The “Lake of the Little Fishes” beneath the Victoria Glacier — and the parking battle that comes with the fame.
Lake Louise is probably Canada’s most famous lake: a turquoise sheet of water, the Victoria Glacier above it, and a grand hotel on the shore. We visited on day three of our Winnipeg-to-Banff road trip — and, like many, first lost the fight for parking.
Behind the pretty picture is a long and complicated history. The Stoney Nakoda long knew the lake as Ho-run-num-nay — the “Lake of the Little Fishes.” The first non-Indigenous person to see it, in 1882, was railway worker Tom Wilson, brought here by a Stoney guide, Edwin Hunter; struck by the colour, Wilson named it Emerald. In 1884 it was renamed after Princess Louise Caroline Alberta (1848–1939), a daughter of Queen Victoria — the province of Alberta is named for her too. The turquoise, as everywhere here, comes from rock flour, this time off the Victoria Glacier. Lake Louise is also called the birthplace of Canadian mountaineering: in 1896 the first mountaineering death in North America happened here, after which the railway began hiring experienced Swiss guides. On the shore stands the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise, whose history reaches back to the 1890s.
Now the crucial practical part — parking, which is a sport of its own here. In summer the lakeshore lot fills by 6 a.m. and stays full all day; in 2025, about 75% of vehicles were simply turned away. The cost: $36.75/day in 2025, rising to $42/day from 2026 (in effect May–October, 3 a.m.–7 p.m., pay by plate). We only got a spot on the second try. So the honest advice: either arrive at the crack of dawn, or don’t fight the parking at all and take the Parks Canada shuttle from the Park & Ride (reservation required) — the most reliable option. Dogs on leash are welcome. And if you want more than the shore by the hotel, the classic trails to the Lake Agnes and Plain of Six Glaciers tea houses start right here.
| Detail | Info |
|---|---|
| Stoney name | Ho-run-num-nay — “Lake of the Little Fishes” |
| Named | 1884, after Princess Louise |
| Glacier | Victoria Glacier (colour from rock flour) |
| Parking | 2025 — $36.75; 2026 — $42/day; fills by 6 a.m. |
| Alternative | Parks Canada shuttle from the Park & Ride |
| Dogs | Allowed, on leash |
Read next: nearby Emerald Lake, Bow Lake and the whole Winnipeg-to-Banff road trip.
