Lake Minnewanka

Lake Minnewanka is a large mountain lake north of Banff, and its main visitor hub is the developed day-use area at the west end. The shore has picnic tables, bathrooms and interpretive panels, with the cruise dock and boat rentals nearby. It works as a quick look at the water or a longer stop for a picnic, a walk or time on the lake. Summer parking is limited and fills, so give this one room in your day.

Cruises and small motorboat rentals leave from the west-end waterfront. This is the only lake in Banff National Park where motorboats are allowed, which makes it the obvious place to choose if you want to see the shoreline from the water. Check the operator’s current schedule before building a day around a boat trip.

The water stays cold, and Parks Canada warns that strong winds and waves can come up suddenly, especially in the afternoon. The shore is a good way to enjoy the lake without committing to a boat.

For a photo, look across the water for the small rocky point with its cluster of trees and the steep mountain behind it. That gives the lake some foreground and scale. When the surface is calm, the mountains can reflect in the water; a gust can change that in minutes.

Minnewanka is still a destination when the busy summer season is over. Winter walking, snowshoeing and cross-country skiing are options here too, and the docks and mountains take on a completely different look against snow and ice.

Before today’s shoreline, Minnewanka Landing was a summer village at the lake. A log hotel opened in 1886; by 1912 the settlement had streets, hotels, wharves, restaurants and two cruise boats. The lake was dammed in 1895, 1912 and 1941. The final dam submerged the old village, which is now underwater.

People hunted and camped on the original shore for more than 100 centuries. The Stoney name is Minn-waki, “Lake of the Spirits”; early European visitors called it Devil’s Lake. The settlement’s hidden history is part of what makes this more than a pretty lakeside stop.