Parking
Moraine Lake Road is closed to personal vehicles. Use the Parks Canada shuttle or other permitted transport to Moraine Lake; there is no private parking at the trailhead. Begin near Moraine Lake Lodge at the signed trail network.
Overview
About Eiffel Peak Trail
Why go
- Big Ten Peaks and Mount Temple views from a quieter summit objective
- A long but direct approach from Moraine Lake with a clearly defined summit goal
Heads up
- Unmarked route, loose scree, exposure, and hands-on scrambling require confident route finding
- Moraine Lake access requires a shuttle or other permitted transport rather than private parking
Eiffel Peak is a demanding alpine scramble above Moraine Lake with sweeping views of the Valley of the Ten Peaks, Mount Temple, Larch Valley, and the surrounding glaciers. It is a serious objective for confident scramblers, not a maintained summit trail.
Parkwolf’s verdictWhy hike itMap & elevation
The route
Loading the Banff map
Full mapElevation1,875–2,973 m
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
8 active Banff alerts
- ClosureRed Deer River valley bottom closed for ceremonial bison harvestThe Red Deer River valley bottom is closed to the public during an Indigenous ceremonial bison harvest taking place through November.Official details
- ClosureLake Minnewanka and Aylmer area closureLake Minnewanka Trail, Aylmer Pass Trail, and campgrounds Lm8, Lm9, Lm11, Lm20, Lm22 and Lm31 are closed to all users because black bears are displaying food-seeking behaviour.Official details
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Banff Tour Guide
Your drive to Eiffel Peak Trail, 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.
Recorded for this area
The Famous 'Twenty-Dollar View' at Moraine LakeListen
“You're getting close to Moraine Lake, and the first thing you'll want to find is the Rockpile Trail.”
Plays on the road 0.1 km from the trailhead in the Parkwolf Banff Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Pikas: The Alpine Haymakers of Banff
- Mountain Weather 101
- Golden Larches of the Valley of the Ten Peaks
- Lynx and Wolverine: Banff’s Ghost Predators
- 178 audio storiesacross Banff’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Grizzly Bear, Brown Bear, Gray Wolf, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 177 trails, 236 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.”
Trail guide
Hiking Eiffel Peak Trail
The routeStart at the Moraine Lake Trailhead near the lodge and follow the signed approach toward Larch…
Start at the Moraine Lake Trailhead near the lodge and follow the signed approach toward Larch Valley and Sentinel Pass. Keep right at the Eiffel Lake junction, then continue through the larch forest and alpine meadows until the route leaves the maintained trail. The final approach crosses a creek, reaches Eiffel Peak’s east ridge, and climbs loose scree and rocky terrain to the summit. The summit route is unmarked and route finding is part of the experience; do not try to reach Eiffel Peak from Eiffel Lake.
Stats and effortPlan on about 7.0 miles (11.
Plan on about 7.0 miles (11.3 km) total out-and-back, including the Moraine Lake approach, with roughly 4,000 feet (1,220 m) of elevation gain. Most parties should allow 6–8 hours for the round trip, depending on route-finding, scrambling pace, and breaks. The physical corridor is stored once from the trailhead to the summit; the length above is the total distance a visitor hikes out and back.
Logistics and safetyMoraine Lake Road is closed to personal vehicles, so plan for Parks Canada shuttle or other…
Moraine Lake Road is closed to personal vehicles, so plan for Parks Canada shuttle or other permitted transport to the lake. There is no private parking at the trailhead. Carry bear spray, follow current Parks Canada access and group-size rules, and expect rapidly changing alpine weather. The upper route has loose rock, steep scree, hands-on scrambling, and exposure; helmets and confident movement on unstable terrain are prudent.
Who it suitsThis route rewards experienced hikers who want a quieter summit scramble with exceptional Ten…
This route rewards experienced hikers who want a quieter summit scramble with exceptional Ten Peaks views. If you want a signed, maintained hike, choose Larch Valley or Eiffel Lake instead.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Banff
122 sightingsGrizzly BearMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
150 sightingsBrown BearMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
44 sightingsGray WolfMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
12 sightingsRiver OtterMost seen around 8 PMSighting map
67 sightingsMooseMost seen around 8 PMSighting map
465 sightingsBlack BearMost seen around 9 PMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Banff. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
