Canada Moraine Lake - Banff National Park, Alberta
An iconic image from Banff National Park, probably one of the most photographed lakes in Canada. Lake gets its blue colour from the glacial melt.
This location gets very busy with tourists. There is a parking lot at the lake however during the summer it fills up very fast. My advice is to get there early for the sunrise or later in the day/evening once the crowds thin out. I arrived at this location about an hour before sunrise and there were already a couple of hundred people there. Visited in early August.
This location gets very busy with tourists. There is a parking lot at the lake however during the summer it fills up very fast. My advice is to get there early for the sunrise or later in the day/evening once the crowds thin out. I arrived at this location about an hour before sunrise and there were already a couple of hundred people there. Visited in early August.
Photography Tips
Get there early, well before sunrise. A short hike up to the top of the "rock pile" and get set up. Don't be surprised to get set up for your shot only to have other tourists set up directly in front of you (I had to move 3 times). Shortly after sunrise, you will see the light illuminate the mountain tops. This time of the morning is also advantageous as the wind is calm and the water will reflect the mountains. Tourists will also start canoeing or SUP on the lake before sunrise.
Another location to photograph is along the shoreline next to the canoe dock. Bring a tripod for a steady picture if shooting in the afternoon and or the evening.
Another location to photograph is along the shoreline next to the canoe dock. Bring a tripod for a steady picture if shooting in the afternoon and or the evening.
Travel Information
There is a parking lot at the lake however this fills up rather quickly (by 7-8 am). Once the lot is full you can only access Moraine Lake by shuttle bus from the parking lot beside Chateau Fairmont Lake Louise. The road is closed for winter from Oct-May.
Spot Type
Outdoor
Crowd Factor
A decent amount of people
Best Timing
Sunrise
Sunrise & Sunset
05:32 - 21:53
| current local time: 16:38
Photo Themes
Blue Lake
Blue Water
Canadian Rockies
clouds
colorful
Forest
ice
Lake
Lakescape
Landscape
Landscapes
logs
Morane Lake
Mountain
Mountain Lake
Mountains
Mountainscape
Moutains
Nature
ND Filter
Panorama
Panoramic View
reflection
reflections
Rocks
Rocky Mountains
scenic
serene
sky
snowscape
Sunrise
View
Water
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