Parking
Start at the signed Two Jack Lake Day Use Area off Lake Minnewanka Scenic Drive. Summer parking is limited; Roam Public Transit is an alternative.
Overview
About Two Jack Lake Shoreline Trail
Why go
- Mount Rundle views across the lake
- Easy shoreline walk from a picnic area
Heads up
- Short route with no summit or major hike payoff
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Banff map
Full mapElevation1,474–1,493 m
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
8 active Banff alerts
- ClosureJohnston Canyon Trail and Day Use Area closedMentions Day Use Area, referenced in this guideJohnston Canyon Trail and Day Use Area are closed to all traffic and travel through December 11, 2026, because construction work requires protecting public and workers’ safety.Official details
- ClosureBaker Lake and Hidden Lake campgrounds closed to campingCamping is prohibited at Baker Lake and Hidden Lake campgrounds through December 1, 2026, because a grizzly bear entered campsites and investigated tents and gear; the closures reduce risk to…Official details
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Banff Tour Guide
Your drive to Two Jack Lake Shoreline Trail, 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.
See the Banff audio tourRecorded for this trailhead
Two Jack Lake: A Picnic by Mount Rundle0:00 / 0:30
“Two Jack Lake is coming up, a good place for a picnic beside the water with Mount Rundle across the lake. This is the public day-use shore; the campgrounds are separate stops.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Banff Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Two Jack Campgrounds: Lakeside or Main
- Upper Bankhead: Lunch or C-Level Cirque
- Lower Bankhead: Where the Town Went
- Lake Minnewanka: Shore, Boats and a Sunken Village
- 185 audio storiesacross Banff’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Grizzly Bear, Brown Bear, Gray Wolf, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 162 trails, 90 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 Two Jack Lake Shoreline Trail
The short shoreline walkTwo Jack Lake Shoreline Trail is a 1.
Two Jack Lake Shoreline Trail is a 1.3-mile out-and-back from Two Jack Lake Day Use Area to the campground footpath, then back the same way. The lakeshore section is easy, mostly fine gravel, with pine needles underfoot. Allow 45–60 minutes with a pause by the water. Think of it as a picnic-side stroll rather than a hike with a big climb or summit.
Finding the routeAt the day-use area, walk down to the lake and take the path on your right as you face the…
At the day-use area, walk down to the lake and take the path on your right as you face the water. Follow the west shore to the campground footpath, then turn around; the campground spurs aren't part of this walk. Some route listings give a longer distance, but their extra route isn't clear. This entry covers the connected shoreline-to-campground section, so check a local map if you want to keep walking farther. In summer, dogs are generally allowed unless a trail restriction says otherwise. Keep them on leash and under physical control.
Views and a useful stopPines border the shore, and Mount Rundle rises across the blue water.
Pines border the shore, and Mount Rundle rises across the blue water. Pause near the water to put the lake in the foreground and the mountain behind it. The day-use area has picnic spots and red chairs at the start, which makes this an easy walk to pair with a lakeside picnic. The lake's name comes from two local Jacks: Jack Stanley, who ran a boat concession, and Jack Watters, who worked in the Bankhead mines.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Banff
123 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
69 sightingsMooseMost seen around 8 PMSighting map
466 sightingsBlack BearMost seen around 9 PMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Banff. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
