Lake O’Hara

Lake O’Hara is a high alpine lake in Yoho’s backcountry, ringed by peaks and linked to a network of hanging valleys and smaller lakes. If you can line up access, make a day of it: the shoreline is lovely, but the trails above it are what make the area special. This is an outing to explore, not a quick roadside stop.

Day visitors arrive on a reserved Parks Canada shuttle from the Lake O’Hara parking lot. It travels 11 km up to Le Relais, where the trails branch out; visitors can’t drive or cycle up the access road. Walking the road adds a 22 km round trip before you start any lake or alpine trails, so treat that as a serious hike. The campground also needs an advance reservation. July through late September is the main hiking season; higher routes can stay snowbound and avalanche-prone into late June.

The 2.8 km Lake O’Hara circuit is the easiest way to get a feel for the basin. It follows the north shore above the water, with some ups and downs, then passes a pink quartzite outcrop and Seven Veils Falls near the eastern end. It’s a good shorter outing, though not a flat stroll right at the water’s edge.

Opabin is a hanging valley above the lake, with a 5.9 km circuit linking Mary, Hungabee and Opabin lakes. The route climbs steeply from the shore on either side of the cliff. Opabin Prospect sits at the edge above Lake O’Hara; go up there when you want the broadest look back over the basin.

The Lake Oesa trail climbs 240 m over 3.2 km one way. Switchbacks cross talus and scree before stone steps lead to meadows enclosed by copper-coloured quartzite cliffs. At the end, tilted slabs hold the lake. Lawrence Grassi built the stone steps, and the open, avalanche-swept slopes are part of what makes this feel like a high mountain route.

The area’s Elizabeth Parker Hut recalls the early days of organized Canadian climbing. Journalist Elizabeth Parker helped persuade A.O. Wheeler to form the Alpine Club of Canada, founded in Winnipeg in 1906; Parker was one of its original honorary members. The present hut was built in 1919.

The shuttle arrives at Le Relais, a seasonal day shelter where you can warm up and get trail information. When it’s operating, expect hot drinks and snacks rather than a full meal, so bring lunch for a hiking day. Lake O’Hara Lodge serves meals to its guests; it isn’t a public restaurant.