Duchesnay Lake

Duchesnay Lake is a short side trip from the easy Yoho Valley Trail in the lower valley. It makes most sense as an add-on to the waterfall walk, rather than a separate drive-up stop.

Start at Takakkaw Falls parking lot, 17 km northeast of Field. The main trail is packed gravel with minor elevation gain. Laughing Falls is 4.5 km one way from the lot, and Twin Falls is another 3.9 km beyond; those are waterfall-route distances, not a measurement of the lake spur. Yoho Valley Road is normally open from mid-June to mid-October. Its tight switchbacks mean vehicles over 7 m must reverse around them, and trailers aren't permitted.

The lake sits among forested slopes, with standing snags and a mountain behind the shore. At the shallow edge, grasses and fallen wood add foreground detail; on calm water, the mountain and shoreline can reflect. For a photo, get low by the edge and include some of that near shore instead of framing only open water and sky.