nova Scotia

Cape Breton is a plateau with landscapes like the tundra and interspersed with forested river canyons. The relatively warm temperature has become an extraordinary wildlife paradise. Those who live here are lynx, moose, grouse, rare minke whales, seals, and eagles. All can be enjoyed by hiking. Here there are also traces of Indian tribes in Canada.

Thousand Islands National Park, Ontario

This group of islands is on the Saint Lawrence River, which runs between Kingston and Brockville. The shape is 20 granite islands and land mixed with swamps, pine forests, and waterways. Thousand Islands has the richest wildlife population in Canada. These rivers and swamps can only be enjoyed by kayak or motorboat.

Jasper National Park, Alberta

Glacier mountains with colossal glacial ice fields are the main view of Jasper National Park. This area promises abundant hiking and biking trails. Some spots have become a kind of observation point for animals to watch bears, deer, caribou, and bighorn sheep while the small-town Jasper provides all urban facilities and sells everything needed for the adventure.

Yoho National Park, British Columbia

Yoho is claimed as Canada’s virgin forest. This national park is a major destination for climbing and views of hardened ice rocks on the cliffs. In addition, Yoho is home to dark blue water lakes and waterfalls.

Banff National Park, Alberta

As Canada’s oldest national park, and the third in the world, Banff is one of Canada’s main adventure destinations. Its natural beauty is carved by snow, dense coniferous forests, alpine forests, meadows, and pristine lakes. Every year, millions of visitors travel to see magnificent mountain views. They are hiking, biking, and canoeing to camping in the interior.

Pacific Rim National Park Reserve, British Columbia

It is located along the western coastline of Vancouver Island and covers three regions: Long Beach, Broken Group Islands, and West Coast Trail. Pacific Rim has lush tropical rain forests, spectacular beach cliffs and wide, fine sandy beaches. Besides promising wild waves for surfers, another attraction is watching migrating humpback whales.