Lake Louise, Canada

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Lake Louise

 

Travel along Canada’s Highway 1 west of Calgary and south of Jasper and you will come to Lake Louise. Just 45 minutes from the town of Banff in Alberta, Canada, is this turquoise body of water nestled in the Canadian Rockies. The lake gets its hue from the glacier waters that collect here. It’s hard to find a panoramic view as beautiful as this with the lake as the focal point and the mountains framing the postcard lake. Chateau Lake Louis is the center piece of the lake and has the feel of a French château high in the Alps.

 

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The Banff National Park area is riddled with trails carving through the valleys and the occasional peaks and the Lake Louise area is typical in that way. The lake is the trailhead to multiple trails of all lengths and elevations. I was pressed for time during my visit so I decided to hike the short Shoreline Trail along the lake. A mountain cliff stands tall on the left so take a right at the château for the trailhead. The trail will take you along the tree-lined shore to the opposite end of the lake where a different perspective can be had, with the château in the center of the panorama. Here, I took dozens of souvenir photos and rested under a shady tree. It’s more peaceful here in comparison to the start of the trail where most visitors congregate around the chateau.

 

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One can easily reach a meditative state of mind peering at this magnificent lake and with people canoeing and kayaking over its turquoise waters.

 

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The trail isn’t long, approximately 2.5 miles roundtrip. Unfortunately, I’m unable to give you an accurate length of time to complete the hike. It’s easy to lose track of time here in such a serene place. I stopped at the far end of the lake for about 20 to 30 minutes to appreciate the magnificence surroundings. The hike could definitely be accomplished at a faster time, you could even run the path that has no change in elevation, but I recommend you take your time to enjoy this unique environment.

 

 

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Category : banff, Canada, hiking, North America
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