Parking
Bourgeau Lake parking area on the south side of the Trans-Canada Highway, about 13 km west of Banff; limited paved parking and two gender-neutral outhouses. Park only in the designated area—highway parking is illegal and unsafe.
Overview
About Mt Bourgeau Rt
Why go
- Chain of small alpine tarns near Harvey Pass, not just one lake
- Cell reception and a summit weather station make check-ins easy from the top
Heads up
- Small trailhead lot off Hwy 1 fills early
- Snow lingers above the lake into July; summit scree can be slick
This is the full Mount Bourgeau summit outing: a steady forest climb to Bourgeau Lake, a chain of small tarns and broad views at Harvey Pass, then a rocky final push to a 2,930 m summit. Plan on about 22.7 km (14.1 miles) total out-and-back, roughly 1,750 m of cumulative gain, and around 8–10 hours for a hard mountain day.
Parkwolf’s verdictWhy goMap & elevation
The route
Loading the Banff map
Full mapElevation1,434–2,887 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 Mt Bourgeau Rt, 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 Mt Bourgeau Rt
The routeStart at the Bourgeau Lake parking area and follow the well-built trail through forest and…
Start at the Bourgeau Lake parking area and follow the well-built trail through forest and across mountain streams. A bridge appears around 3.5 km and a large waterfall around 5.4 km. Bourgeau Lake is about 6.7 km one way. From the lake, the rougher upper trail climbs another 2.2 km to Harvey Pass, with small alpine lakes and wide Continental Divide views. The final route continues from the pass along the rocky west ridge to Mount Bourgeau’s summit.
The stored line follows the mapped physical corridor once, from the parking-area approach to Harvey Pass and then to the summit. Because this is an out-and-back, the visitor distance includes the return; the return corridor is not duplicated in the map line.
Summit pushAbove Harvey Pass, the route becomes rocky and more exposed, with cairns and a boot-beaten path…
Above Harvey Pass, the route becomes rocky and more exposed, with cairns and a boot-beaten path leading toward the summit. The upper section can feel like a scramble, loose rock may be slippery, and route-finding becomes more important than on the lake approach. The summit has a weather/repeater station and expansive views over the Bow Valley, Lake Louise-area peaks and the Continental Divide.
What to knowThe Bourgeau Lake parking area is small and fills early.
- The Bourgeau Lake parking area is small and fills early. Park only in the designated lot; parking on the Trans-Canada Highway is illegal and unsafe.
- Carry bear spray, give wildlife plenty of space, and bring a filter for water along the route.
- Weather changes quickly in the alpine. Start early, watch for afternoon storms, and be prepared for lingering snow above Bourgeau Lake into July.
- Sturdy footwear is useful for wet roots, stream crossings, loose upper rock and possible snow. A valid Parks Canada pass is required for your vehicle.
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.
