Lake Minnewanka Lakeside Trail is a 10.1 mile heavily trafficked out and back trail located near Banff, Alberta, Canada that offers the chance to see wildlife and is rated as moderate. Dogs are also able to use this trail but must be kept on leash. The longer you go, the fewer people you will see. We did spot a number of animals on the drive. The snow-peaked mountains are gorgeous. very short drive from banff to lake minnewanka with a nice scenic drive and a very nice lake. Lake was frozen over which made for some cool photos. Beautiful views with mix of forest and lakes. nice trail and crowded as well. Once on Lake Minnewanka Scenic Drive, head to the parking lot by the dam. A little excitement at the canyon, then boring again. This is yet another beautiful hike just a few kilometers outside Banff, Alberta at Lake Minnewanka. A shorter hike 1.5kms to Stewart Canyon and the Cascade River is also located on the same trail. To reach the lake from Banff town, Head north on Banff Ave and then continue onto Lake Minnewanka Scenic Drive to reach the Lake. Branching off the Rockbound Lake trail at 300 metres, this short hike ends at the base of a waterfall that cascades over a series of narrow ledges surrounded by forest. A scenic hike of 30 km along the shoreline-trail at Lake Minnewanka. Started in the rain and then cleared up. Lake Minnewanka has a rich history. Glad we did it! Lots of predator tracks make sure you travel in groups. This hike begins just a few kilometers outside of Banff town at Lake Minnewanka. Glad you stopped by and enjoyed views and the trail to Stewart Canyon. It was pretty! The lake is 21 kilometers (13 miles) long and 142 meters (466 feet) deep. The path now continues to follow the scenic shoreline of Lake Minnewanka until you must cross over Stewart Canyon (1.6km). Time: 2 hours. The trail includes great views of Lake Minnewanka and the surrounding Fairholme range. From here you have options if your energy tank isn’t drained yet, such as continuing on to LM9 (1.0km) or LM11 (3.0km), two other backcountry campgrounds along the lake. We did about 7 KM of this trail. 29.9 km 8:00 h 44 m 162 m Lake Minnewanka is right nex to the town of Banff, and is one of the favorable mountains for pleasure hikers. Great hike into M8 campsite for an overnight stay. Back to Area selection – use your back button to select another trail in the same area. Park at the south lot away from the tourists, many who are super lazy and fight for the closer in parking spots. Mountain Biking Lake Minnewanka Add a review #177 of 218 mountain bike trails in Alberta #10586 in the world. One small black bear, ginger in colour about 200m from us 4km into the hike. The hardest climb is near the beginning, the rest is up and down along the lake shore. Mount Aylmer which at 3,162 m (10,374 ft) is the highest mountain in this area of the park, is located a few kilometres north of the lake. Last updated Mar 25, 2020 . This was a great area! Group Access applies to : Lake Minnewanka Trail (from Stewart Canyon Bridge to the East Park Boundary), Aylmer Pass Trail, Aylmer Lookout Trail Hikers - Must hike in tight groups of 4 or more, and carry bear spray at all times. This 40-minute trip heads 1.5 km along the lakeshore, providing access to areas that have … The Johnson Lake parking lot and picnic area are reached in 2.3 kilometres. All the best, Travis Mann GM- Lake Minnewanka Cruise It was a very serene place! The lake was so gorgeous. Beware the steep drop off on your right at times. A little disappointed because the initial views of the lake are incredible. We will start our hike at the Lake Minnewanka Day Use Area and head north towards Stewart Canyon. Campsite has clean dry toilet and bearbox for food storage. This trail winds along a beautiful mountain-fringed lake and can be as short or as long as you want. No bear spray. We were a party of 3 including a 9 yo. This is a different feel than the other lakes in the area. only first part of this trail open. We did not have micro spikes and did not need them, but I would recommend gaiters. A nice add-on to Lake Minnewanka Shoreline Trail hike. This part of the trail is not difficult, however it gets quite strenuous later on. Continue along the trail, crossing some basic bridges until you approach LM8, a backcountry campground roughly 8.8km from the parking lot. The scenery captured my heart! For more than 100 centuries, people hunted and camped along the original shores of the lake. You can also scamper down to a man-made path closer to Lake Minnewanka, and there are some wonderful photos around here. Lake Minnewanka is a 21km long glacial lake that is ideal for swimming, fishing, and canoeing along with a myriad of hiking and bike trails to accommodate visitors that prefer to stay on dry land. Fairly crowded at beginning of trail, saw a grizzly and would of walked right into it had I not been paying attention. It’s a nice and relaxing walk, like in an urban park. The Lake is located about 11km from the Banff town. The canyon looks wider than other canyons, more like a creek. Lake Minnewanka Loop Ride. Large cougar sighted along trail, 100 m past Aylmer 9 campsite. Turn right and continue 3.7 kilometres (2.3 miles) to where the Johnson Lake side road. You can really chose how long your Two Jack Lake hike lasts as you can’t walk the entire perimeter of the lake as it continues into Lake Minnewanka (which is HUGE). Distance: 5 km return. We thought we'd swim, but the temperature of the water had other ideas. Lake Minnewanka is a must visit when visiting Banff National Park. I highly recommend customizing the route as it allowed us to explore and enjoy this hike more. Aylmer Lookout via Lake Minnewanka hike Map The riding is not super-technical, but it is singletrack with roots and rocks. The walk along the shores of Lake Minnewanka is a wonderful hike, offering the option of customizing the route distance depending on your fitness.