From The Caves National Historic Site of Canada, we headed 98 kms. (a 1.25-hr. drive) northwest, from Banff, Alberta, onto the Trans-Canada Highway (Highway 1), to reenter British Columbia at the town of Field, then turned right onto Emerald Lake Road, to stop by Emerald Lake, a freshwater lake in Yoho National Park, one of the four contiguous national parks in Canada’s Rocky Mountains, along the boundary of British Columbia and Alberta Provinces. The lake is the largest of the 61 lakes and ponds located inside the park.
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The first non-indigenous person to set sight on Emerald Lake was famed Canadian mountain guide Tom Wilson, who stumbled upon it by accident in 1882 when he was led lakeside while rounding up a string of his horses that had gone astray. He gave the lake its name because of its remarkable, vivid, turquoise green-colored waters due to glacial silt (rock flour), different rock type producing the powdered sediment that is suspended in the glacial water, reflecting the entrancing emerald green spectrum of sunlight rather than the blue spectrum seen in Moraine Lake, Hector Lake, Bow Lake and Peyto Lake in neighboring Banff National Park. Earlier that same year, Tom also discovered another lake which he had given the same name (which appeared briefly on the official map) but it was shortly renamed Lake Louise.
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This stunning glacial alpine lake, a scenic natural destination, is the most famous one of and the most admired locations in Yoho National Park. The majestic mountains of the President Range, named after the President and Vice-President of the coast to coast Canadian Pacific Railway, add to the beautiful of this lake, as well.
The lake has an unmatched diversity of both activities and landscapes suited to the enthusiastic traveler. Canoeing and walking are favorite activities here and, during the summer months, fishing is also quite popular. Canoe ($.75 for 1 hour, with a max of 3 people in the canoe) and rowboat rentals are available Emerald Sports (also known as Emerald Sports & Gifts), as are cross-country skis and snowshoes in the winter.
Swimming, though allowed and highly recommended for the experience, is not for the faint of heart as the water is cold due to it being fed by glaciers. The rustic Emerald Lake Lodge is a leisurely delight for those having lunch at Cilantro Café’s lakeside patio. The lodge also offers cabins overlooking the lake and mountains. Near the start of the trail loop are some picnic tables.
A 5.2-km. (3.2-mi.) flat loop, family-friendly trail circling the shoreline, taking about 1.5 to 2 hours to complete, is one of the least strenuous but most rewarding in the park. From the lake, you can view an incredible breadth of geological features including the world-famous Burgess Shale fossil beds, the Michael Glacier, and an avalanche slope carpeted by meadows, where moose often graze. Other more advanced hiking trails go in different directions up into the mountains.
The lake’s elevation of 1,200 m. (4,400 ft.) above sea level produces a unique selection of flora. Trees found here include western red cedar, western yew, western hemlock and western white pine. At moist, shady enclaves, you can spot a variety of tiny, fragile wild orchids that survive only in finely balanced conditions. If you’re paying attention, you may be rewarded with a Yellow Lady Slipper, Spotted Orchid, or Calypso sighting.
As animals are drawn to this important water source, Emerald Lake is a fantastic place to see wildlife such as bald eagles, moose, and ospreys as well as waterfowl such as loons and mergansers. Grizzly bears and American black bears are fairly common. However, as many wild animals live in the area and are protected by park law, hunting is prohibited in the park. From November until late April or early May, the lake is frozen due to its 53-degree latitude and moderately high altitude.
Emerald Lake: 1 Emerald Lake Rd., Field, Yoho National Park, British Columbia V0A 1G0. Coordinates: 51.444°N 116.531°W.
How to Get There: Emerald Lake is a 50-km. (30-mi.) drive to the west of Golden, a 2.5-hr. drive from Calgary, a 28-km. (35-min.) drive from Lake Louise and 10 kms. (a 15-min.) drive west of the small railway village of Field, in Yoho National Park, near the highway exit to Emerald Lake, which has a park-operated visitor center. A two-lane paved road, about 9 kms (6 mi.) long, connects the Trans-Canada Highway with Emerald Lake. Parking fills up fast in the summer, so it is best to arrive early in the morning.