The Abbott Ridge Trail in British Columbia's Glacier National Park (often confused with Montana's national…
Emerald Lake Hike – Beautiful & Family-Friendly
The Emerald Lake hike, one of the exceptionally beautiful ones in Yoho National Park is the perfect outing for a young family or – as in my case, for my visiting mother-in-law who turned 80 just days before we visited.
The Emerald Lake hike is also the base for a number of longer, harder hikes including the Emerald Basin Trail, the Yoho Pass Trail, the Hamilton Lake Trail and the famous Burgess Shale hike.
The Burgess Pass Trail takes you up to the UNESCO designated Burgess Shale – one of the world’s most significant fossil sites. It requires a reservation, a guide and stamina since you’ll be hiking for up to 10 hours.
Your 5.2 km loop hike around Emerald Lake will likely take an hour or two tops. This is a popular trail and you won’t be alone.
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Emerald Lake Hike Description
Starting from the parking lot, the hike is only 5.2 km (3.1 miles) long with an elevation gain of perhaps 15 m (50 feet). Despite the short distance the hike offers ever changing panoramas including majestic mountains, Emerald Glacier views and a section through the woods with hemlock, cedar and devil’s club.
The hike is especially beautiful in fall with loads of colourful leaves and berries adding to the drama in an area that already sees plenty of it.
If you are adverse to a lot of people on the trail, plan to hike the loop first thing in the morning or late in the day.
Canoeing on Emerald Lake
If you don’t want to hike you can rent canoes by the hour ($35/hour). Judging by the number we saw out on the lake, it’s a very popular activity.
The following photos takes you on a hike around Emerald Lake in a clockwise direction.
Birds to look for on your walk around Emerald Lake
Along the trail, you can see a variety of wildflowers and berries. When we did the hike salmonberries and black currants were still hanging onto the bushes. In June and July keep an eye out for wild orchids. And for all nature enthusiasts and wildflower lovers, I’d highly recommend a copy of the pocket-sized Popular Wildflowers of Alberta and the Canadian Rockies.
There are lots of birds around too including spruce grouse, grosbeaks, stellar and gray jays and of course, the noisy ravens.
How to get to the start of the hike
Emerald Lake is reached via Emerald Lake Road, located 1.6 km west of the Yoho Park Visitor Center in Field, BC. It’s also only about a 25 minute drive from Lake Louise. Make sure you have a valid Parks Canada permit. They can be bought at the Visitor Center. Parking is in a large lot at the end of the road.
Where you can eat?
If you get hungry and you haven’t brought food you can eat at Cilantro Café at the end of the bridge by Emerald Lake, at the Kicking Horse Lounge or in the Mount Burgess Dining room.
These are all part of Emerald Lake Lodge. There are a few places to get food in Field; otherwise plan ahead and bring from home.
Other hikes and things to do in the area
For a few more ideas of things to do in Yoho National Park, check out this blog.
If it’s hiking you’re after I highly recommend the full day hike on the fabulous Iceline Trail. The President Range hiking trails are superb too – but you’d need an extra long stay or an overnight. If you can possibly score a bus ride or a a camping spot up at Lake O’Hara then think about hiking the Lake O’Hara Alpine Circuit.
Where to stay near Emerald Lake
Right at Emerald Lake you can stay at Emerald Lake Lodge. Nearby is the equally lovely Cathedral Mountain Lodge – where you get your own log cabin. Or choose from one of the many B&B’s in nearby Field.
Click on the photo to bookmark to your Pinterest boards.
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Beautiful! And your photography is amazing – thank you for sharing these photos. I’ll be in Banff the last week of September – wish Emerald Lake was a little closer. That means I need to plan a special trip to Yoho National Park.
Beautiful! And your photography is amazing – thank you for sharing these photos. I’ll be in Banff the last week of September – wish Emerald Lake was a little closer. That means I need to plan a special trip to Yoho National Park.
Roberta – I hope there is still some colour left in the trees. Head to Lake Louise if you can for some easy but very beautiful hiking. Yoho NP is worth a trip on its own.
I second that notion Roberta, amazing photos of a wonderful location – I definitely need to make it back to Canada soon. 🙂
@Rusty Hope you come soon – there are a lot of places that are just as beautiful as Emerald Lake.
So enjoyed checking in with you today and finding this. Such a beautiful spot, isn’t it? That whole area is wonderful. We have been to the area once, and I hope we’ll have a chance to visit again.
Susan -What a treat to find you visiting. It was my mother-in-laws 80th birthday so we celebrated it by taking her to Yoho Nat’l park for the weekend. She pronounced it a lovely walk with something new around every corner.
Leigh, I feel like I’m in your photos – they are so vivid and realistic. Wish I was, in fact! This looks like an amazing place. Need to visit, need to visit, need to visit…my new mantra!
Bob and I purchasing kayaks this fall for home and Canada summers. Perhaps you’ll join us on the Upper French one of these years. Miss you guys. xoxox
@Sandy We will catch up one day – either in Alberta or on the French River. I have some interesting travel planned for next year if a project goes through.
Wow! This looks like a paradise on earth. Such a spectacular place and what breathtaking pictures! How I wish I can get there one day. Many thanks for sharing.
@Arti Not exactly like what you’d find in India is it. I hope you get the chance to visit Canada.
I love your pictures you took. Emerald lake looks so precious and beautiful with your photos. I think I need to make a visit there, have a camping with my family.
What a gorgeous hike and pictures! I love that there are varying sceneries, wildlife and foliage. That lake just looks so inviting and perfect for canoeing. If we ever make it up to your area, this would be a perfect family hike for my little ones.
@Mary This would be the perfect hike for your kids. I bet they’d like to be out canoeing too.
Looks like the perfect dreamscape.
@Mette We need to get you across the Atlantic Ocean to see what the Rockies look like.
I think it would take me longer than 2 hours, because I’d probably stop every second to photograph something.
In agreement with all the comments above, Leigh. Beautiful shots and such a lovely place.
@Jackie And I’ve loved some of the suggestions from your part of the world.
The lake is not so big but beautiful! I feel the fresh air and the sounds of the forest only looking at your photos 🙂
Victor – I wish I could spend every weekend in the mountains with air and scenery such as we saw last weekend. I had even commented on how glorious the air smelled.
Beautiful photos! I did this hike with my father in law when he was visiting from Germany. The reward far surpasses the effort.
@Laurel I hope he was as impressed as my mother-in-law.
I think you must live in the most beautiful place in the world! Can definitely see how the lake gets its name. All of these pics are mesmerizing but the one looking towards President’s Range is stunning!
@Debbie You can’t beat Yoho National Park for superlative scenery.
@Diego Emerald Lake is gorgeous – and I can imagine even better when no on is around.
@Ayelet I took a lot of photos and it still only took 2 hours. You may want to hang out on a well placed bench with a view though.
Wow! I love the color of the water.
It’s fantastic isn’t Margaret.
Everything that is in there is really beautiful.
The place is so tempting and the crystal clear lake water is so magnificent!
Thanks for sharing these photos!
You live in an exceptionally beautiful country. That first picture reminded me so much of Alta Lake in Whistler. I hope my next big trip is BC and Alberta, and hiking around all those fab lakes!!
@Christina I’m sorry that the hiking season is coming to an end. It will be time to pull out the skis and snowshoes soon.
Love the nature-macros, Leigh. Beautiful.
@Hank Thank you.
[…] things to do outdoors if you can drag yourself away from your cabin. In summer I recommend the easy walk around Emerald Lake. In winter snowshoe down to the Kicking Horse River and watch the icy waters flow through the […]
[…] things to do outdoors if you can drag yourself away from your cabin. In summer I recommend the easy walk around Emerald Lake. In winter snowshoe down to the Kicking Horse River and watch the icy waters flow through the […]
[…] things to do outdoors if you can drag yourself away from your cabin. In summer I recommend the easy walk around Emerald Lake. In winter snowshoe down to the Kicking Horse River and watch the icy waters flow through the […]
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