Parking
Small parking area at the Great Divide Trailhead near Lake Louise Drive and the old Highway 1A; arrive early on busy days.
Overview
About Great Divide Trail (Lake Louise)
Why go
- Long, broad corridor with gentle grades and a steady surface
- Memorable finish at the Great Divide Arch on the Alberta–BC boundary
- Works for hiking, biking, and Nordic skiing in the appropriate season
Heads up
- The 12.4-mile round trip is long even though the grades are gentle
- Dense forest limits panoramic mountain views for much of the route
- Limited trailhead parking and no services along the corridor
Yes, if you want a long, approachable outing with a memorable boundary landmark and gentle grades. The route is more about the old-road history, the Great Divide Arch, and a relaxed mountain-forest journey than continuous high-alpine views.
Parkwolf’s verdictIs It Worth It?Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Banff map
Full mapElevation1,610–1,699 m
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Best time to go
Safety
8 active Banff alerts
- ClosureRed Deer River valley closed during ceremonial bison harvestThe Red Deer River valley bottom is closed to the public during an Indigenous ceremonial bison hunt taking place through November, for public safety during the harvest.Official details
- ClosureJohnston Canyon closed for constructionJohnston Canyon Trail and Day Use Area, including the washrooms and P1 parking lot, are closed to all traffic and travel through December 11, 2026, for construction work to ensure public and worker…Official details
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Banff Tour Guide
Your drive to Great Divide Trail (Lake Louise), 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 trailhead
Great Divide Trail: An Easy Walk on an Old HighwayListen
“The trailhead coming up is for the Great Divide Trail. This one is really unique because the path is actually the old, retired highway. That makes it a wide, flat, and super easy walk for just about anyone.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Banff Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Deer Lodge: A Historic Lodge Near the Lake
- Paradise Lodge: Walk-In Access to Lake Louise
- Teahouses in the Sky: Lake Agnes and Plain of Six Glaciers
- The Fairmont Chateau and Lake Louise Shoreline
- 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 Great Divide Trail (Lake Louise)
What to ExpectThe Great Divide follows the old Highway 1A west from the Great Divide Trailhead near Lake…
The Great Divide follows the old Highway 1A west from the Great Divide Trailhead near Lake Louise to the Great Divide Arch at the Alberta–British Columbia boundary. It is a broad, mostly gravel corridor through dense Rocky Mountain forest, with occasional mountain glimpses and a clear historical destination rather than a summit climb.
Plan on about 12.4 miles (20 km) for the full out-and-back to the arch. The physical corridor is roughly 9.8–10 km (6.2 miles) one way, and the route trends gently downhill toward the west with rolling grades rather than sustained climbing.
Logistics & TipsStart at the Great Divide Trailhead near the Lake Louise Drive and old Highway 1A junction;…
- Start at the Great Divide Trailhead near the Lake Louise Drive and old Highway 1A junction; parking is limited, so arrive early on busy days.
- Allow roughly 4.5–5 hours for the complete round trip, with no services or washrooms along the route. Turn around earlier if the full distance is more than you want.
- The route continues toward the Alberta–BC boundary and the Great Divide Arch; plan your transportation before attempting a one-way trip.
- In winter, check Parks Canada conditions and grooming information before setting out, and be prepared for shared use by skiers, hikers, and other permitted users.
Wildlife & GeologyThe route crosses the Continental Divide landscape, where drainage separates toward the Pacific…
The route crosses the Continental Divide landscape, where drainage separates toward the Pacific and Atlantic watersheds. Bears and moose are possible in this forested corridor: carry bear spray, make noise, and follow current bear-country guidance.
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.
