Parking
The Lake O’Hara parking lot is the seasonal shuttle departure point; reserve ahead. The West Opabin sign at the lake’s southwest end is the trailhead. Walking the 11 km access road each way is allowed; cycling is prohibited.
Overview
About Opabin Prospect via West Opabin Trail
Why go
- A high viewpoint above Lake O’Hara without completing the full plateau circuit.
- Mary Lake and Lake O’Hara both come into view from the West ascent.
Heads up
- A steep talus pitch makes this short route feel harder than its mileage suggests.
- Day-shuttle access needs advance planning; walking the road adds 22 km.
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Yoho map
Full mapElevation2,032–2,230 m
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
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
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Yoho Tour Guide
Your drive to Opabin Prospect via West Opabin Trail, 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 tourMore stories near here in the app
- A Predator With a Softer Menu
- Lower Spiral Tunnel: Climbing Inside the Mountain
- Sherbrooke Lake and Paget Lookout: Choose Your Climb
- The Bird That Plants Pines
- 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!!!!”
Trail guide
Hiking Opabin Prospect via West Opabin Trail
A shorter route to the prospectOpabin Prospect via the West Opabin Trail is a 3.4-mile (5.
Opabin Prospect via the West Opabin Trail is a 3.4-mile (5.5-km) out-and-back from Lake O’Hara’s southwest shore. It climbs to Opabin Plateau, then turns east to a viewpoint at the cliff head above the lake. Allow about 2 to 2½ hours for the trail itself, with roughly 280 m of climbing. It’s the West-side ascent and prospect without the full Opabin Plateau circuit; Parks Canada’s 5.9-km figure is for that separate loop.
The West Opabin climbA sign at the lake’s southwest end marks the West arm.
A sign at the lake’s southwest end marks the West arm. The path climbs quickly to Mary Lake, follows the shore, then tackles an open talus slope that rises about 120 vertical metres. A grassy cleft opens onto rolling plateau terrain. This is the demanding stretch: the grade is steep and the footing is rocky and uneven.
Turn around at the cliff headOn the plateau, take the small path east to Opabin Prospect, the head of the cliff above Lake…
On the plateau, take the small path east to Opabin Prospect, the head of the cliff above Lake O’Hara. That is the turnaround for this hike; continuing beyond it leads into the longer circuit toward Opabin Creek, Hungabee Lake and Opabin Lake. The plateau is a hanging valley perched above the lake on a rocky cliff band. From the West Opabin climb, pause to look back across Mary Lake toward Lake O’Hara and the surrounding peaks; at the prospect, keep well back from the edge.
Plan the Lake O’Hara approachThe day-use shuttle runs seasonally from the Lake O’Hara parking lot and must be reserved in…
The day-use shuttle runs seasonally from the Lake O’Hara parking lot and must be reserved in advance. The actual trailhead is the West Opabin sign on the lakeshore. Walking the access road is allowed but adds 11 km each way before the hike; cycling is prohibited. Dogs are allowed on park trails when leashed, but cannot ride the shuttle or stay at the campground, so bringing one means walking the road. Le Relais day-use shelter near the lake serves hot drinks and snacks during hiking season; treat it as a separate stop.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Yoho
21 sightingsGrizzly BearMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
55 sightingsMountain GoatMost seen around 8 AMSighting map
61 sightingsBlack BearMost seen around 8 PMSighting map
66 sightingsElkMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
26 sightingsMooseMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
10 sightingsBald EagleMost seen around 7 AMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Yoho. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
