Lake Annette Trail

Lake Annette Trail is a moderate out-and-back from the Paradise Creek trailhead on Moraine Lake Road to an alpine lake beneath Mount Temple. The listed distance is 5.7 km each way, or 11.4 km (7.1 miles) return; allow 3–4 hours. Expect roughly 350 m of climbing on the way in. This is the lake-only outing; continuing to Giant Steps or Sentinel Pass makes a longer Paradise Valley hike.

Start at the Paradise Creek parking area. Personal vehicles are not permitted on Moraine Lake Road. Parks Canada shuttles run seasonally and licensed operators also use the road; check that a shuttle serves Paradise Creek and confirm your return ride before planning around it. Cycling is another way in, but the narrow road has little shoulder and commercial traffic. No food, toilets or drinking water were verified at the trailhead or along the walk. During the usual summer hiking season, dogs are allowed unless a trail restriction is posted; keep them leashed and under control.

The path enters dense evergreen forest on a broad, mossy tread. Around 1 km the grade eases and glimpses of Little Temple open through the trees. A short left spur reaches a bridge over Paradise Creek, with views toward Sheol, Haddo and Saddleback mountains. Return to the main route and follow the branch for Lake Annette.

The trail climbs gently, then rolls downhill before opening to broader mountain views. At about 3.7 km it crosses Paradise Creek; roughly 600 m later it crosses back and follows the water for a stretch. At the Saddleback Pass junction, around 4.6 km, stay on the Lake Annette route rather than turning toward the pass. The path narrows near the end. A final creek crossing at about 5.2 km leads into the steepest short climb, then the trees part at the shore.

Lake Annette sits below Mount Temple, with spruce and larch around the water and a talus pile at the far end where pikas are reported. Mid-to-late September is the usual golden larch window. If the surface is calm, frame Mount Temple across the lake and let the larches and shoreline reflections carry the foreground; pika sightings are a bonus, not a sure thing. The lake is the turnaround, so the forest and creek crossings are retraced on the way back.