Anyone who has an Instagram account would recognize this spot as soon as they saw it. Photographed just as much, if not more, than the iconic Lake Louise in Banff National Park, Moraine Lake is know for its kool-aid blue waters, dock, canoes and huge crowds.
I’d been trying to go to Moraine Lake for a couple of years prior to this, but every time I attempted to get in, the parking lot was full or the area was already closed for the winter season (the drive up is only slightly treacherous…)
When I finally successfully got to visit Moraine Lake in September 2017 with my parents, we happened to show up just as it started pouring. We sailed right past the Parks Canada employees at the entrance of the road up to the lake who usually turn people away due to overcrowding and no available parking. Armed with rain gear and not deterred by getting wet, we found a relatively close parking spot and headed for the lake as everyone else was scrambling back to their cars or various shuttle buses.
The downpour turned to a light drizzle within minutes and, not long after, stopped entirely. This worked out perfectly for our little group, as we got quite a bit of time to explore the lake and surrounding area without the usual hordes of people, and headed out by the time the sky got blue again and crowds started coming back in.
Here are my favourite shots from this day spent out in the mountains with my family!
Experience it for yourself…
PS — I would 1000% advise going when it’s raining! Or early early in the morning… Either way.