Sherbrooke Lake

Sherbrooke Lake is a glacial lake at the end of a moderate forest hike in Yoho. Choose it if a quiet lake beneath big peaks is worth some climbing; this isn't a roadside viewpoint. The listed park route is 4.3 km each way, about three hours return, with 280 m of ascent and 75 m of descent. Leave time for a longer lakeshore wander separately.

The trailhead is the parking lot on the north side of Highway 1, 11 km east of Field. You can enter only from westbound traffic. If you're heading east, continue 2 km to Lake O'Hara Road, turn around, and come back west. Visitors describe the lot as small, though reports vary on how early it fills. Pack water and a snack; food service or a potable-water tap wasn't verified at the trailhead or lake.

The trail gains steadily through fir forest to the Paget Lookout junction. Beyond it the trees thin, the grade eases through small meadows, and the path reaches the water. Thick vegetation and avalanche debris edge the lake. The trail continues along the shore toward inlet streams; treat that as extra exploring beyond the basic lake visit, since route accounts use different turnarounds.

Mt. Ogden rises across the lake to the west; Cathedral Mountain is at the south end and Mt. Niles to the north. The turquoise water and peak reflections are the payoff. When the surface is calm, keep the shoreline logs low in the frame to catch the mountain reflections; the mirror effect depends on conditions.