Vermilion Lakes Road

Near Banff · Banff National Park

Easy · Out and back · Official trail

First Vermilion Lake and Mount Bourgeau. Photo by DXR, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Trail score 91 out of 100, from popularity, scenery and trail quality

About this trail

Vermilion Lakes Road is a 8.5 km out and back trail near Banff in Banff National Park. It runs 4.3 km each way. The route gains 58 m in total and tops out at 1,397 m. Hike Alberta rates it easy, and Parks Canada rates it easy. Allow about 2 hours 15 minutes of moving time. Along the way you pass 3rd Vermilion Lake and 2nd Vermilion Lake and Vermilion Lake Viewpoint. Much of the route follows Echo Creek. Also used for walking, trail running and mountain biking.

Length: 8.5km; 4.3 km each way
Elevation gain: 58m
Estimated time: 2h15min; Moving time
Route: Out and back
Highest point: 1,397m
Lowest point: 1,383m

Elevation profile

1,383 m to 1,397 m

Highest point 1,397 m, lowest 1,383 m, 58 m of climbing in total. Steepest sustained grade about 6% 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

0.0 kmVermilion Lakes · Banff Legacy Trail TrailheadTrailhead
0.3 km3rd Vermilion LakeLake
0.3 kmVermilion Lake ViewpointViewpoint
2.3 km2nd Vermilion LakeLake
2.4 kmVermilion Lake ViewpointViewpoint
2.5 kmVermilion LakeViewpoint
3.1 km1st Vermilion LakeLake
3.3 kmVermilion Lake 1 DockViewpoint

Good for

Hiking, Walking, Trail running, Mountain biking, Horseback riding
Dog friendly (on leash), Wheelchair friendly
Lake, Views, River or creek

Rankings

Trailhead

The trail starts at 51.1761° N, 115.6359° 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

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