In a nutshell you are going to want to time your visit between late June and early to mid-September. Lake Louise doesn't usually thaw until early June, the canoe rentals start once it's clear of ice. Moraine Lake is a bit later around mid-June.
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The best times to visit Banff are June to August and December to March. Nature lovers will want to get to the park when the weather is warm and welcoming (and while the hotel rates in town are at a reasonable level).
Lake Louise itself is 61 km from the Town of Banff. The drive takes about 45 minutes along the TransCanada or an hour if you drive the scenic Bow Valley Parkway.
Lake Louise and Moraine Lake usually melt by late May. Alpine hiking season begins in late June. Ski season begins in mid-November. Locals know that Lake Louise and Moraine Lake are only the beginning!
Lake Louise has drawn visitors to the Canadian Rockies for over a century. The alpine lake in Banff National Park is a wild turquoise blue color fed by glacier melt and set by a backdrop of Mount Victoria and a hanging glacier. This pristine piece of wilderness draws in millions of visitors a year.
Moraine Lake is only half the size of its nearby neighbour Lake Louise, but perhaps even more scenic. It's situated at an elevation of 1883 meters in the beautiful Valley Of The Ten Peaks in Banff National Park. This glacier-fed lake becomes the most intense and vivid shade of turquoise blue.
It can also be seen in September, but usually, by this time, the silt is settling to where there is no more reflection of the light and the lake begins to lose its color. The next change the lake takes is in mid-November when it starts to freeze up again and it repeats the cycle.