Wiwaxy Gap / Huber Ledges Loop to Lake Oesa (7.2 km, Challenging) – Yoho National Park

Overview

About Wiwaxy Gap / Huber Ledges Loop to Lake Oesa

Why go

A high traverse links Lake O’Hara with the dramatic Lake Oesa basin
The standard Lake Oesa Trail makes a clear return route

Heads up

Loose scree, exposed ledges and avalanche chutes demand alpine experience
Access means a shuttle reservation or an 11-kilometre road walk each way

This is a roughly 4.5-mile loop from Le Relais at Lake O’Hara, climbing to Wiwaxy Gap, crossing the Huber Ledges and visiting Lake Oesa before the standard Lake Oesa Trail brings you back to the shore. Allow about five hours. The climb gains roughly 520 metres to the high traverse, and the rock stays rough on the way down. Parks Canada reserves this alpine route for experienced hikers comfortable with heights, loose ground and route-finding. If you want Lake Oesa without the exposed traverse, the standard trail is a slightly shorter out-and-back; it still climbs steeply over rocky ground.

Parkwolf’s verdictIs this the hike for you?

Map & elevation

The route

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Full map

Elevation2,030–2,556 m

TrailheadLe Relais day-use shelter, Lake O’Hara51.35749, -116.33912

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Plan your hike

Before you go

Parking

Start at Le Relais day-use shelter beside Lake O’Hara. The Lake O’Hara parking lot on the highway is the shuttle departure point, 11 kilometres away by road; the seasonal shuttle requires a reservation. Walking the road adds 22 kilometres round trip. Dogs may hike on leash but are prohibited on the shuttle; bicycles are prohibited on the road.

Safety

Parks Canada classifies this as an alpine route for experienced hikers. Expect steep loose scree, exposed ledges, avalanche chutes and route-finding in high terrain. Snow and avalanche hazards can delay opening or close the route; check current park conditions before setting out.

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 Wiwaxy Gap / Huber Ledges Loop to Lake Oesa, 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

Hiking Wiwaxy Gap / Huber Ledges Loop to Lake Oesa

Getting to the startLe Relais day-use shelter is the actual start.

Le Relais day-use shelter is the actual start. The Lake O’Hara parking lot is on the highway, 11 kilometres down the access road. The seasonal shuttle to the lake needs a reservation. If you walk in instead, add 22 kilometres to your day for the road there and back; bikes aren’t allowed. Dogs can hike on leash but can’t ride the shuttle, so reaching the trail with a dog means walking that road. Le Relais sells hot drinks and snacks during hiking season, a useful stop before or after the route rather than food along the ridge.

Up to Wiwaxy GapFrom the north-shore path, take the signed Wiwaxy branch.

From the north-shore path, take the signed Wiwaxy branch. Tight switchbacks climb through forest before the route traverses past an avalanche chute and crosses an open slope of loose scree. As the trees thin, look back for Lake O’Hara and the slopes below Mount Biddle and Schaffler Ridge. The final climb reaches the exposed gap; it can feel cold and windy even when the lake shore is calm.

Across the Huber LedgesFrom Wiwaxy Gap, the route heads southeast along the Huber Ledges.

From Wiwaxy Gap, the route heads southeast along the Huber Ledges. The traverse rises and drops before crossing another avalanche chute and descending steep rock toward Lake Oesa. Cairns and blue-and-yellow route markers help, but this is still serious route-finding terrain with exposure beside you. The changing view down to Lake O’Hara is part of the payoff; from the ledges you can also see the Lake Oesa basin ahead.

Lake Oesa and the way backThe Huber route joins the regular Lake Oesa Trail just before the lake.

The Huber route joins the regular Lake Oesa Trail just before the lake. Walk the short final stretch to the water, then return to the junction for the descent. Oesa’s tilted shoreline slabs open a view into a cirque of peaks; the west-shore rocks make a good foreground for the turquoise water and cliffs. The standard trail leaves through a rocky trough, crosses open talus and avalanche-cleared slopes, then drops through stunted forest and rocky outcrops. Stone steps on this section were built by Lawrence Grassi. Switchbacks bring you back to Lake O’Hara, followed by the shore path to Le Relais.

The basin around OesaLake Oesa sits in a hanging valley beneath Mount Huber, Mount Victoria, Glacier Peak, Ringrose…

Lake Oesa sits in a hanging valley beneath Mount Huber, Mount Victoria, Glacier Peak, Ringrose Peak and Yukness Mountain. Copper-colored quartzite cliffs close around the basin, with meadows and small Oesa Creek pools along the approach. This is the quieter finish after the exposed traverse, but it’s still high country; snow can linger on alpine routes into early summer, and avalanche conditions can delay access. Check Parks Canada’s current alpine-route status before you set out.