Moraine Lake sits at 1,884 metres in Banff National Park, a pool of glacier-fed blue beneath the Valley of the Ten Peaks. The view from the Rockpile at its outlet is one of the most photographed places in Canada, and for a generation of Canadians it was literally money in the pocket: the scene appeared on the back of the $20 banknote.
Moraine Lake facts: size, depth and that blue colour
- Elevation: 1,884 m (6,181 ft).
- Area: about 50 hectares.
- Maximum depth: 14 m.
- Location: the Valley of the Ten Peaks, near Lake Louise, Alberta.
The famous colour comes from glaciers. Meltwater carries fine rock sediment into the lake continuously, and light refracting off those suspended particles turns the water an intense azure. The lake is fed mainly by snow and glacial melt, so it does not reach its full level until mid to late June.
The Valley of the Ten Peaks
The mountains behind the lake were originally named by Samuel Allen, who simply numbered them from one to ten in the Stoney language. Most now carry other names. From east to west they are:
- Mount Fay, 3,235 m
- Mount Little, 3,134 m
- Mount Bowlen, 3,206 m
- Tonsa Peak, 3,053 m
- Mount Perren, 3,051 m
- Mount Allen, 3,310 m
- Mount Tuzo, 3,246 m
- Deltaform Mountain, 3,424 m, the highest
- Neptuak Mountain, 3,233 m
- Wenkchemna Peak, 3,170 m
The Larch Valley trail crosses the area, and the Rockpile trail, only about 300 metres long with 24 metres of climbing, leads to the classic viewpoint over the lake.
How to get to Moraine Lake: shuttles and access
Since 2023 Moraine Lake Road has been closed to personal vehicles year-round. Access is by Parks Canada shuttle, licensed commercial operators, or as a registered guest of Moraine Lake Lodge. Cyclists and walkers may still use the road.
- Season: the Moraine Lake shuttle runs from 1 June to 12 October in 2026, weather permitting.
- Departure: shuttles leave from the Park and Ride at the Lake Louise Ski Resort, with free all-day parking for reservation holders.
- Reservations: required for all Parks Canada shuttles. Part of the seats are released in spring and the rest at 8 am, two days before each departure.
- Lake Connector: a shuttle between Lake Louise and Moraine Lake every 30 minutes from 7 am to 6 pm in season, included in the shuttle ticket.
- Fees: the shuttle ticket does not include the national park entry fee.
Check the Parks Canada’s current guidance before you go, as dates and rules change each season.
The “Twenty Dollar View” on Canada’s banknote
Moraine Lake appeared on the reverse of the Canadian $20 note in the 1969 and 1979 issues, which is why the Rockpile panorama is still known as the “Twenty Dollar View”. The Bank of Canada Museum’s account of the Scenes of Canada series tells the story of the landscape designs on those notes.
For photography, arrive early or stay late. Low sun lights the summits while the shore stays dark, and calm air gives the best reflections. Canoes, rocks and the shoreline trees make good foregrounds against the wall of peaks.
For a wider regional collection, explore Stevin Tuchiwsky’s western Canada photographs. For a very different mountain landscape, follow an autumn walk along part of Sweden’s Kungsleden.
Related reading
- Canadian Winter Humour: Snowbanks, Cold-Weather Scenes and Everyday Life
- Peyto Lake in Banff: Turquoise Water, Mountain Views and Seasonal Change
- Banff Avenue: Mountain Views at Street Level
- Waterton Lakes: Where Prairie Meets the Rocky Mountains
- Azure Lake in Wells Gray Park, British Columbia
- Frozen Hairstyles at Takhini Hot Springs in Canada
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