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Hamilton Lake in Yoho National Park

Sight · Yoho National Park

Hamilton Lake

Cliff-ringed water at the end of a steep, steady climb.

Type
Sight
Nearest trail
3.1 km
  • Trailhead
  • Parking
  • Restrooms
DirectionsMap

Hear the audio tour

Emerald Lake: Shore, Colour and Lunch

Overview

About Hamilton Lake

Why stop

  • Hamilton Falls and a dramatic alpine cirque share one route.

Heads up

  • A steep 915 m climb makes this a demanding half-day hike.
Hamilton Lake is a high alpine tarn in a cliff-ringed bowl above Emerald Lake. Reaching it takes a steep, steady day hike: Parks Canada lists 5.1 km each way, 915 m of climbing and about five hours return. Make the climb if you want the cirque and its peaks; skip it if you are after a quick lake stop.
Parkwolf’s verdictIs this the hike for you?

Map

Where it is

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Full map
SightHamilton Lake51.45571, -116.57794
Keep this map with you offline in the Parkwolf app

Plan your stop

Before you go

5 active Yoho alerts

  • ClosureYoho Valley Road closed for avalanche seasonYoho Valley Road is closed to vehicles from mid-October to mid-June because of avalanche risk. - Parks Canada’s current trail report lists no vehicle access to trails in the Yoho Valley.Official details
  • CautionWatercraft and angling prohibited in YohoWatercraft use and angling are prohibited on all waterbodies in Yoho National Park until March 31, 2027, to reduce the spread of aquatic invasive species, including whirling disease.Official details
See all 5 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.

Yoho Tour Guide

Your drive to Hamilton Lake, narrated.

Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Yoho 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 Yoho audio tour

Recorded for this place

Emerald Lake: Shore, Colour and Lunch
0:00 / 0:34
“You're approaching Emerald Lake, where a short, level walk to the bridge brings you to the blue-green water and its mountain backdrop. Stop even if you haven't got time for a hike.”

Plays as you drive up to Hamilton Lake in the Parkwolf Yoho Tour Guide.

More stories near here in the app

  • The Conifer That Drops Its Needles
  • Iceline and Yoho Lake: Choose Your Hiking Day
  • Takakkaw Falls: A Short Walk to the Spray
  • The Songbird Under the Water
  • 35 audio storiesacross Yoho’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
  • Wildlife heatmapsfor Grizzly Bear, Mountain Goat, Black Bear, and 13 more
  • Works offlinemaps, 54 trails, 58 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!!!!”
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4.7 from 8,600+ ratings

Guide

More about Hamilton Lake

Hamilton Falls is the first stopStart at the Emerald Lake parking lot, 10 km west of Field. Hamilton Falls is about 0.

Start at the Emerald Lake parking lot, 10 km west of Field. Hamilton Falls is about 0.8 km from the trailhead. After the falls, the route keeps climbing through forest, up switchbacks and across open avalanche slopes before reaching the lake. Toilets are reported at the trailhead; there are few chances to refill water on the route.

The lake and its frameDark blue-green water sits beneath Mount Carnarvon and Emerald Peak, with the blocky Top Hat…

Dark blue-green water sits beneath Mount Carnarvon and Emerald Peak, with the blocky Top Hat peak in the saddle between them. Scree, cliffs and lingering snow run down toward the shore. For a photo, include rocks by the lake outlet in the foreground and frame Top Hat between the higher peaks; it shows the shape of the bowl around the water.

Look closely at the high slopesThe lower forest changes to spruce and subalpine fir as you climb.

The lower forest changes to spruce and subalpine fir as you climb. Glacier lilies, alpine globeflowers and white mountain heather grow on open avalanche slopes. Mountain goats are known on grassy slopes west of the lake, though a sighting is never guaranteed. The lake drains over an upturned shale lip at its outlet, a small geological detail worth a closer look.

alpinelakewaterfallhikingwildlife

Wildlife

Wildlife in Yoho

All Yoho wildlife maps
Grizzly Bear21 sightingsGrizzly BearMost seen around 6 AMSighting mapMountain Goat55 sightingsMountain GoatMost seen around 8 AMSighting mapBlack Bear61 sightingsBlack BearMost seen around 8 PMSighting mapElk66 sightingsElkMost seen around 7 PMSighting mapMoose26 sightingsMooseMost seen around 6 AMSighting mapBald Eagle10 sightingsBald EagleMost seen around 7 AMSighting map

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

Keep exploring

Near Hamilton Lake

See it all on the map

Trails nearby

EasyEmerald Lakeshore Trail5.2 km · 2 hr · 3.1 km awayGlacier views from a nearly level loop beside turquoise water.ModerateEmerald Basin Trail9.6 km · 3.5 hr · 3.1 km awayA rocky basin rewards the steep climb beyond Emerald Lake.ChallengingEmerald Triangle18.8 km · 8 hr · 3.1 km awayAn alpine day loop with Emerald Lake views from the highline.EasyHamilton Falls Trail1.6 km · 45 min · 3.1 km awayA short climb to a waterfall tucked in a narrow canyon.ModerateEmerald River Trail9 km · 3.5 hr · 3.1 km awayA shaded river walk ending at a natural stone bridgeChallengingHamilton Lake Trail10.2 km · 5.5 hr · 3.2 km awayA steep climb for an alpine tarn beneath the high peaks.ChallengingKiwetinok Pass Trail7.6 km · 3 hr · 7.6 km awayAn alpine lake beneath the cliffs of Kiwetinok Pass.ModerateYoho Lake Trail9.8 km · 3.5 hr · 8 km awayA steep climb leads to red chairs facing Wapta Mountain.

More stops nearby

Sight · 3 km awayHamilton FallsA small cascade 0.8 km up the steep Hamilton Lake trailSight · 3.1 km awayEmerald LakeTurquoise water, mountain reflections, and a gentle lakeshore loop.Restaurant · 3.2 km awayCilantro on the LakeA lakeside patio lunch with Emerald Lake and peaks beside you.Lodging · 3.3 km awayEmerald Lake LodgeLakeside lodge with a Yukon saloon bar and TV-free rooms.Campground · 6.7 km awayYoho Lake CampgroundBackcountry camping beside Yoho Lake, reached by a steep hike.Sight · 6.8 km awayYoho LakeRed chairs and a Wapta reflection reward the uphill hike.Sight · 7.6 km awayWalcott QuarryA full-day guided hike to fossils older than half a billion years.Campground · 7.6 km awayLittle Yoho CampgroundBreak the Iceline hike with a night in Little Yoho Valley.

Parkwolf’s Yoho ranking

Top sights in Yoho

All 58 places
  1. 1Emerald LakeSight
  2. 2Takakkaw FallsSight
  3. 3Natural BridgeSight
  4. 4Lake O’HaraSight
  5. 5Lower Spiral Tunnel ViewpointSight
  6. 6Wapta FallsSight

Take Parkwolf to Yoho.

The audio tour guide for the drive, plus offline maps, trails, and wildlife heatmaps for when the signal drops.

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