ParkwolfGet the app
Lower Waterfowl Lake Viewpoint in Banff National Park

Scenic pullout · Banff National Park

Lower Waterfowl Lake Viewpoint

Mount Chephren and blue-green water make a quick scenic stop.

Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Type
Scenic pullout
Nearest trail
0.7 km
Audio stories
5 nearby
  • Scenic viewpoint
  • Pullout
  • Parking
DirectionsMap

Hear the audio tour

Lower Waterfowl Lake beneath Mount Chephren

Overview

About Lower Waterfowl Lake Viewpoint

Why stop

  • The main view is right off the road.

Heads up

  • Mosquitoes can be intense around the lake in warm weather.

Map

Where it is

Loading the Banff map
Full map
Scenic pulloutLower Waterfowl Lake Viewpoint51.84969, -116.62857
Keep this map with you offline in the Parkwolf app

Plan your stop

Before you go

8 active Banff alerts

  • ClosureJohnston Canyon Trail and Day Use Area closedJohnston Canyon Trail and Day Use Area are closed to all traffic and travel through December 11, 2026, because construction work requires protecting public and workers’ safety.Official details
  • ClosureBaker Lake and Hidden Lake campgrounds closed to campingCamping is prohibited at Baker Lake and Hidden Lake campgrounds through December 1, 2026, because a grizzly bear entered campsites and investigated tents and gear; the closures reduce risk to…Official details
See all 8 alerts
A park ranger sits on a dash-mounted phone, talking, as Parkwolf’s Tour Guide plays “Army Cutworm Moths: A Grizzly Bear Buffet” on Grand Loop Road below Dunraven Pass in Yellowstone
Parkwolf Tour GuideThe highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.

Banff Tour Guide

Your drive to Lower Waterfowl Lake Viewpoint, narrated.

Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Banff National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.

See the Banff audio tour

Recorded for this place

Lower Waterfowl Lake beneath Mount Chephren
0:00 / 0:17
“You’re coming up on Lower Waterfowl Lake Viewpoint, a roadside stop for blue-green water beneath Mount Chephren. I’d give it a few minutes if you want that mountain view without a hike.”

Plays as you drive up to Lower Waterfowl Lake Viewpoint in the Parkwolf Banff Tour Guide.

More stories near here in the app

  • Waterfowl Lakes Campground and Chephren Lake
  • The Cones That Stay on the Tree
  • Finding Fish in a Water Sample
  • White Coat or White Rump?
  • 185 audio storiesacross Banff’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
  • Wildlife heatmapsfor Grizzly Bear, Brown Bear, Gray Wolf, and 13 more
  • Works offlinemaps, 162 trails, 90 places, and audio download before you lose signal
  • CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
★★★★★
“…Loved the commentary as you drove thru. I’m sure the app can do more than I know but the tips were very helpful. I’m gonna use it when we go to Banff next month.”
tesja22App Store review
Download Parkwolf on the App StoreGet Parkwolf on Google Play

4.7 from 8,600+ ratings

Guide

More about Lower Waterfowl Lake Viewpoint

A quick stop on the Icefields ParkwayLower Waterfowl Lake Viewpoint is a signed roadside viewing stop beside the lake, about 60 km…

Lower Waterfowl Lake Viewpoint is a signed roadside viewing stop beside the lake, about 60 km north of Lake Louise on Highway 93N. The main view needs no hike, so it makes an easy short break if you’re already driving the Parkway. I’d allow a few minutes for the lake and mountain panorama rather than plan a separate outing around the turnout.

Look for Mount Chephren’s reflectionMount Chephren rises beyond the forested shoreline, and the blue-green water gives the view its…

Mount Chephren rises beyond the forested shoreline, and the blue-green water gives the view its color. When the surface is calm, the mountain can reflect across the lake. For a photo, keep a little shoreline in the frame and watch for the reflection; it adds depth to the mountain backdrop.

Plan for a bare roadside stopThe viewpoint is a layby off the Parkway.

The viewpoint is a layby off the Parkway. Parks Canada describes this stretch as remote, with limited services and no cell coverage, so download directions before you set out. Waterfowl Lakes Campground is a separate site about 0.8 km southeast; don’t mistake its facilities for services at the viewpoint. Mosquitoes can be intense around the lake in warm weather, so repellent is useful.

lakeviewpointmountainscenicdrivephotostop

Wildlife

Wildlife in Banff

All Banff wildlife maps
Grizzly Bear123 sightingsGrizzly BearMost seen around 6 AMSighting mapBrown Bear150 sightingsBrown BearMost seen around 6 PMSighting mapGray Wolf44 sightingsGray WolfMost seen around 6 AMSighting mapRiver Otter12 sightingsRiver OtterMost seen around 8 PMSighting mapMoose69 sightingsMooseMost seen around 8 PMSighting mapBlack Bear466 sightingsBlack BearMost seen around 9 PMSighting map

Sighting maps show where each species has been reported across Banff. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.

Keep exploring

Near Lower Waterfowl Lake Viewpoint

See it all on the map

Trails nearby

ModerateCirque Lake Trail9.1 km · 3 hr · 0.7 km awayA muddy forest walk to a turquoise lake beneath glacier views.ModerateChephren Lake Trail8.2 km · 2.8 hr · 0.7 km awayA forested out-and-back to Chephren Lake beneath Howse Peak.

More stops nearby

Campground · 0.9 km awayWaterfowl Lakes CampgroundGood paddling between glacier-fed lakes, with no cell signal.Campground · 6.5 km awaySilverhorn Creek CampgroundA rustic Icefields Parkway overnight with mountains and creek nearby.

Parkwolf’s Banff ranking

Top sights in Banff

All 90 places
  1. 1Lake LouiseSight
  2. 2Moraine LakeSight
  3. 3Peyto Lake ViewpointSight
  4. 4Johnston CanyonSight
  5. 5Banff GondolaSight
  6. 6Cave and Basin National Historic SiteSight

Take Parkwolf to Banff.

The audio tour guide for the drive, plus offline maps, trails, and wildlife heatmaps for when the signal drops.

4.7 from 8,600+ ratings

Download Parkwolf on the App StoreGet Parkwolf on Google Play