Hiking Lake O’Hara | Yoho National Park | 2003 - 2016

 I first learned of Lake O'Hara from a book describing Canadian Rockies hikes. The Lake O'Hara hike descriptions sounded interesting but what really sold me were the two or three photographs that accompanied them. One was a photograph of Lake Oesa nestled beneath towering mountains. It was beautiful. Then and there I decided this was someplace I had to visit.

I was surprised that I hadn't heard of Lake O'Hara before reading the book. I had visited the Rocky Mountains several times, in fact I had driven past the road sign that designated the Lake O'Hara turn-off quite frequently but it never piqued my interest. I don't recall ever hearing anyone I've met on mountain camping trips mention the lake which is surprising given most of the people I have run into are experienced Rocky Mountain campers. Since visiting Lake O'Hara, I have mentioned it to others with the majority of them never having heard of it. It appears to be one of the Rockies' better kept secrets.

There is much more to Lake O'Hara than Lake O'Hara. It's often referred to as the "Lake O'Hara area" of Yoho National Park and for good reason. Within the Lake O'Hara area are kilometers of hiking trails, each leading to a stunning destination. Some are gentle trails that circuit a lake, others are strenuous alpine routes that challenge the hiker and reward them with spectacular views. There is a hiking trail for everyone.

Much of the Lake O'Hara area is in the "alpine zone," that fragile band of existence that extends above and just below treeline. Here unique plant and animal species struggle to survive in the harsh alpine environment. The fragility of the area has been recognized for some time and has led Parks Canada to introduce a quota system for those wishing to visit Lake O'Hara. The Lake O'Hara campground's maximum stay is three nights. This is good for the environment but it only allows the visitor a tantalizing taste of what the area has to offer. You'll want to return again and again.

I've been to the lake several times, each time experiencing something new. The myriad hiking trails each have something different to offer from sweeping vistas to dozing marmots. The diversity of experience here is unrivaled, at least in my experience. It is quite simply one of the most beautiful places I have ever been.

This "trail tale" is comprised of photographs taken and hikes done over several Lake O'Hara trips. The photographs taken along a particular hike may not have been taken during one trip but rather chosen from a collection of images taken on multiple hikes along the same trail. Believe me, you will want to hike these trails more than once. Here then is a taste of Lake O'Hara.

Lake O'Hara, named after British Colonel Robert O'Hara who once spent his summers at the lake, may be a secret to some people but not to others. Enough people know about it that campsite reservations are essential. It used to be that reservations could only be made three months in advance of your first nights stay by calling the Lake O'Hara reservation line. This was the only way to reserve a site in advance.

The first time I attempted to reserve a site at Lake O'Hara's 30 site campground back in 2003 it took four days to secure one. There was only one reservation line with one phone that rang busy immediately upon its 8:00 am Mountain Time opening. After an hour of hitting re-dial my call was finally answered by a very nice lady who informed me all the sites for that day had already been booked and I would have to try again the next day. I tried again then tried again then tried again and was finally successful. It felt like winning the lottery! Once through, I pressed "1" for english and then "4" to reserve a campsite. I listened to a pleasant voice describe the vegetation found in the Lake O'Hara area (in both English and French - Canada's two official languages) while I waited to speak to a Parks Canada person. Subsequent reservation attempts met with success after an hour or so of dialing. My record for getting through was set in 2016; 10 minutes. I couldn't believe it! Things have changed since my last visit to Lake O’Hara.

The year 2020 marked a change in the way campsite reservations could be made with the introduction of online booking via the Parks Canada Reservation Service (https://www.pc.gc.ca/en/pn-np/bc/yoho/activ/randonnee-hike/ohara/visit). Bookings open in early February. You’ll need to set up an account with Parks Canada if you don’t already have one. Do this before bookings open. Lake O’Hara is popular and sites fill up fast. I checked site availability in mid-February and found that all the sites had already been booked for the entire season! You can still use the phone to book a site by calling 1-877-737-3783.

When you reserve a campsite (about $10 per night plus a reservation fee of $11.50 - as of 2022) you may also reserve a place on the bus going in (free with your reservation). That's right, the bus. There is no need to carry all of your gear the 11 km (6.8 miles) up the old fire road to the campsite. Just throw all of your stuff in a pack, bring along a day pack and you're good to go. The bus makes Lake O'Hara one of the few backcountry campsites accessible to families with small children. Don't worry, the kids are well behaved...most of the time.

The bus goes into Lake O'Hara four times a day during the peak season (June - September) beginning at 8:30 am. I reserve the earliest time (8:30 am) to spend as much time in the area as possible. If you are staying in Lake Louise, it's only a 15 minute drive along the TransCanada Highway to the Lake O'Hara parking area; plenty of time to enjoy breakfast at your hotel or one of the village restaurants. Alternatively, you can cook yourself something in the parking area as I saw a number of people do or wait until you get to the campground.

Fifteen minutes prior to departure two yellow school buses signed "O'Hara Transit" pulled up to the loading area. Parks Canada people yelled out names and the people who yelled back were assigned a bus. The front bus usually takes day hikers or people with reservations at the Alpine Club of Canada (ACC) huts to the Le Relais shelter beyond the campsite. The second bus drops campers off at the campsite.

The packs and duffle bags were thrown into the back of the bus then the people climbed aboard and found a seat. A Parks Canada person came aboard the bus, welcomed us to Yoho National Park and gave us some information on weather and wildlife sightings and instructed us to assemble once we reached the campground for a brief orientation. Our driver then came aboard and handed each of us a poker chip-like token which we would need to give to the driver after our stay to be driven back to our vehicles. Then we were off.

The bus ride to the campground was 20 minutes of bumps and lurches as the driver geared down and up for the steep and not so steep sections of the road. Trees lined the roadside all the way to the campground with only a few breaks through which distant mountains could be glimpsed. Distance markers along the way informed of the progress being made and gave those individuals prone to road sign pronunciation some verbal exercise. Eventually, a building came into view; it was the toilet at the Lake O'Hara campground, we had arrived.

The bus performed a final lurch then was at peace as it disgorged its occupants and their gear. After everyone had sorted through the gear pile we assembled and received our orientation. The Parks Canada person proceeded to tell us where to store our food, how to get water, where the tents sites were located, etc. We then wandered off to find a tent site.

While I was setting up my tent, the parks person came by and recorded my site number. This information was posted on a bulletin board located on the southern cooking shelter along with weather forecasts and other useful information. Once camp was established, I walked to the main campground area and put my food in the lock boxes. Food was once stored in the small building at the southern end of the campsite. That building is now where packs are stored. Currently food is stored in numbered metal lock boxes near the middle of the campsite. The numbers on the lock boxes correspond to the tent site numbers. Four of the lock boxes were larger than the others so if your party is large you might want to seek out tent sites that correspond to these larger boxes (psst, try sites 23, 26, 29 and 32). The boxes are not waterproof nor are locks supplied. You won't need locks unless you plan on storing something valuable. These lock boxes were new to me in 2007.

There are 30 tent sites at the Lake O'Hara campground despite site numbers that reach 33. The tent site trail leaves the main campground area near the northern cooking shelter heading north, gains a bit of elevation then loops back around. The trail then descends wood stairs back to the campground common area. The individual packed gravel tent sites are located off this trail. I tend to choose sites on the upper level as far from the common area as possible. The common area has a fire pit that is well used during nice weather and can become a bit noisy. A tent site a good distance from the toilets is also a good idea.

The campground has undergone several changes over my time camping there. My first year camping at Lake O'Hara (2003) saw a campground with a hand pump for well water, a sink mounted over a pail in a wooden structure in the middle of the common area for washing dishes and as I have mentioned previously, food storage in a building near the southern cooking shelter. Since then, the aforementioned metal lock boxes were added as was running water. That's right, a backcountry campsite with running water. 

An addition had been built onto the washroom building to house a chlorination system and sinks installed out front. Solar panels atop the building charged a battery that powered a pump that drew water from the well into a holding tank where it was exposed to chlorine. Another pump released water from the tank to the two taps on the two sinks. I happened to be in the campground when a parks person was checking the water quality (it's tested 3x per week). He gave me a brief tour of the system.

Things that hadn't changed since 2003 were the two cooking shelters each with a wood burning stove, the pack storage/garbage building (divided by a solid wall), the wood pile with supplied axes and the toilets. The toilets are some of the nicest you'll find at a backcountry campground. Since a road runs past the campground a septic truck has access to the toilets. They're regularly pumped out. There's even hand sanitizer and toilet paper provided although you may prefer to bring your own.

The cooking shelters are a godsend when the weather is foul. I've always experienced at least one day of rain/snow every time I have camped at Lake O'Hara. The shelters provide a dry place to cook meals and to dry out wet gear. The wood burning stoves don't put out a lot of heat but what they do produce makes a difference. The shelters can get a bit crowded during bad weather. Many people bring tarps, erect them over a picnic table and cook outside in the common area during inclement weather. The southern cooking shelter has a gear storage cupboard built onto its backside. Here you can find sleeping bags, blankets and other gear donated by people for you to use while camping. It can be nice to have an additional blanket on a cold night.

The fire road runs past the campground for another kilometer or so until it reaches Lake O'Hara Lodge along the shore of Lake O'Hara itself. Upon leaving the campground and walking about 0.5 km / 0.3 miles up the fire road heading south toward the lake you will encounter two buildings. The building on your left is the Lake O'Hara warden's cabin and on your right is the Le Relais day use shelter.

The warden's cabin is where the park wardens stay while in the area. The cabin also houses special guests of Parks Canada such as scientists who might be carrying out research at Lake O'Hara or Parks Canada people brought in to give presentations to campers. The last time I visited, a scientist who had been studying the impact of people on the area's plant life was a guest at the warden's cabin. He rode the bus in with me and I remember him commenting that the campground had originally been located in the meadows near the Elizabeth Parker Hut but was moved to its current location due to the environmental impact of the increasing number of people visiting the area. That move happened 40 years ago but the meadows vegetation has yet to completely recover. The scientist commented that prior to moving the campground he had dismantled 16 fire rings from the meadows in one year but the next year he had removed 200! It was time to move the campground.

Directly across the road from the warden's cabin is the Le Relais day use shelter. The shelter is a popular stopping place for visitors. The bus that brings hikers in stops here to drop them off and to pick them up again. The shelter is often staffed by students, many of whom call different parts of the world home. They come to Canada to experience a Rocky Mountain summer. The students I've spoken to have hiked many of the Lake O'Hara trails and have been a good source of information.

Other sources of information can be found in the shelter as well. There are maps, books and posters of the Lake O'Hara area for sale as well as reference books available for those wanting to identify that flower they saw on a hike. Coffee, tea, hot chocolate, cookies, wraps and carrot cake (a personal favourite) are also sold. During inclement weather, the shelter's wood stove offers relief from the cool damp conditions and a few evenings per week, the shelter acts as a mini-theatre where invited guests put on informational slide shows or skits.

The presentations are always informative in nature. They range from skits about the area's history and colourful characters to slide shows on Lake O'Hara's plant and animal life. I remember one presentation where the Parks Canada presenter made tea out of pine needles and served it to those who attended. The tea was delicious. I remember another presentation describing the impact the Lake O'Hara area had on members of the "Group of Seven," a famous group of Canadian painters some of whom visited the area during the 1940's. There are usually a couple of presentations a week. If you come into the campground at the right time and stay for the full three nights you may be able to see both of the week's performances.

Continuing to the end of the fire road takes you to the many buildings of Lake O'Hara Lodge. The main part of the lodge sits a bit back from Lake O'Hara while the lodge's small cabins ring a rocky peninsula that juts into the lake. Each cabin has a spectacular view of the lake and the mountains that surround it. Unfortunately, the least expensive lodge room goes for $400 US per night. Ten dollars per night for a campsite is my preferred option.

To the right of the lodge and cabins are support buildings that provide the lodge's power. Propane is used to power a generator that in turn provides power to the lodge. Lodging for the staff is also located in this area. The staff tends to be younger people who, as with the Le Relais shelter, are looking for a way to experience the beauty that the Canadian Rockies have to offer. There is also a sauna. Numerous times I have seen people emerge from the sauna, run the short distance to a dock and jump into the cold waters of Lake O'Hara. Ahh, refreshing!

The lakeshore trail that encompasses Lake O'Hara is the starting point for a number of area hikes. It acts as the trailhead for hikes such as Wiwaxy Gap, Lake Oesa and the Opabin Plateau. These hikes can be combined into one long spectacular circuit or can be done individually in stages. For example, the Wiwaxy Gap trail leads to Wiwaxy Gap then along the Huber Ledges Alpine Route to Lake Oesa. Once at Lake Oesa, you can return to Lake O'Hara directly via the Lake Oesa trail or continue along the Yukness Ledge Alpine Route to the Opabin Plateau. From here you can return to Lake O'Hara directly or hike the many trails that cross the plateau then return to Lake O'Hara or continue on to the All Souls' Alpine Route to Schaffer Lake. From Schaffer Lake you can return to Lake O'Hara or continue to Lake McArthur. You get the idea.

A nice hike to begin with is the trail to Lake Oesa. This moderately strenuous trail begins behind the warden's cabin, crosses Lake O'Hara's outflow on a sturdy log bridge then continues clockwise along Lake O'Hara's shore. The trail then leaves the shore and switchbacks steeply up the mountainside until it tops out on a rocky bench. The switchbacks can be clearly seen from the other side of Lake O'Hara zigging and zagging up the mountain. The trail steadily gains elevation as it crosses several boulderfields and passes Lake Yukness, Lake Victoria and Lake Lefroy before finally reaching Lake Oesa. Turquoise coloured Lake Oesa sits nestled beneath towering mountains with glaciers supplying its waters. The rock slabs that dip into the lake provide a nice place to sit and enjoy the views. "Oesa" is the Stoney indian word for "icy" referring to the lake's often frozen condition. It is 3.2 km (2 miles) to Lake Oesa and you'll gain 245 m (787 feet) from the Lake O'Hara shoreline.

A longer, more strenuous and more spectacular route to Lake Oesa is via Wiwaxy Gap. This trail follows the Lake Oesa trail across Lake O'Hara's outlet but leaves the lakeshore before the direct route to Lake Oesa. The trail enters forest and climbs steeply and relentlessly past spruce, fir and pine. It then traverses a series of avalanche slopes, breaks above treeline and swings up to the pass known as Wiwaxy Gap. "Wiwaxy" is the Stoney indian word for "windy." The Gap lives up to its name. The Wiwaxy Gap trail is marked in places with painted symbols of two yellow bars within a blue square. These symbols mark most of the alpine routes in the Lake O'Hara area.

The Wiwaxy Gap trail is the most strenuous maintained trail in the Lake O'Hara area. It is also very exposed to the elements above treeline and has stretches of elevation exposure as well. The acrophobic should avoid this trail. The distance to the Gap is 2.4 km (1.5 miles) and the elevation gain is 500 m (1640 feet). The elevation at Wiwaxy Gap is 2540 m (8333 feet).

The view southeast from Wiwaxy Gap is one of the most stunning in the area. Iridescent Lake Oesa sits below glacier clad mountains while its outflow gives rise to a chain of lakes: Lake Lefroy, Lake Victoria and Lake Yukness. The outflow from Lake Yukness disappears into a boulder strewn area then re-appears as the Seven Sister's waterfall cascading into the far end of Lake O'Hara. The Gap's northern view is of the forested valley through which winds the fire road leading to Lake O'Hara. To the south lies the Opabin Plateau rising above Lake O'Hara. I can't overstate how beautiful the view is from the top of Wiwaxy Gap. It's definately worth the effort. But now onward to Lake Oesa.

The often indistinct trail from Wiwaxy Gap travels along the Huber Ledges Alpine Route gradually descending toward Lake Oesa. This route is extremely exposed both to the elements and to elevation. A fall here could be deadly. The trail traverses the rocky slopes of fluted Mount Huber winding its way among boulders until reaching an area of large rockfall above Lake Oesa. It travels through the rockfall and merges with the direct trail coming up to Lake Oesa. The Huber Ledges Alpine Route is marked with the painted symbols described earlier. The trail is visible when you are on it but very difficult if not impossible to see from below.

There are now a few hiking options depending on how you arrived at Lake Oesa. If you arrived from Wiwaxy Gap you can either return to Lake O'Hara along the direct route or continue to the Opabin Plateau via the Yukness Ledge Alpine Route. There are two ways to access the Yukness Ledge trail.

One way is to descend along the direct route to Lake Oesa until you reach a large grey rock just off the trail near Lake Victoria. Pass the rock on its left, rock hop over Lake Victoria's outlet stream then follow painted symbols to access the Yukness Ledge Alpine Route. 

The second access option is to follow painted symbols across the top of the rock slope that dips into Lake Oesa heading south toward Mount Yukness. Descend a short steep cliff, rock hop Lake Oesa's outlet stream then get onto the visible scree trail skirting Mount Yukness heading west. The trail leaves the scree and proceeds up a rocky slope and seemingly disappears into the sky. It actually descends via a rocky trail until it reaches the signed junction with the trail coming from Lake Victoria. Go left here to the Opabin Plateau.

The Yukness Ledge trail is initially quite broad with no elevation exposure. Slowly, as you make your way west, Lake Yukness and more distant Lake O'Hara come into view. The scene from here is a picture postcard on a nice day. This area is exposed to the weather and can be a miserable spot if it is raining or snowing. The trail gradually narrows and the elevation exposure increases as you contour around Mount Yukness toward the Opabin Plateau. By the way, "Yukness" means "sharp" or "pointed" in the Stoney indian language. Mount Yukness does have a pointed summit when viewed from Wiwaxy Gap.

Once around mount Yukness, the green, treed Opabin Plateau comes into view beneath you. The view extends southeast as you gradually make your way along the flanks of Mount Yukness. Trees appear along the narrow trail and before long incredibly green Hungabee Lake comes into view. The lateral trail soon ends as you cross a particularly treacherous and "slippery when wet" bare rock slope before descending through a jumble of very large rocks leading to the shore of Hungabee Lake. This point marks the junction of the Yukness Ledge trail with the East Opabin trail.

The Opabin Plateau was once filled with ice right to the tops of the mountains that surround it. It's amazing to think how much ice there was. The Opabin Glacier is now a shadow of its former self sitting draped over Opabin Pass at the plateau's eastern terminus. Its meltwaters form turquoise coloured Opabin Lake. The glacier's recession has revealed the rocky beauty that is the Opabin Plateau. "Opabin" is the Stoney indian word for "rocky."

A number of trails criss-cross the plateau taking the hiker from pleasant views of Lake O'Hara and Cathedral Mountain past Cascade, Moor and Hungabee Lakes to Opabin Lake. The plateau is home to animals such as marmots, pikas, columbian ground squirrels, wolverines and occasionally bears. The plateau's flora include a large concentration of larch trees that turn a spectacular Autumn orange as well as an excellent collection of colourful alpine flowers. The plateau is relatively flat with elevation being gained gradually so is a nice location for a leisurely stroll.

While strolling along the many Opabin trails listen for the "eep" sounds of the pika. This small animal lives in the plateau's boulderfields and spends the summer months collecting grasses to dry on the rocks. It then takes the dried grasses to its home among the rocks and uses them for bedding and food. Its high pitched "eep" sound echos throughout the rocky terrain, a sign of life where, at first glance, there appears to be none. The pika's larger cousin, the marmot, also lives among the rocks and can often be seen sunning themselves atop the many area rocks.

The east and west arms of the Opabin Plateau are two ways to return to Lake O'Hara. The east arm is a gentler trail that switchbacks through forest to Lake O'Hara and merges with the lakeshore trail at Lake O'Hara's eastern end not far from the Seven Sister's waterfall. The western arm is a steeper, rockier trail that descends from the plateau, passes Mary Lake and merges with the lakeshore trail closer to Lake O'Hara Lodge. I will often climb up the west arm, explore the plateau and descend the east arm. The west arm also branches off to become the All Souls' Alpine Route.

The narrow and very exposed All Souls' Alpine Route follows Schaffer Ridge in a northeasterly/southwesterly direction to Mount Schaffer. Nice views can be had of Lake O'Hara and the valley leading to Lake Oesa from "All Souls' Prospect," a flat area on the "end" of Mount Schaffer. From here the trail descends steeply through larch forest to Schaffer Lake. Once at Schaffer Lake, the trail continues left (southwest) to Lake McArthur or right (northeast) past the Alpine Club of Canada's (ACC's) Elizabeth Parker Hut and emerges at the fire road near the Le Relais shelter.

The trailhead to Lake McArthur is located next to the Le Relais day use shelter. The trail begins on broad man-made steps that lead to a clearing where the log cabin-like Elizabeth Parker Hut is located. A trail junction indicates the route to either All Soul's Prospect via the Big Larches or Lake McArthur via Schaffer Lake. Follow the stone walking path past the Elizabeth Parker Hut to Lake McArthur.

The trail soon transitions from a stone walking path to a rocky tree root laced path weaving through a larch, spruce and fir forest. The trail gains elevation in stages with welcome level stretches then emerges from forest at Schaffer Lake. The trail skirts the lakeshore then enters forest again gaining elevation until it emerges at a rocky junction where it divides into high and low level circuits.

The aptly named high level and low level circuits each take you to Lake McArthur but as their names suggest take you at different elevations. The low level circuit takes a more westerly track decending through rocky terrain then climbing back up, passing McArthur Pool and approaches Lake McArthur. The high level circuit follows a more southeasterly track. Mountain sheep can often be seen on the rocky slopes along the high level circuit.

The high level circuit moves through rocky scree slopes on which pikas and marmots can be heard. It takes a bit of patience to actually see the animals as they blend into their surroundings very well. The trail passes through a few potentially vertigo inducing areas then climbs rock bands and decends to approach the stunningly coloured Lake McArthur. I've occasionally seen mountain goats on these rock bands early in the day.

Lake McArthur has a more secluded feel than the other parts of the Lake O'Hara area. It just seems more remote somehow; I guess it's because the lake isn't part of a circuit. I have never encountered as many other hikers here as I have at other destinations at Lake O'Hara. It seems quieter too. I don't remember hearing as many pikas eeping here as other places. It's a nice sheltered location to experience some solitude. Lake McArthur was named after James McArthur who did much of the topographic mapping work through this area during the late 1880's. Lake McArthur isn't connected to other trails so to return to Lake O'Hara go out the way you came in.

There are more trails in the Lake O'Hara area than I can describe here, each of them with their own character and challenges. Many lead to beautiful lakes, stunning viewpoints or flower filled meadows but some simply pass through forest following gurgling creeks surrounding you with the sights, sounds and aromas of nature. Try a sampling of each and discover the unique opportunities that the trails provide. Most of all, clear your mind, take a deep breath of fresh mountain air and allow your senses to be filled with the beauty and majesty of all that surrounds you.

There are several information sources for Lake O'Hara. The internet of course including Parks Canada's website and the Lake O'Hara Trails Club (LOTC) site, but also bookstores in Canmore, Banff and Lake Louise carry books and maps. Parks Canada visitor centres offer information, often from staff who have been to or worked at Lake O'Hara. The visitor centre at Field, B.C is probably the best source of information outside Lake O'Hara itself. 

Once at Lake O'Hara, the Le Relais shelter is a good informational starting point. Parks Canada staff at Lake O'Hara are extremely knowledgeable and fellow campers are also a good source of information and can relate their own experiences. Who knows, one of those campers could be me! I'll definitely return to experience the beauty of Lake O'Hara again.