Parking
Access the Paradise Valley Trailhead on Moraine Lake Road by Parks Canada shuttle or permitted commercial transit; personal vehicles are not permitted on the road. Toilets are available at the trailhead.
Overview
About Lake Annette
Why go
- Lake Annette and Mount Temple provide a clear alpine payoff
- Forest, creek crossings, and open lake views keep the route varied
- Quieter alternative to the busiest Lake Louise area walks
Heads up
- Long forested approach before the lake appears
- Moraine Lake Road shuttle access takes advance planning
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Banff map
Full mapElevation1,726–1,958 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 Lake Annette, 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
Paradise Valley Trailhead: A Quieter AlternativeListen
“The turnoff you're nearing is for the Paradise Valley Trailhead, the starting point for some excellent, less-traveled hikes.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Banff Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Golden Larches of the Valley of the Ten Peaks
- Lake Louise Hard-Sided Campground
- Lake Louise Campground: A Fenced Base with Shuttles
- From Seafloor to Skyline: How Banff’s Rockies Formed
- 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 Lake Annette
Is this the right hike?Lake Annette is a 7.1-mile (11.4 km) out-and-back from the Paradise Valley Trailhead.
Lake Annette is a 7.1-mile (11.4 km) out-and-back from the Paradise Valley Trailhead. Allow 3 to 4 hours, with about 345 metres of official elevation gain and 110 metres of loss. It is a moderate half-day outing for a quieter alpine lake, but the forested approach takes commitment before the views open up.
Follow the valley to the lakeThe route climbs through forest and crosses Paradise Creek before reaching Lake Annette beneath…
The route climbs through forest and crosses Paradise Creek before reaching Lake Annette beneath Mount Temple. Follow the mapped Paradise Valley Trail to the lake, then turn around. Do not continue toward Giant Steps or Sentinel Pass unless you are prepared for a different, longer trip.
Make the access workMoraine Lake Road is closed to personal vehicles year-round.
Moraine Lake Road is closed to personal vehicles year-round. Take the Parks Canada shuttle or permitted commercial transit to the Paradise Valley Trailhead and plan ahead for seasonal access. Toilets are available at the trailhead, but there are no services along the walk. Carry water, food, layers, and bear spray, and keep dogs on leash.
Look back from the lakeInclude a little trail in photos of Lake Annette, with Mount Temple behind the turquoise water…
Include a little trail in photos of Lake Annette, with Mount Temple behind the turquoise water for scale. The creek crossings, forest, and open lake give this walk more variety than the distance alone suggests.
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.
