Straight talk – the traffic and parking for Lake Louise is a wee bit of a nightmare. Not quite sure what is planned for the future, but when trying to get some answers and advice, we received nothing by inconsistent messaging from staff. This required a little patience and a lot of adaptability. So here’s how we see it:
a) If you’re not staying in Lake Louise Village and only making it in the afternoon or would like to also see Lake Moraine then it is best to park at the designated overflow parking outside and take the shuttle bus in to Lake Louise and Lake Moraine. There are early bird hiker’s shuttle schedule starting at 6am ish. Check online for updated information.
b) If you’re not staying in Lake Louise Village and coming early then driving in is an option as long as you hit the Lake Louise parking early. Like really early. Maybe around 6am, and no later than 7am.
c) If you’re staying in Lake Louise Village and wanted to go hiking from Lake Louise (Lake Agnes, Little Beehive, Big Beehive, Devil’s Thumb, etc) then catch the Roam Transit bus for 2$ cash from the little bus station near the corner of Village Rd and Lake Louise Dr (on the same side as Samson Mall). Check online or at the Parks Info Centre (co located in the Samson Mall parking lot) for more info.
d) If you’re staying in Lake Louise Village and wanted to go hiking from Lake Moraine…good luck. Check with staff for your best options…we risked it and woke up ridiculously early to drive up to Lake Moraine by 5am to snag a spot and go hiking. Yet when we came down by 10 am there were spots. It’s not consistent.
