Parking
Peyto Lake parking lot on Hwy 93N, about 40 km north of the Lake Louise junction. The upper lot serves the separate 0.3 km barrier-free approach to the same platform.
Overview
About Peyto Lake Lookout Trail
Why go
- A distinctive turquoise lake view after a short, easy walk.
- A barrier-free 0.3 km approach reaches the same platform from the upper lot.
Heads up
- The viewing area is often busy in summer and early fall.
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Icefields Parkway map
Full mapElevation2,088–2,125 m
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
2 active Icefields Parkway alerts
- ClosureWildfire-impacted area closures in JasperStay out of the closed wildfire-impacted areas in Jasper National Park; access is prohibited or restricted to protect public safety.Official details
- ClosureOpal Hills hiking area closed for grizzly bearThe Opal Hills hiking area is closed because a female grizzly bear with two offspring is in the area. - The closure took effect September 25, 2026, and remains in effect until further notice.Official details
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Icefields Parkway Tour Guide
Your drive to Peyto Lake Lookout Trail, narrated.
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Icefields Parkway (Highway 93). 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 Icefields Parkway audio tourRecorded for this trailhead
Peyto Lake: The Wolf-Shaped View0:00 / 0:36
“Peyto Lake Viewpoint is coming up, and the short climb earns one of the Parkway's most distinctive views.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Icefields Parkway Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- When Snow Turns Pink
- Peyto Lake Shoreline: The Steep Way Down
- A Seedling’s Fallen-Tree Nursery
- Bow Lake: Shore Walk and a Bite
- 141 audio storiesacross Icefields Parkway’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Grizzly Bear, Black Bear, Moose, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 54 trails, 57 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Trail guide
Hiking Peyto Lake Lookout Trail
The quick routePeyto Lake Lookout Trail is the short out-and-back from the Peyto Lake parking lot to a viewing…
Peyto Lake Lookout Trail is the short out-and-back from the Peyto Lake parking lot to a viewing platform above the lake. The route is 0.6 km each way, or 1.2 km round trip; allow about 30 minutes. It is easy, with about 30 m of climbing and 10 m of descent. The separate Bow Summit Viewpoint Trail continues beyond the lookout and takes about 2.5 hours round trip over 3 km one way.
The walk and the viewFrom the parking area, follow the asphalt path west across the hillside.
From the parking area, follow the asphalt path west across the hillside. It climbs gently, then finishes with a short footway and steps to the viewing area, so this main approach is not barrier-free. At the platform, Peyto Lake’s turquoise water sits below a forested valley and steep mountain walls. A pale gravel delta marks the far inlet; include it and the opposite ridge in a wide photo to show the scale of the lake.
The upper-lot optionA separate 0.3 km barrier-free path from the upper parking lot reaches the same view.
A separate 0.3 km barrier-free path from the upper parking lot reaches the same view. Use that approach if you need a step-free route.
Share the platformThe viewpoint is a busy stop, especially from June through October, so expect company.
The viewpoint is a busy stop, especially from June through October, so expect company. Stay on the designated path and platform to protect fragile alpine vegetation. In summer, dogs are allowed unless a trail-specific restriction is posted; keep them under control on a leash no longer than 3 m.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Icefields Parkway
12 sightingsGrizzly BearMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
127 sightingsBlack BearMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
16 sightingsMooseMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
100 sightingsElkMost seen around 8 PMSighting map
34 sightingsMountain GoatMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
53 sightingsBighorn SheepMost seen around 6 PMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Icefields Parkway. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
