Hotels near Helen Lake

Helen Lake is the easiest way to stand in genuine high alpine terrain in Banff National Park: 11.8 km round trip, 530 m of elevation gain, 4 to 5 hours, moderate. The trailhead sits on the Icefields Parkway roughly 33 km north of Lake Louise village, directly across the road from the Crowfoot Glacier viewpoint. Because the highway is already at about 1,950 m, the trail climbs out of the trees within 2.5 km and spends most of its length in open meadow, traversing a hillside high above Bow Lake with Crowfoot Mountain and the Waputik Icefield in constant view.

The lake itself lies in a shallow bowl near 2,400 m beneath Cirque Peak, with hoary marmots and pikas all over the surrounding boulder fields. Strong hikers add another 1.5 km and 250 m of climbing to reach the Dolomite Pass col and the view down to Katherine Lake. Treat this as a July to mid-September trail: the meadow traverse is a snow slope until late June, and the Icefields Parkway has no services for long stretches, so fuel up in Lake Louise village and carry everything you need.

Pro Tip: Drive north early and the meadow is yours until about 11:00, when Jasper day-trip traffic starts filling the roadside lot. There is no mobile signal at the trailhead, so download offline maps in Lake Louise village before you turn onto Highway 93 North.