Lake Oesa Hike in Yoho National Park, BC
The hike to magnificent Lake Oesa from Lake O’Hara in Yoho National Park is short, easy and family-friendly. It rewards with incredible mountain scenery and a turquoise-coloured lake in a spectacular mountain setting.
It’s a straight forward 6.6 km (4.1 mile) round trip hike to Lake Oesa with only 240 m of elevation gain – providing of course you start at Lake O’Hara and you haven’t had to walk in from the parking lot. But that’s another story.
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Lake Oesa hike summary
Distance: 6.6 km or 4.1 miles round trip
Elevation gain: 240 m or 787 feet
Time needed: 2 – 3 hours, more on a nice day so you can hang around the lake
Leve of difficulty: Easy
Dogs allowed: Only if you’ve walked into Lake O’Hara. They are not allowed on the shuttle bus.
Backcountry camping: No, but you can try and reserve a spot at the main campground near Lake O’Hara.
Permits: You will need a National Park pass to visit anywhere in Yoho National Park.
Don’t forget: Even on easy hikes like the one to Lake Oesa, be sure to pack the hiking essentials.
Please: Practice Leave No Trace principles, especially in this pristine area.
Map: Gem Trek Lake Louise and Yoho
Lake Oesa hike photos
The hike to Lake Oesa
The hike to Lake Oesa is very well-signed. And the trail to the lake itself is beautifully constructed. In places, huge slabs of flat rock have been carefully laid to provide a fantastic surface for walking on. Despite it being one of those most beautiful hikes in the Rockies, you won’t find throngs of tourists.
When you finish the hike, pick up cold drinks, ice cream bars and other snack food items at a small concession where by the bus stop. Bring cash.
The crux of the Lake Oesa hike
The crux of the hike is getting to the trailhead. Here’s what you have to do if you want to hike to the lake or on any of the other outstanding trails around Lake O’Hara.
If you have the money – and that’s only part of the equation – then try and snag a room or cabin at Lake O’Hara Lodge. It’s best if you’re very flexible. Request a booking six months out or phone them for a last minute cancellation.
Book a bunk at the Elizabeth Parker Hut. You are encouraged to apply by lottery beginning at the end of October for the following summer. In mid-December bookings that haven’t been confirmed are available on a first come first served basis. Get on the phone the second they’re open!
Otherwise you’re going to have to try and land a seat on the bus.
How to get a seat on the bus to Lake O’Hara (no overnight)
The bus travels 11 km up the road from the parking lot to the Lake O’Hara trailheads. You can walk the road but that adds a lot of mileage to your day.
Here’s what you need to know.
The bus leaves from the Lake O’Hara parking lot, 12 km west of Lake Louise or 13 km east of Field, B.C.
The bus will operate from June 21 – October 4, 2025. In 2025, reservations for the Lake O’Hara day-use shuttle will be available by way of random draw. Applications for the random draw will be accepted from 8:00 AM March 3, 2025 until 11:59 pm March 24 2025 MDT, on Parks Canada’s Reservation Service website.
Buses leave in the morning for Lake O’Hara at 8:30 AM (20 seats) and 10:30 AM (11 seats).
They depart from Lake O’Hara at 11:30 AM, 2:40 PM, 4:30 PM and 6:30 PM. You can’t reserve a space on the outgoing bus. It’s first come, first served.
Pricing for ages 6 – 99 is $17.14 per person. There is probably a booking fee too.
Camping so you can hike to Lake Oesa
Doing any hike at all in the Lake O’Hara region takes some planning. If you’re planning to camp the following is important.
All camping reservations at Lake O’Hara will now be offered on the Parks Canada Reservation Service beginning January 23, 2025 at 8 AM MT. You can book online or by telephone at 1-877-737-3783 if calling in North America. International callers should use 1-519-826-5391. Create an account beforehand as reservations are usually full within an hour of when they open.
Camping is possible from June 21, 2025 through until October 5, 2025. You should know that it can snow at any time. Nights can be very cold – early and late in the season.
To access the reservation service click on this page.
The Parks Canada website says you can also call one of these two numbers. They recommend creating an account beforehand to save time. Reservations are expected to be booked completely on opening day.
- 1-877-RESERVE (1-877-737-3783).
- International: 1-519-826-5391
More hikes in Yoho National Park you might enjoy
- Paget Lookout – Paget Peak Hike in Yoho National Park
- The Burgess Shale Hike in Yoho National Park
- Hiking the Yoho Valley Trail to the Stanley Mitchell Hut
- The President Range Hiking Trails in Yoho National Park
- Hiking the Iceline Trail near Field, BC
Click on the photo to bookmark to your Pinterest boards.
We did this hike in August 2018. Lake Oesa is one of the most beautiful places on Earth. We did the loop around the Yukness ledge back down. The altitude is no joke. The gain in altitude was very tiring. Oh and those aren’t obese chipminks, they are golden mantled ground squirrels!
@Trinity Thanks for the update on the chipmunks. Agree -it’s an incredibly beautiful hike.
@Steve You could do this one and love it. Your whole family would enjoy the scenery and lunch by the lake.
Sooo pretty! I can’t believe I’m such a bad little Canadian – I’ve never been to BC, despite how gorgeous it is 🙁
There are plenty of people from BC & Alberta that haven’t seen the east yet either. It may not be as glamorous but I do recommend a trip sooner rather than later to explore BC. And it’s so much more than just Victoria and Vancouver.
Beautiful! The rewards seem to far outweigh the effort. I’m kicking myself for not exploring Yoho more when I lived in Calgary.
@Laurel You’ll just have to bring that husband of yours back with you and do some Yoho hiking one summer soon.
You’ve outdone yourself with the pictures this time Leigh. Beautiful shots of an obviously gorgeous location. Even seems like an easy enough hike for those of us who get tired on the first flight of stairs.