Exploring Peyto Lake

Peyto Lake is located north of Lake Louise in Banff National Park. The lake and the trail up above the lake are easily accessible off the Icefields Parkway. We opted to do the hike up to Bow Summit (trail very easily accessible from the Peyto Lake parking area) to view the lake in the morning and barely missed the crowds. As we were leaving, two tour buses arrived and it was only 8:30-9:00am! So, if you want to see this popular lake be sure to leave early or come later in the afternoon. The color of the lake is absolutely unreal and even if the crowds had been shoulder to shoulder I would have made time to see this lake. However, the mosquitoes are HORRIBLE so make sure to wear long pants and a long shirt, especially in the summertime, to avoid getting hundreds of bites. It was very chilly the morning we went but they were biting me through my thick, warm leggings and even through my hiking socks!

The hike up to the summit is very short, but it is very steep. If you are not in good physical condition you may want to allot some extra time for this short climb.

Also I learned the lake is pronounced "pee-tow," not "pay-tow" and I've been saying it wrong for years haha!