Tower of Babel Trail (2.9 km, Challenging) – Banff National Park

Overview

About Tower of Babel

Why go

Exceptional panoramic views of Moraine Lake, the Valley of the Ten Peaks, and Consolation Valley for a short route
Compact objective with a clear physical corridor once the Tower gully is reached

Heads up

Loose scree, unstable boulders, hands-on moves, and serious rockfall exposure
Unmarked route requires scrambling experience, route finding, and careful spacing
Moraine Lake access requires shuttle, transit, or licensed commercial transport

Tower of Babel is a short, demanding scramble above Moraine Lake, with a steep scree gully, hands-on boulders, and wide views over the lake, the Valley of the Ten Peaks, Consolation Valley, and the surrounding peaks. The route is an unmarked scramble rather than a maintained hiking trail.

Parkwolf’s verdictWhy go

Map & elevation

The route

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Full map

Elevation1,855–2,260 m

TrailheadMoraine Lake Rockpile Trailhead51.32817, -116.17998

Keep this map with you offline in the Parkwolf app

Plan your hike

Before you go

Parking

Moraine Lake Road is closed to personal vehicles. Reserve Parks Canada shuttle access, use Roam transit, or book a licensed commercial operator to reach Moraine Lake. Start at the Rockpile/Consolation Lakes trail access near the lakeshore; there is no separate Tower of Babel parking area.

Best time to go

Wear a helmet because rockfall from parties above is a serious hazard, and leave space between groups. Loose footing, exposure to falling rock, and hands-on moves make the descent demanding. Snow or ice can turn the gully dangerous; aim for the snow-free summer season and check Parks Canada access, wildlife, and trail information before setting out. Bear country rules apply: carry bear spray, make noise, and follow current wildlife advisories. Dogs are not appropriate for this steep, loose scramble.

Safety

Unmarked, steep scree and boulder scramble with serious rockfall potential. Wear a helmet, keep space between groups, call ROCK if you dislodge a stone, and use careful route-finding in the gully. Snow or ice increases the hazard. This is not a beginner or child-friendly route, and dogs are not appropriate. Moraine Lake Road is closed to personal vehicles; follow current Parks Canada access and wildlife advisories.

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

See all 8 alerts

A park ranger sits on a dash-mounted phone, talking, as Parkwolf’s Tour Guide plays “Army Cutworm Moths: A Grizzly Bear Buffet” on Grand Loop Road below Dunraven Pass in Yellowstone — Parkwolf Tour GuideThe highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.

Banff Tour Guide

Your drive to Tower of Babel, 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 area

The Famous 'Twenty-Dollar View' at Moraine Lake

Listen

“You're getting close to Moraine Lake, and the first thing you'll want to find is the Rockpile Trail.”

Plays near this trailhead in the Parkwolf Banff Tour Guide.

Hiking Tower of Babel

Route and distanceStart at the Moraine Lake Rockpile Trailhead and follow the short Rockpile path toward the…

Start at the Moraine Lake Rockpile Trailhead and follow the short Rockpile path toward the Consolation Lakes sign. After the initial approach, leave the maintained path at the Tower of Babel cairn and climb the obvious scree gully. The gully is loose and steep; it narrows into larger boulders near the top, then the route continues across the upper summit area. The stored line follows the physical outbound corridor once from the Rockpile access to the summit area; return the same way. The visitor distance is about 2.9 km (1.8 miles) round trip, with roughly 518 m (1,700 ft) of elevation gain. Allow about 3–4 hours for the scramble, descent, and route-finding pauses.

Terrain and difficultyThis is a difficult scramble with no official trail signs or maintained tread.

This is a difficult scramble with no official trail signs or maintained tread. Expect loose, ball-bearing scree low in the gully, larger unstable rocks and hands-on moves higher up, and a narrow boulder section near the top. Trend toward the more stable side of the gully where the route allows, keep parties separated, and call out falling rocks. The summit area offers exceptional Moraine Lake and Ten Peaks views, but the route is not suitable for children or hikers without scrambling experience.

Access and logisticsMoraine Lake Road is closed to personal vehicles.

Moraine Lake Road is closed to personal vehicles. Use the Parks Canada shuttle, Roam transit, or a licensed commercial operator to reach Moraine Lake, and plan reservations before visiting. Begin at the Rockpile/Consolation Lakes trail access near the lakeshore; there is no separate Tower of Babel parking area or signed Tower trail. Download the route before leaving service.

Wildlife

Wildlife in Banff

All Banff wildlife maps

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 map

Sighting maps show where each species has been reported across Banff. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.

Tower of Babel