Skoki Loop Hike in Banff National Park

The turquoise coloured Skoki Lakes are off in the distance
The turquoise coloured Skoki Lakes are off in the distance - as well as loads of larch trees

The backpacking trip to stunning Baker Lake in the Skoki area from a fire road near Lake Louise is one of the more accessible ones for anyone visiting or living in the Calgary – Canmore corridor. From the Baker Lake campground there is the option to do the beautiful Skoki Loop hike around Fossil Mountain on day two of your adventure.

It’s worth spending two nights at the Baker Lake campground so you can do this. However, you don’t need to stay at the Baker Lake campground to do the Skoki Loop hike.

Other options include camping at Hidden Lake for one night and then hiking the Skoki Loop with only a day pack. Strong hikers could opt to head to Merlin Meadows campground for a few nights. On the second day you could hike the Skoki Loop appreciating that you will be covering the trail from Deception Pass to Skoki Lodge on three occasions in total. 

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Near Cotton Grass Pass
Near Cotton Grass Pass

Skoki Loop hike details

Permits: You will need a Parks Canada pass to do the overnight hike.

Best time to go: July – September but be prepared for biting insects at the Baker Lake Campground until later in the summer.

Trailhead: Fish Creek Trailhead close to Lake Louise

Distance:

  • Fish Creek parking lot to Baker Lake Campground – 13.1 km one way
  • Baker Lake Campground back to Baker Lake Campground via the Skoki Loop around Fossil Mountain – 12. 4 km
  • Optional side trip from Skoki Lodge to Merlin Lake – 3.8 km return
  • Total kilometres from Fish Creek parking lot to Baker Lake Campground (day 1) + Skoki Loop (day 2) + hike back to parking lot from Baker Lake Campground day 3 = 38.6 km + 3.8 km if you do the side trip to Merlin Lake

Noteworthy elevations:

  • Fish Lakes trailhead elevation: 1,690 m
  • Boulder Pass elevation: 2, 345 m
  • Deception Pass elevation: 2474 m
  • Jones Pass: 2,250 m 
  • Skoki Lodge elevation: 2,164 m
  • Baker Lake elevation: Approximately 2,250 m

Elevation gain over 3 days: Approximately 1,200 m

Level of difficulty: Moderate

Time needed: 2 – 4 days depending on side trips to Red Deer Lakes, Merlin Lake, Skoki Lakes

Beware: Porcupines have a nasty habit of eating hiking boots and hiking pole handles in the Baker Lake Campground. Keep both stashed in your tent when you call it a night.

Bears: Take easy to access bear spray. Grizzlies are frequently sighted in this area. Keep it in a bear spray holster, so you don’t set it off accidentally. 

Dogs: Permitted on a leash:

Backcountry camping reservations: Make backcountry campsite reservations online. They open on January 29, 2024 at 8 AM MT. 

Baker Lake Campground: It is equipped with outhouses, tent poles, picnic tables and tent pads – if you could call them that. 

Map: The map for the hike is Gem Trek Lake Louise and Yoho. Another option is to use Organic Maps – an offline hiking app. 

Looking towards merlin Lake, one of the side trips you can do from the Skoki Loop
Looking towards merlin Lake, one of the side trips you can do from the Skoki Loop

Skoki Loop hike around Fossil Mountain from Baker Lake 

Before leaving the Baker Lake Campground for the day, we enjoyed a leisurely breakfast and didn’t actually hit the trail until 10 AM. Our plan was to hike the Skoki Loop around Fossil Mountain – about 12.4 km in length – with only a day pack. 

We chose to hike the trail in a counter clockwise direction – for no particular reason – heading first for the meadows on route to the Red Deer Lakes. (There is a campground here as well.)

It looked like bear and moose country to us but the only living creature we saw was the Richardson’s ground squirrel. Still my brother was prepared with bear spray and bear bangers – just in case.

Some of the signage on the Skoki Loop
Some of the signage on the Skoki Loop
We heard the Richardson's ground squirrel before we saw it
We heard the Richardson’s ground squirrel before we saw it
My brother armed with bear spray and bear bangers
My brother armed with bear spray and bear bangers

Onward to Skoki Lodge

At the junction to the Red Deer Lakes we veered west towards Skoki Lodge. You have to cross Jones Pass but at most that’s a few hundred feet of climbing. From the campground all the way to Skoki Lodge, the hiking is easy.

If you want to spend a night or two in Skoki Lodge reserve well in advance. The food there is amazing.

Hike around Fossil Mountain on the Skoki Loop
Hike around Fossil Mountain on the Skoki Loop
Heading west in the direction of Skoki Lodge over Jones Pass
Heading west in the direction of Skoki Lodge over Jones Pass
A view of Skoki Lodge from the trail to Merlin Lake
A view of Skoki Lodge from the trail to Merlin Lake

The option to hike to Merlin Lake

From Skoki Lodge there is a trail up to Merlin Lake. We decided to investigate but didn’t end up going all the way – just enough to get a view of Skoki Valley and the rock wall hiding Merlin Lake.

The swimming hole near Skoki Lodge if you don't mind freezing cold water
The swimming hole near Skoki Lodge if you don’t mind freezing cold water
There really is a fork on the trail on the way to Merlin Lake
There really is a fork on the trail on the way to Merlin Lake
On the Skoki Loop enjoy a view of the Skoki Valley from the Merlin Lake trail
View of the Skoki Valley from the Merlin Lake trail
Merlin Lake is behind the rock wall in the distance
Merlin Lake is behind the rock wall in the distance

Skoki Loop hike: Skoki Lodge to Deception Pass

After we retraced our steps back to Skoki Lodge we had 3 km of hiking under a hot afternoon sun to reach Deception Pass. The views were sublime in this section – especially of the Skoki Lakes and Skoki Valley.

The turquoise coloured Skoki Lakes are off in the distance
The turquoise-coloured Skoki Lakes are off in the distance
Looking down Skoki Valley from Deception Pass
Looking down Skoki Valley from Deception Pass on the Skoki Loop hike
Remnants of snow at Deception Pass
Remnants of snow at Deception Pass

Skoki Loop hike: Deception Pass to Baker Lake Campground

From the top of Deception Pass it takes about an hour to hike back to the Baker Lake Campground – and it’s all either flat or downhill. But it’s hot going on a sunny, summer day.

The approach to Baker Lake from Deception Pass
The approach to Baker Lake from Deception Pass

We didn’t get back to the campground till about 5 PM – so with breaks and lunch we averaged a couple of miles an hour. At the campground the deer flies were nasty late in the afternoon – but fortunately slow, stupid, and easy to kill. The area does have a reputation for lots of biting insects.

On the Skoki Loop trails you can expect to meet horses – which we did on the way down on the third day. We also found the wildlife and the birds far more prolific early in the morning – and if you leave early enough the light is fantastic for photography too.

Here’s a look at some photos of Baker Lake Campground back to the trailhead

Calm waters of Ptarmigan Lake early in the morning
Calm waters of Ptarmigan Lake early in the morning
Beautiful light on our early morning descent
Beautiful light on our early morning descent
We came across willow ptarmigan in several places on the way out
We came across willow ptarmigan in several places on the way out
A marmot on the trail
A marmot on the trail
Three marmots remain frozen hoping we don't see them
Three marmots remain frozen hoping we don’t see them
Skoki Lodge gets supplies via horses
Skoki Lodge gets supplies via horses

Where is the Fish Creek parking lot located?

The trailhead for Baker Lake and the Skoki Loop starts at the Fish Creek parking lot. It’s located off Whitehorn Road just 2 km up from the Trans-Canada Highway on the way to the Lake Louise ski area. There’s lots of free parking. 

Booking the Skoki Loop campsites

Although the Skoki area is very busy with hikers and backpackers – and is in fact one of the busiest in Banff National Park, it’s still worth visiting.

You really need two nights and three days to get the full experience. Backcountry websites can be booked online in Banff National Park.

For information on trails in Banff National Park, visit their website.

Interested in more hikes in the Rockies?

Click on the photo to bookmark to your Pinterest boards.

Hiking the Skoki Loop trail in Banff National Park

 

 

 

 

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