Parking
Small, signed Bourgeau Lake/Harvey Pass lot directly off the Trans‑Canada Highway between Banff and Lake Louise; it fills early and highway parking isn’t allowed.
Overview
About Mount Bourgeau via Harvey Pass
Why go
- Crowds drop off sharply beyond Bourgeau Lake, so the best scenery is often quiet.
- Flexible turnaround points—lake, pass, or summit—without missing the alpine highlights.
Heads up
- Long forested approach delays the big views until Bourgeau Lake.
- Early/shoulder season can bring icy sections above the lake that require traction.
If you want one hike that delivers it all—forest, waterfalls, teal lakes, alpine meadows, a broad pass, and a true summit—this is it. The full Mount Bourgeau via Harvey Pass outing is about 15.5 miles (25 km) total, out-and-back, with roughly 5,000 ft (1,500 m) of gain. It’s a long, strenuous day, but the payoff is enormous and the crowds thin dramatically after the first lake.
Parkwolf’s verdictWhy goMap & elevation
The route
Loading the Banff map
Full mapElevation1,419–2,900 m
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Best time to go
Safety
8 active Banff alerts
- ClosureLake Louise area trails and access areas closed for wildlifeMentions Lake Louise, referenced in this guideThe Bow River Trail, Louise Creek Trail, lower Tramline Trail, and Great Divide Trail parking area are closed because the closure prevents wildlife from being displaced from an essential travel…Official details
- 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
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Banff Tour Guide
Your drive to Mount Bourgeau via Harvey Pass, 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
Bourgeau Lake Trail: Forest to Alpine HikeListen
“The trailhead you're about to pass is the start of the hike to Bourgeau Lake.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Banff Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Making a Mule Shoe: Oxbow Lakes of the Bow
- Wildlife Crossings: Banff's Animal Bridges
- Muleshoe Picnic Area: A Quiet Forest Stop
- When the Bow River Went Big: The 2013 Flood
- 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 Mount Bourgeau via Harvey Pass
The routeFrom the signed parking along the Trans‑Canada, the trail climbs steadily through forest to…
From the signed parking along the Trans‑Canada, the trail climbs steadily through forest to Bourgeau Lake. It’s straightforward walking, but it’s a grind and views are limited until the lake—expect to feel the elevation in your legs well before your eyes get their reward. Bourgeau Lake sits in a rocky cirque and is gorgeous in mid-summer and fall. Beyond the lake, the grade steepens as you pass a string of small tarns en route to Harvey Pass, where the world opens up to big alpine vistas and blue lakes dotting the saddle. Many hikers sensibly turn around here; if you’ve got more in the tank, continue on a rougher ridge trail and loose scree to Mount Bourgeau’s summit for full 360-degree views of the Bow Valley and distant peaks (clear days can reveal heavy hitters like Mount Assiniboine).
What to expectUnderfoot it’s well-built dirt to the lake, then rockier, looser tread above.
Underfoot it’s well-built dirt to the lake, then rockier, looser tread above. The summit push is steep and can be windy and exposed; poles help on the descent. Navigation is obvious to the lake, a bit less defined above—still clear in summer, but snow can obscure the track early season. Wildlife sightings are common: marmots whistling from boulders, pikas in the talus, and sometimes mountain goats higher up. Crowds are common to the lake; beyond that, you’ll likely get long stretches of solitude.
TipsTreat this as a full-day objective; start early and build in turnaround times (lake, pass, or…
- Treat this as a full-day objective; start early and build in turnaround times (lake, pass, or summit).
- Filterable water is available at the lakes/streams—bring a filter.
- Pack layers and a wind shell—conditions change fast and the summit can be cold even in summer.
- Bears are occasionally active; carry spray and hike in a group if you can.
A note on characterIs it worth the effort? Absolutely—this is one of the park’s best big-view day hikes.
Is it worth the effort? Absolutely—this is one of the park’s best big-view day hikes. Just know you’ll pay your dues with a long forested approach before the scenery really spikes. The trade-off is real solitude once you leave most folks at Bourgeau Lake.
Nerdy bitsYou’re traveling classic Rockies limestone and shale through glacially carved cirques and…
You’re traveling classic Rockies limestone and shale through glacially carved cirques and hanging valleys. The peak honors 19th‑century botanist Eugène Bourgeau; Harvey Pass takes its name from an early local prospector.
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.
