Fish Lakes Hike Banff via North Molar Pass

Beautiful reflection in Fish Lake in the morning

One of the best hikes in Banff takes you to Fish Lakes via North Molar Pass. Very fit hikers could knock off the 29.6 km return hike to the lakes in a very long day.

My recommendation is to book a backcountry campsite and stay for a couple of nights at the Fish Lake Campground, so you can truly enjoy what is truly one of the best backpacking trips in Banff National Park.

The mountain scenery on this hike is superb with a long stretch of the Fish Lakes trail above treeline. In summer, wildflowers are prolific in the sub-alpine meadows.

Upper Fish Lake enjoys a spectacular setting at the base of a massive wall of rock. This is truly one of the best hikes in Banff National Park – and yet it doesn’t get the traffic of some of the more famous hikes.

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Hiking beside Mosquito Creek in Banff National Park
Hiking beside Mosquito Creek in Banff National Park

North Molar Pass – Fish Lakes hike details

Distance: 23 km (14.3 miles) round trip to North Molar Pass; 29.6 km (18.4 miles) round trip to Fish Lakes

Elevation gain: 762 m (2,500 feet) to North Molar Pass; 1,128 m (3,701 feet) to Fish Lakes

Trailhead location: Mosquito Creek  

Trailhead elevation: 1,830 metres or 6,004 feet

Level of difficulty: Moderate as a backpacking trip: hard as a day hike

Time needed: 8 hours return to the pass; allow 2 days and an overnight for Fish Lakes. Make backcountry reservations well in advance.

Map needed: Hector Lake 82N/9. I also recommend Organic Maps as an offline hiking app.

Dogs allowed: Yes, on a leash. Beware of porcupines at Fish Lake.

Options from Fish Lakes: Add on an overnight trip to Devon Lakes. You would need another night at the Fish Lakes campground on the return to do that.

Before you go: Check trail conditions

Don’t forget: Leave no trace, packing out everything you pack in. Be sure to carry the hiking essentials in your backpack.

Masses of wildflowers on the way to the Fish Lakes Campground
Masses of wildflowers on the way to the Fish Lakes Campground

A few things to take on this hike

Water treatment tablets like these ones as they’re fast and lightweight.

A lightweight camping pillow so you get a good night’s sleep.

Compression sacks for your bulky items are hugely helpful. I always use them for my sleeping bag now.

Compeed for blisters – way better for fast healing than anything else I’ve used and worth every penny/

If you have a gear failure on the trail, these gear patches can save the day.

The one piece of warm clothing that always comes with me that will last you a decade is a lightweight down jacket like the Marmot Jena jacket.  They are ideal for cold nights in camp.

What makes Fish Lakes & North Molar Pass a standout hike in Banff?

There are a couple of things about the hike to Fish Lake that are particularly appealing. For starters the hike starts off gently after you knock off the one short hill at the start of the trail.

The gradient stays gradual all the way to the Mosquito Creek Campground, 5.5 km in from the trailhead. Over that distance it only climbs 186 metres.

What a difference compared to hikes like King Creek Ridge in Kananaskis Country that have you huffing and puffing within minutes of starting to hike!

You have to cross a couple of narrow bridges over fast moving streams between the start of the trail and the Mosquito Creek campground.

As an aside the backcountry campground is one of the prettier ones I’ve seen in Banff National Park – filled with big boulders beside the river and very few mosquitoes compared to what we encountered at the Fish Lakes Campground.

If you were planning a late start to Fish Lakes, it would be a lovely spot to spend the night.

Crossing the roaring stream on a narrow wooden bridge in Banff National Park
Crossing the roaring stream on a narrow wooden bridge before we reach the Mosquito Creek campground

The climbing starts after the Mosquito Creek campground

From the Mosquito Creek campground to North Molar Pass you must climb 575 m (1,886 feet) over 6 kilometres – mostly at a moderate grade. 

The trail leaves the campground via a bridge over the creek. It continues to follow the creek for about a kilometre with one more creek crossing along the way. Reach a signed trail junction, 1.8 km past the campground. Stay left for North Molar Pass. (If you go right you’d be heading for Molar Pass – another one of the worthwhile Banff day hikes.)

Continue through the woods until you reach beautiful sub-alpine meadows – dotted with wildflowers in July.

Rock hop across the stream before you reach Mosquito Lake (not named on the topo map). From the lake the trail steepens as it begins to curve southeast. Hike through rock – and perhaps snow to reach the austere looking North Molar Pass.

Above treeline on the approach to North Molar Pass, Banff National Park
Above treeline on the approach to North Molar Pass
The rocky approach to North Molar Pass
The rocky approach to North Molar Pass

The hike from North Molar Pass to the Fish Lakes Campground

It’s only 3.3 km from the top of North Molar Pass to the Fish Lakes campground. It’s a quick descent – initially steep but then moderate, to reach wildflower-filled meadows.

The braided trail through this section can be quite muddy. I found gaiters to be worthwhile on this hike – between the mud and the snow. (You can buy gaiters here.)

The hiking is glorious and the mountain views awe-inspiring on the descent – one of the reasons I think this is one of the best hikes in Banff. 

There is one stream crossing via a buckled log you need to make before the final approach to Fish Lake. Enjoy a superb view of the lake, about 10 minutes before reaching the campsite.

The east side of North Molar Pass in Banff National Park
The east side of North Molar Pass in Banff National Park
The view from North Molar Pass in the direction of the Fish lakes campground
The view from North Molar Pass in the direction of the Fish lakes campground
The last major creek to cross on the way to the Fish Lakes Campground, Banff National Park
The last major creek to cross on the way to the Fish Lakes Campground
View of the largest of the Fish Lakes in Banff National Park
View of the largest of the Fish Lakes in Banff National Park

Backcountry camping at Fish Lake Campground

You need to reserve backcountry campsites in Banff National Park EARLY. It’s January 29, 2024 at 8AM MT.

To increase your odds of getting a campsite, be flexible with your dates and aim to go on weekdays. I’d also recommend August over July as there will be fewer bugs.

The Fish Lake campground is a popular backcountry one because of its location – and the fact there is some great exploring to be done in the area. It’s also an overnight stop on the way to the more remote Devon Lakes.

Don’t arrive expecting wooden tent pads. You’ll be lucky to find a spot on the ground that is level and isn’t muddy. Even after all the rain, it was still hard work to bang in the tent pegs.

The campsite does have poles for hanging your food. Don’t forget a waterproof bag and a carabiner to make the job easier. There is also a dodgy outhouse.

Numerous picnic tables can be found closer to the lake. It’s nice to have a flat surface to cook on but I sure don’t understand the table design. If you’re short, your legs probably won’t touch the ground. 

We had Rosie the Bernese mountain dog with us and I am so glad we kept her on a leash (the rule in the park). A couple of porcupines wandered right by our tent and I can well imagine the outcome if she’d been off-leash. Porcupines are very destructive so be sure to keep your belongings in the tent. They crave salt so those hiking boots outside your tent might make a delicious snack.

Didn’t get the campsite reservation you were looking for? Don’t give up. Be the first to know when there is a campsite cancellation for your desired trip dates by visiting Schnerp

Not the nicest tent pad, Fish Lakes Campground
Not the nicest tent pad, Fish Lake Campground – and a tad buggy in mid-July
You can hang your food in the Fish Lake campground
You can hang your food in the Fish Lake campground
Picnic tables at the Fish Creek campsite are awkwardly sized
Picnic tables at the Fish Lake Campground are awkwardly sized

The hike to Pipestone Pass – a true wilderness pass in Banff National Park

We had planned to hike to Devon Lakes and spend the night. The lakes are accessed via Pipestone Pass and Clearwater Pass in a wild, lonely and very beautiful part of Banff National Park.

Unfortunately about a kilometre shy of Pipestone Pass the skies erupted with thunder booming and lightning overhead. With inky dark skies over the area we were heading for, it looked like it was going to be nothing but storms for some time.

I’m not a fan of being high in the mountains in the storms. Years ago my ice axe buzzed and the hair on my arms started to stand up straight at the top of a 14,000 foot peak in Colorado. John and I ran off the mountain at full speed, rather than risk becoming a lightning death statistic. Partly because of that experience, I felt that turning back was the right thing to do.

We beat a retreat and will plan a return visit – probably in August one year when the mosquitoes are a little less plentiful.

Note that we saw fresh bear tracks on this lonely stretch of trail. Bear spray that is no more than three years old is essential out here – and you should know how to use it.

Read: Tips for Staying Safe in Bear Country

Signage pointing to Pipestone Pass, Banff National Park
Signage pointing to Pipestone Pass
Fording an icy cold stream in Banff National Park
Fording an icy cold stream in Banff National Par
Fresh bear print on the hike to Pipestone Pass, Banff National Park
Fresh bear print on the hike to Pipestone Pass in Banff National Park
Beautiful emerald coloured lake on the way to Pipestone Pass
Beautiful emerald coloured lake on the way to Pipestone Pass
A lonely trail heading for Pipestone Pass in Banff National Park
A lonely trail heading for Pipestone Pass

The hike back to the Mosquito Creek Trailhead

As much as I prefer a loop hike to an out and back hike, I have to say we enjoyed the hike back to the Mosquito Creek trailhead as much as the hike in. You still get similar mountain views but the lighting changes the look and the feel of the trail.

It took us 6.5 hours to hike back from the Fish Lake campground including a lunch stop. The total return trip from the highway to the campground is 29.6 km with 1128 m of elevation gain.

Morning reflection in Fish Lake
Morning reflection in Fish Lake
The hike back towards North Molar Pass
The hike back towards North Molar Pass
Beautiful walking in the high alpine under sunny skies, Banff National Park
Beautiful walking in the high alpine under sunny skies
Heading for the trees before the thunderstorm hits on the way down from North Molar Pass
Heading for the trees before the thunderstorm hits

Trailhead location for Fish Lakes in Banff

The trailhead for the hike to North Molar Pass and Fish Lakes is easy to find. Simply drive north for 24 km along the Icefields Parkway from the junction of Highway 1 and and Highway 93, just west of Lake Louise.

There are signs on the highway pointing to the Mosquito Creek Campground. Turn left (west) into a large parking lot. This is also where you’ll find the HI Mosquito Creek Hostel – a good place to spend the night beforehand.

The Mosquito Creek trailhead – with a map and a kiosk – is on the other side of the highway, immediately north of the Mosquito Creek Bridge. 

Topographic map of the North Molar Pass area in Banff National Park
Topographic map of the North Molar Pass area in Banff National Park

Location map of the Fish Lake backpacking trip in Banff

                                                           

Interested in more backpacking trips in Banff and Jasper National Parks?

Here are some favourite overnight hiking trips along with a blog on 10 beginner backpacking trips in the Canadian Rockies.

Click on the photo to bookmark to your Pinterest boards.

Fish Lakes - North Molar Pass hike in Banff National Park

 

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