Moraine Lake is one of the most beautiful in the world and quite the star on social media. It used to be all about Lake Louise, but nowadays Moraine is just as popular. It’s one of those places that really lives up to the hype. When you first see the water from the car park it truly doesn’t look real.
We’d always planned on visiting Moraine Lake at sunrise, thinking it wasn’t possible to get into the car park for sunset. However we found out that if you time it right you can, though it is not as straightforward as you might think in peak season when the road is closed for the majority of the day due to high traffic and limited parking.
Of course we had to see sunrise too, so we went back another day and can now give you a detailed opinion on which is better.
Moraine Lake at sunset
Moraine Lake: Sunrise vs Sunset
Finding that iconic view - the Rockpile Walk
First of all, a quick heads up on the top photography spot. The majority, if not all the photos you have probably seen online of Moraine Lake are taken from the top of the Rockpile Trail.
When we first arrived, we saw people heading over the fence (part of the Moraine lakeshore is fenced, much to our surprise) and along a huge pile of slippery logs submerged in water.
Yes, we saw someone fall into the icy depths - before scrambling up the steep, jagged rock pile. The lengths many people will go for a photo….
The logs by the rockpile
I was pretty shocked, how had all those girls with long flowing ballgowns I’d seen so often on the ‘gram managed this?
It took a little poking around before I found there is actually an official trail to the top of the rockpile lying to the left of the lakeshore. The steps up to the top of the rockpile are well formed and easy to get up and down, no scrambling required!
Mystery solved, no sliding into the freezing cold water for me.
Once you’re at the top you have a terrific view of the lake and the surrounding snow-capped mountains. It truly is the best place to take it all in.
From the viewpoint you can climb down to get to the shore or out onto the rocks. It isn’t too hard (there’s a little scrambling involved), but it’s much easier than skipping over the fence and then across the submerged logs!
So now you know where to head we’ll go into all the details about sunrise vs sunset.
Moraine Lake at sunrise
Update for 2023: You can no longer drive down Moraine Lake Road. Your only access options are now the Parks Canada shuttle, taxis, a tour or cycling. You can still park at Lake Louise and use the shuttle to reach Moraine Lake from there.
Unfortunately getting to Moraine Lake just before sunrise won’t cut it nowadays with the road closing up to two hours before first light.
We visited in mid September and arrived at 5.15am, the car park was already half full and completely full by 5.30am. Mad, but true!
After a nap in the car, we headed up the Rockpile trail only to get the shock of our lives. We’d expected it to be busy, but it was heaving!
The whole of the top viewing area was jammed full of tripod wielding photographers, and woe betide you if you accidentally got in anyone’s way.
We knew we wanted to find a quieter spot to sit and take it in and get some photos down on the rocks.
Moraine Lake Sunrise: The rock lower down
Moraine Lake Sunrise: the shore
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We saw a pretty cool boulder and decided to take a few photos before finding a more permanent spot.
Well let me tell you Moraine Lake at sunrise seemed to bring out the worst in the photographers: our chosen boulder was near a big area where someone had set up two tripods and a go pro.
Apparently, “my foot just got into the frame” of one of the tripods when I sat down.
Let’s just say he went absolutely ballistic. Having spent the vast majority of the last few months on hiking trails, meeting wonderful people who were universally friendly it was quite a shock.
Moraine Lake Sunrise: higher up
People aggressively protect their territory during sunrise at Moraine Lake and I quickly realised this wasn’t going to be the serene experience I was hoping for.
After a little while searching we did find a quiet spot and ended up enjoying it but the vibe overall was not very relaxed. Maybe we got unlucky, or maybe getting up at 4am without coffee just does bad things to people! Either way it was a marked difference to sunset.
However, the pros of Moraine at sunrise are that the water is at its stillest and can give you a spectacular reflection.
The light is also at its best - no glare or sun reflecting off the water and perfect backlighting.
Moraine Lake sunrise: reflections if the conditions are calm
Moraine Lake sunrise: An alternate view
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To sum up:
Pros of Moraine Lake at sunrise
the lake is at its stillest, best for photography
the light is best
if you arrive early enough you are guaranteed a parking spot
you can go hiking afterwards
Cons of Moraine Lake at sunrise
it is incredibly crowded which does spoil the experience
hideously early start required
Moraine Lake at sunset
For some reason Moraine Lake at sunset seemed to attract a completely different crowd. The angry photographers had disappeared and as a result the vibe was much more chilled.
There were Instagrammer’s (in flowing ballgowns), but everyone let each other do their own thing. We ended up chatting to quite a few people and everyone gave each other space and no one really took over areas (or not for long anyway).
There were also far less people there at sunset, which I always prefer and allows you to take in the amazing scenery without so much background noise.
That’s not to say you’ll have any chance of getting it to yourself but you’ll certainly have less people around than at sunrise.
Moraine Lake sunset
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I personally thought the light was also pretty good, although the slightly choppier water meant there weren’t any reflections. You could get lucky with still water, or unlucky at sunrise for that matter, but overall your chance of still water is less at sunset than sunrise (the heat of the day usually kicks up the winds by this time).
Personally speaking, I much preferred the sunset experience and when I go back one day it will be at sunset. We love photography but not at the expense of the experience itself.
Moraine Lake sunset from the rockpile
Moraine Lake at sunset
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Pros of Moraine Lake at sunset
far less crowded
light is still good
no hideously early start necessary
Cons of Moraine Lake at sunset
the water is likely to be less still
the light whilst still great is not quite as special as at sunrise
if you get unlucky the car park could be full, it’s harder to judge an arrival time than it is for sunrise
you can’t explore the area afterwards
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Overall thoughts on sunrise vs sunset at Moraine Lake
If you’re a photographer, then I would have to say I would still recommend sunrise.
However, if you just want to experience the lake and take photos - but won’t be devastated if conditions aren’t quite as perfect as sunrise - then I would definitely recommend sunset. It is a much more relaxed and, in my opinion, fun experience. To us, that’s really what travel is all about!
Of course if you’re in the area long enough or super keen, then do both and let us know if you agree with us!
Visiting Moraine Lake during the day
If you’re thinking about visiting Moraine Lake during the day then it’s good to be aware that this is the worst time for photography.
The wind tends to pick up making the lake choppier and the glare from the sun is intense.
It’s ok for a visit for the experience but not if you want to take photos! Make sure you read on as visiting in the middle of the day is also the worst time for crowds and trying to get there.
The road closes and so you’ll need to catch a bus (which can literally take hours).
Moraine Lake during the middle of the day
Essential info about visiting Moraine Lake at Sunrise or Sunset
Bear Safety
If you are planning to simply have a look at the lake, you shouldn’t have a problem with bears. Having said this, there were three grizzlies that jumped in the lake and swam to Consolation Lakes when we visited! They didn’t cause any harm (the staff believed it was a mum and two cubs running away from a male), and it would have been an amazing sight. Bears usually avoid crowds of people which will be inevitable at Moraine Lake.
If you are going on one of the hiking trails then you should bring a can of bear spray with you. It’s unlikely that you will see a bear, but it is safer to have bear spray with you just in case. You can buy bear spray from one of the outdoor shops in Banff, Amazon or REI. Just make sure you don’t take it on a plane or across an international border afterwards as it is classed as a weapon!
You can also try and borrow one from the front desk of your hotel (many guests leave unused bear spray with the reception of their hotel when they leave).
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Getting to Moraine Lake
You can no longer park at the lake
Update for 2023: You can no longer drive down Moraine Lake Road. Your only access options are now the Parks Canada shuttle, taxis, a tour or cycling. You can still park at Lake Louise and use the shuttle to reach Moraine Lake from there.
Note that Moraine Lake road closes due to heavy snow and avalanche risk roughly between mid October (just after the Thanksgiving weekend) and late May but dates are subject to weather conditions and vary year to year.
Get the bus from Banff
You can now get a bus directly from Banff to Moraine Lake, meaning you don’t have to leave in the middle of the night or risk the park & ride.
You will need to check the timetable and schedule as it changes depending on the season.
The Park & Ride
The park & ride is the final option and - like Lake Louise - isn’t the one we recommend getting. The queues here are really bad (we’ve heard of people waiting for two hours) and you can spend a lot of your day waiting to get on a bus.
You can get the park & ride from Lake Louise if you park there, but as the buses go in a one-way direction you’ll find yourself going back to the park & ride parking lot and changing bus to get back to Lake Louise.
Other things to do around Moraine Lake
Hikes around Moraine Lake
If you come for sunrise, a major benefit is that you have the chance to do one of the amazing hikes in the Lake Louise / Moraine Lake area.
The most popular is the beautiful Larch Valley trail at 6km return. The hike takes you up through forest and then to the valley of Larch trees with a back drop of the beautiful Ten Peaks. You can continue the hike on the Sentinel Pass trail which adds an additional 3km return. The most spectacular time to do this walk is in the fall when the Larch Trees turn golden.
Another fantastic hike which we weren’t lucky enough to tick off this time but hope to do one day is the Consolation Lakes trail. At 5.8km and just under 250m elevation gain, it’s a pretty easy trail by Rockies standards. It is said to be surprisingly quiet given its location and beauty. It is in an area which has very high grizzly activity so you will need to be mindful.
Apart from walking along the lakeshore there are also a couple of strenuous scramble routes, The Tower of Babel and Eiffel Peak which begin at Moraine Lake. Whilst we’ve seen pictures and they look stunning, you require a helmet and to be honest we thought the scrambling might be a little too precarious for us so we haven’t attempted them.
Canoe on the lake
Canoeing on Moraine Lake looks absolutely magical but it’s definitely a high costs activity. We had already canoed on Lake Louise so sadly it was a little out of our budget.
Canoe hire is CAD $120 exc tax per hour. Canoes can take a maximum of three people and can be rented daily between mid June and mid September (9am - 5pm).
Visit Lake Louise
The stunning Lake Louise is just 11.5km from Moraine Lake, although getting between the two by car is never straightforward in peak season. Road closures occur in the early morning for much of the day at this time of year.
If you do sunrise at Moraine Lake and then head straight to Lake Louise, chances are you will be able to snag a parking spot as there are many more available at Lake Louise.
There are a huge range of things you can do in the Lake Louise area from canoeing to hiking to having a fancy lunch at the Chateaux. We’ve included a full round up in our blog post on bucket list things to do at Lake Louise.
Where to stay in Banff
Banff is a pricey place to stay at any time of year and you won’t really find a bargain. We’ve picked three options for three different budgets.
We personally stayed in the midrange choice but our budget and luxury options are included because we personally spoke to people staying there and they came highly recommended.
Midrange - Ptarmigan Inn
This is where we stayed on our third visit to Banff and we loved the really central location, we could walk everywhere in town and having previously stayed in Canmore it was a treat to be so much closer to the lakes and other attractions surrounding Banff - when you’re heading to Moraine Lake for sunrise those extra 30 minutes in bed really count!
Our room wasn’t huge but it was big enough and very comfortable, the bed in fact was so comfy that sometimes it was hard to drag ourselves out! The bathroom was also great and I loved the local Rocky Mountain shower products. There is a free underground car park and also a pool and sauna which we sadly never had time to use!
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Luxury - The Fairmont Banff or Lake Louise
Both Fairmont options are grand and luxurious so where you stay depends on whether you want to be in town or out by Lake Louise (just over 40 minutes drive). If you can, staying in both areas would be great and when we return to the area we will stay at Lake Louise for at least part of our trip as we loved that whole area so much. These are bucket list hotels when you’re really looking to treat yourself and one day we’d love to stay.
The Fairmont hotels don’t come cheap but if you have the budget they do come highly recommended. Rooms look stunning and a blend between modern and old world style - think marble bathrooms. There are onsite pools and jacuzzi with spectacular views. A major downside of the Fairmont in Banff though is that parking is charged in addition to the room rate which we think is quite tight. That is not the case at Lake Louise.
Check the latest prices at Banff Fairmont on:
Check the latest prices at Lake Louise Fairmont on:
If you’re undecided between Banff and Canmore as a base, why not check out our post all about Banff vs Canmore.
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