Peyto Lake Overlook and Bow Pass Summit

Peyto Lake is a scenic location on the Icefields Parkway about 40 km (25 miles) north of the town of Lake Louise. Access to the viewing area for this magnificent area is immediately off the parkway and is well signposted.

From the parking lot at Bow Summit, a short paved trail leads to one of the most breathtaking views you could ever imagine. Skip the viewpoint wooden balcony where hoards of tourists are common during the busy summer season. Instead, follow the paved use trail straight ahead where eventually it meets the dirt trail into the forest.

Upon climbing the short 1.9 mile distance to the viewing point you are greeted by what many consider to be one of the best views in Canada. The lake is located in a convergence of valleys surrounded by magestic mountains and rich forests. The lake system is fed from the Peyto Glacier to the left of the view point and this gives the lake a magnificent blue color in the summer months due to the mineral content. This glacier is part of the extensive Wapta Icefield, which straddles the Continental Divide and extends into the northern reaches of Yoho National Park in British Columbia.

Grab a snack and take it all in. With views this magestic, you may not want to leave! But alas, if you must, retrace your steps back to the parking lot.