Town of Lake Louise, Alberta with Toddlers
We loved staying in the town of Lake Louise in Banff National Park! Everything was extremely accessible on our e-bikes and the views, rivers, lakes, and glaciers were unreal. Our campground was in a perfect location and we enjoyed many afternoons resting in the hammock under the thick coverage of pine trees. We were a bit surprised by how busy and touristy this area is - we can definitely see why, but the busyness was a bit challenging/overwhelming with toddlers. We were unable to do everything we wanted here, nor were we able to make it to Jasper due to the devastating 2024 wildfires, so our plan is to definitely return here in the future.
An important thing to note, which I’m sure you’ve already found if you’ve looked into Banff at all, is that transportation can be a bit of a challenge. It is highly recommended that you have public transportation and, at the absolute minimum, you must get transportation to Moraine Lake where no personal vehicles are allowed. Be sure you are prepared for this. Having an e-bike setup is amazing and allows you to bypass public transportation for most activities.
Admittedly, finding fun for toddlers in Banff National Park was a bit of a challenge for us. Maybe it’s because we are doing this full-time and we were worn out. Maybe kids were in a funk or going through hormone changes. But we started feeling the guilt of putting kids in the car or bike trailer shortly after they woke, to get them to a sight or hike, to put them in a hiking pack or expect them to walk, and then to return the same way we came for naptime/quiet time.
I think my personal opinion is that I wish I would have waited until our littles were a bit older and at least both able/interested in hiking down a path somewhat. Perhaps staying in the town of Banff would have been more suitable for us where there may have been more toddler friendly spots, but we thought we’d save on driving to Lake Louise and Moraine Lake if we stayed in the town of Lake Louise. Once we arrived we looked into staying a few nights in the town of Banff, but we couldn’t secure a reservation, so we enjoyed as much as we could while considering our kids moods.
Unlike other blogs we’ve written, this blog includes ideas of things we wanted to do but unfortunately we weren’t able to do it all. My suggestion is that if you go with toddlers, be sure to adjust your expectations, follow your kids’ lead, and just go with a list of ideas and see what works in the moment. This experience was eye-opening for me - as much as we do this, I need to remain easy-going about all of it and really set aside my personal expectations to embrace the current toddler phase I’m in.
Lake Louise
The milky green-blue color of Lake Louise is incredible. We enjoyed sitting along the rocks and letting the kids put their feet (and toys) in the water. The first time we came here at about 1030am on a Saturday, it was wall to wall people, but the 2nd time we came at about 4pm on a Wednesday was MUCH less crowded and therefore WAY more enjoyable to just chase kids back and forth along the water.
We wished we would have brought our personal paddle boards as these are allowed with a permit (after Waterton Lakes we kind of assumed personal watercraft, including paddle boards, would not be allowed). We didn’t have a means of bringing them and blowing them up as we biked to the lake both times, but we learned that if we had driven the 2nd time we visited, in the evening, we definitely could have found parking and had our paddle boards with us. Next time!
There were two hikes we really wanted to do here - neither worked out for us. :( The first was to the Lake Agnes Teahouse which is 4.5 miles round trip with 1300 ft of elevation gain. We expected the views from this teahouse to be breathtaking and it reminded us of the alpine huts my husband used to hike to in the German Alps when he lived there. I realllly wanted to do this. We were prepared for this cash-only experience but sadly didn’t make it. The other hike, Fairview Lookout, would have been much easier, but as mentioned in our forward, the kids just weren’t having it. This hike was just under 1.5 miles round trip and we were expecting magical views of the lake and the Fairmont Hotel.
We stayed at Lake Louise Hard-sided Campground and thus we took the Tramline Biking Trail from the end of Sentinel Rd near the Lake Louise Railway Station & Restaurant to Lake Louise. With our Trek e-bikes in eco mode and towing a Burley trailer of toddlers, the ascent took 41 minutes to reach the lake from the far-end of campground. The decent only took 25 minutes with the e-bike motor off. While there are some other hiking trails to Lake Louise, the Tramline Trail is the most direct bike-friendly trail.
Moraine Lake
Gosh, the bright torquoise color of this lake was absolutely jaw-dropping. I was fiddling with the kids after we got off our shuttle and saw this out of the corner of my eye and had to do a double take! Mind-blowing!
Moraine Lake does not allow personal vehicles so shuttles are a must. We opted to just take the Parks Canada shuttle as it was inexpensive at $8/adult and free for children. This shuttle had to be booked early (tickets were released in April for our September visit) or they are released in a rolling window at 8am MDT two days prior to departure day. This shuttle picks up at the Lake Louise Ski Resort which is a very large and crowded parking lot accommodating several different local shuttle operations. Unfortunately (and also somewhat, fortunately) these are big tour buses. There is room for your stroller and/or hiking packs in their underbelly, but the return busses in particular, are filled up, especially for later day departures.
We brought our Burley Bike Trailer in stroller mode which our big really appreciated having a place to rest and our little could be contained when needed. It wasn’t the best stroller for the Lakeshore Trail (it is not paved and there was a stair or two at the beginning of the trail), but it was possible and we were grateful to have it.
We had considered biking to Moraine Lake but the expected travel was about 1 hr 20 minutes for an 11 mile one-way bike on a narrow windy road. We decided that was too much time in the trailer for our toddlers and also didn’t want to take up the shuttle road space with our wide load. If we didn’t have the trailer and didn’t have naps and toddlers to consider, we definitely would have biked.
The Moraine Lakeshore Trail was so easy and inviting for the toddlers and the water was easier to access from any point of the shoreline than Lake Louise. The trail is a total of 2.3 miles and ends at a very pretty looking waterfall, but we didn’t make it there either (are you noticing a trend on this destination?!). The Rockpile Trail is a total of 0.5 miles round trip but climbs a fair amount of stairs to get there. I actually did this one myself as my husband pushed the kids around in our Burley Bike Trailer and the views were amazing. You can rent canoes at this lake as well for $160/hr.
Lake Louise Gondola
This experience was probably our favorite thing to do in the area with our toddlers! It was not crowded, the gondola ride is fun (you are required to take an enclosed gondola if you have toddlers), the views of the Canadian Rockies were incredible (you could even see Lake Louise and the Fairmont!), the kids enjoyed touching everything possible in the wildlife center, and we enjoyed beers and sparkling water from the Whitehorn Bistro.
Be sure to bring your binoculars to view the glaciers across the way from the overlook, talk to the people who work at the wildlife center to learn more and give your kids additional engagement, and have a bite to eat at the bistro. The food was delicious and even the kids meals were so thoughtful and unexpectedly included fresh berries and a homemade cookie.
As I mentioned previously, the Lake Louise Ski Resort parking lot is massive as this is where the shuttle park n’ rides are. While we opted to drive, this is only about a 30 minute bike ride from the Lake Louise Hard-sided Campground and probably would have been a better idea for us. The gondola tickets are $62 for adults, $26 for youth (ages 13-17), $14 for children (ages 6-12) and free for 5 and under. The staff was so sweet and even gave our daughter a ticket for her doll she insisted on bringing.
Stop at the Lake Louise Visitor Centre
This center was very helpful in enabling us with maps and information to get around on our e-bikes. The kids enjoyed the interactive mountain map while we figured things out. As this is a Canadian National Park, you won’t find US National Park Passport Book stamps here (obviously!).
Lake Louise Sport & Recreation Center Playground
This little turf playground was our toddlers’ favorite thing in Banff! We went here several times and it served as a nice break for my husband and I as the area was fenced, the kids could make friends, and we could enjoy the shade (usually) and the views. We biked here several times as it was only about 10 minutes each way from the Lake Louise Hard-sided Campground. Our favorite day was when we picked up donuts and croissants from Laggan’s and enjoyed them here on a cool morning.
Swim and Throw Rocks in the Bow River
After the playground, this was probably our toddlers’ favorite thing to do! The rocks along the Bow River are incredibly unique. Even my husband and I had a feast for our eyes. While most are covered in the glacial ash, which is a thin dust like residue in the rivers that makes them so milky, when you give them a good rinse they are astonishing. The water is very cold so while we didn’t swim in our bathing suits, we wore our watershoes to be able to dip our feet and walk around.
Peyto Lake
I really was excited to see this overlook of this lake, but at a 40 minute drive north of our campground, we didn’t make it just to see it with our kids. We thought maybe we could paddle board here, but we couldn’t find an easy access point online. Any tips for accessing this water with your paddle board or feedback with toddlers?
Day Trip to Yoho
We did do this day trip! We thoroughly enjoyed the Yoho National Park Visitors Centre and playground, Emerald Lake, Natural Bridge, and Takakkaw Falls and were able to fit it all in with a late nap. Surprisingly Emerald Lake and Takakkaw Falls were both very busy spots on a weekday morning and parking was a challenge with a 22ft Ram 3500 dually.
We started at Emerald Lake! When we arrived available parking was so far down the road - hubby decided he wanted to just stay in the car for this one, so only my daughter and I set out on foot for a short walk. The colors of this lake are more similar to Lake Louise but extremely impressive in it’s own way. The bridge to the lodge was beautiful and my daughter and I held hands, and enjoyed the manicured grounds and flowers, views, chairs, and overlooks. There is a cute coffee shop and restaurant on the water and canoe rentals are $100/hr.
We then went to Natural Bridge which was seriously so neat. The parking lot only had a few cars and I’m not actually sure tour busses could even fit in it, so that was a treat. Seeing the Kicking Horse River water siphoned through what looks like a hole in the ground was really something and the rock formations are beautiful. There is a 0.5 mi round trip hike which takes you to the lower falls, but we just enjoyed the natural bridge at the parking lot.
After Natural Bridge we stopped at the Visitors Centre and enjoyed the views, playground, and secured our daughter a much wanted Christmas ornament. The playground here is a great treat for the littles. While they played, my husband took a walk along the river.
We then went to Takakkaw Falls which is way more impressive in person than in pictures. The waterfall is so tall and thunders over a massive cliff. The hike is about 1.1 miles round trip and definitely worth it to hike to the base of the waterfall. My son and I did this, while my daughter threw rocks and played in the river. The drive is really beautiful and one section is extremely windy (we actually had to put it in reverse on time to make the turn but we did see campers). The parking here was very busy as well.
These spots were only about 40 minutes northwest of our campground.
Day Trip to Town of Banff
The town of Banff is only about 40 minutes southeast of the town of Lake Louise but we did not make it there for a day trip. I honestly don’t think a day would have been enough anyways. Next time I’d stay here for a few days and also the town of Lake Louise. Some of the places we wanted to visit were the Cave and Basin National Historic Monument, Banff Hot Springs, the Whyte Museum, Central Park Playground, Bow Falls, and several of the surrounding lakes.
Johnston Canyon
Johnston Canyon was very impressive and a pretty fun hike with toddlers! We were able to secure a parking spot near the entrance and the kids seemed to enjoy this hike which was early on in our adventure. The turquoise water against the canyon walls is a sight to behold. We made it to the lower falls which was 1.5 miles round trip but you can hike to the upper falls for a 3.7 mile round trip hike. At the lower falls there is a bridge that goes across the water to a tunnel. I imagine the tunnel has a pretty view of the falls though it, but there was a line the entire way across the bridge waiting to see and get a picture there. We opted to just enjoy the falls and pass on waiting 20 minutes to see that one spot. Once we returned back from our hike, our toddlers managed to get themselves on a tour bus and that was probably their favorite part - sitting on the bus. 🤪 This was about 30 minutes from the Lake Louise Hard-sided Campground.
Golden Skybridge
We did not make it here, but the views look amazing and I think our kids would have enjoyed it if it wasn’t an hour from where we were staying. There is an alpine coaster, giant swing and zipline all of which could have been a lot of fun! Toddlers must be over 3 to ride the alpine coaster, 6 years to ride the zipline, and 9 years to ride the swing. The prices online vary between $40-50/adults and $30ish/5 and under. The Golden Skybridge was about an hour for Lake Louise Hard-sided Campground. This is another spot I’d like to return to when our kids are a little older and I’d probably spend a few nights in Golden.
Radium Hot Springs
Radium Hot Springs was highly recommended by the locals but it was 1.5 hours from the Lake Louise Hard-sided Campground. We ended up driving through Radium Hot Springs on our way from the town of Lake Louise to Fernie, BC and the springs really looked so neat! The drive was also amazing. You drive through Kootenay National Park and along the way we saw a bear and cub along the river and when entering town we saw several bighorn sheep. As you enter the town you drive between two massive rocks which are really impressive. We considered stopping with our fifth wheel, but the springs were busy on a Friday morning and while the parking lot had enough room for us at the time we arrived, we were concerned it would fill up.
How did you enjoy Lake Louise with your toddlers? Would you prefer doing it when they are a little older or did you feel good about their ages?
AFFILIATE DISCLOSURE
This website contains some affiliate links to other websites including the Amazon Associate program. If you use the links provided and make a qualifying purchase, we get a small commission at no extra cost to you. We only recommend products we truly love, have made a difference in our lives, actually use during our adventures, and think you can benefit from too!
