Hike Alberta
Moraine LakeMinnestima Lakes 500 m N
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Larch Valley

Near Lake Louise · Banff National Park

Moderate · Out and back · Official trail

Larches in Larch Valley below the Valley of the Ten Peaks
Larches in Larch Valley below the Valley of the Ten Peaks. Photo by Nancymcmillan, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Trail score 94 out of 100, from popularity, scenery and trail quality

Moraine LakeMinnestima Lakes 500 m Open the map

About this trail

Larch Valley is a 8.9 km out and back trail near Lake Louise in Banff National Park. It runs 4.4 km each way. The route gains 554 m in total and tops out at 2,415 m. Hike Alberta rates it moderate, and Parks Canada rates it moderate. Allow about 4 hours of moving time. It meets Moraine Lake Shoreline at 0.2 km, Eiffel Lake Tr at 2.3 km and Eiffel Peak Trail at 3.2 km, and passes three other mapped junctions. Along the way you pass Moraine Lake and Minnestima Lakes and Moraine Lake Lodge. Also used for horseback riding.

Length
8.9km
4.4 km each way
Elevation gain
554m
Estimated time
4h
Moving time
Route
Out and back
Highest point
2,415m
Lowest point
1,861m

Elevation profile

1,861 m to 2,415 m
2,4151,861 0 km4.4 km

Highest point 2,415 m, lowest 1,861 m, 554 m of climbing in total. Steepest sustained grade about 29% over 100 m.

Predicted coverage: 100% of route

0% LTE · 100% 5G

Longest modelled gap
0.0 km
Model
2024 · Natural Resources Canada

Predicted coverage is not guaranteed. It varies by carrier, terrain, weather, device and network load, and it does not guarantee emergency service.

Along the way

  1. 0.0 kmMoraine LakeLake
  2. 0.1 kmMoraine Lake LodgeLodge or hostel
  3. 4.3 kmMinnestima LakesLake

Good for

  • Hiking, Horseback riding
  • Dog friendly (on leash)
  • Lake, Views, Hut or tea house, Alpine

Rankings

Trailhead

The trail starts at 51.3281° N, 116.1816° W.

Driving directions

Banff National Park admission

National park admission required

Buy day or annual pass

Pass details

Visitors spending time in a national park need valid daily admission or a Parks Canada Discovery Pass. Admission is separate from camping, reservations, parking and other service fees.

Information checked October 21, 2026.

Official details

Before you go

Carry an offline map and plan for no service in backcountry areas. Trails close for wildlife, fire, weather and construction. Check the official sources:

Nearby trails

All 588 trails in Banff National Park

Trail data © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL
Parks Canada trail data, Open Government Licence Canada
Elevation © Mapterhorn from NRCan HRDEM (Open Government Licence Canada) and Copernicus GLO 30