Paget Lookout

The trail begins at Sherbrooke Lake parking lot, about 11 km east of Field, on the north side of the Trans-Canada Highway. Access is westbound only. If you're heading east, continue about 2 km to Lake O'Hara Road, turn around, and return westbound. At the Sherbrooke Lake junction, take the branch toward Paget Lookout. The lower trail passes through forest before switchbacks climb below Paget Peak's cliffs. Bring enough water: the route is dry after a small stream early on.

West, the view runs over Kicking Horse Pass and the Kicking Horse Valley toward Field, with braided river flats far below. Turn east for the high peaks around Lake Louise and Lake O'Hara and the Bow Valley. A little before the shelter, a short side path reaches a cliff-top viewpoint beneath Paget Peak's pale rock face.

Paget was one of three fire lookouts built in Yoho and was staffed into the 1970s. It now serves as a day-use shelter. Its exposed perch and wide sightlines still make the old job easy to understand: from here, the valleys and surrounding slopes open in several directions.

The small white shelter is part of the view, so include it off to one side with the valley behind rather than filling the frame with the building. Then turn away from it and make the valley and peaks the whole subject. The climb is the price of getting both perspectives.