Great Destinations

The Turquoise Lakes of the Canadian Rockies: September 2026

We had a great whirlwind 4 day tour seeing bits of the spectacular Canadian Rockies in Banff, Jasper, Kootenay and Yoho National Parks in 4 days, seeing as much as possible see in that time. I have a gallery showing an overview of what we saw, but this page is devoted to the justifiably famous collection of 3 small but very special lakes that sit in almost surreal mountain settings in the Canadian Rockies. Glacier melt feeds these lakes, laden with “rock flour” (microscopic bits of ground stone) that is suspended in the water and absorbs sunlight, scattering only shades of blue to the eyes of nearby visitors. While glacier-fed turqouise lakes exist in various parts of the world (see the New Zealand gallery here), they rarely are found in such magnificent settings.

Rounded gray boulders line still turquoise Lake Louise with dark mountains and glacier ice in the distance.
Rounded shoreline stones border calm turquoise water with the Victoria Glacier valley beyond – Lake Louise, Banff National Park.
An evergreen tree rises beside rounded shore stones and turquoise water with glacier-covered peaks in the distance.
A shoreline spruce and rounded rocks frame Lake Louise with Victoria Glacier deep in the valley – Banff National Park, Alberta.
Turquoise Moraine Lake and jagged peaks appear between dark conifers beneath an overcast mountain sky.
Pines frame the vivid water of Moraine Lake and the steep walls of the Valley of the Ten Peaks – Banff National Park, Alberta.
Turquoise water reflects a steep jagged mountain and gray clouds along a forested shore.
A rugged peak and cloud patterns reflect softly across the calm surface of Emerald Lake – Yoho National Park, British Columbia.
The large lakeside hotel sits beside bright turquoise Lake Louise, enclosed by dense evergreen forest.
An elevated view looks down on Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise beside vivid turquoise water and surrounding forest – Banff National Park.
A close view across Lake Louise shows Victoria Glacier, layered cliffs, and low clouds at the end of the valley.
Victoria Glacier and steep mountain walls fill the head of Lake Louise under unsettled weather – Banff National Park, Alberta.
Still blue-green water, a fallen trunk, and dense conifers create a quiet shoreline scene.
A calm inlet along Emerald Lake reflects forest and sky around a fallen tree – Yoho National Park, British Columbia.
Weathered driftwood, gray stones, turquoise water, and the distant glacier create a layered lakeshore scene.
Driftwood and rounded stones line a quiet Lake Louise shore with Victoria Glacier centered beyond – Banff National Park, Alberta.
Golden shrubs and green foliage border bright turquoise water beneath dark slopes and a cloudy glacier basin.
Yellowing shrubs frame turquoise Lake Louise as the valley narrows toward Victoria Glacier – Banff National Park, Alberta.
A narrow log floats on still turquoise water with a rocky shore, dark forest, and glacier valley beyond.
A long floating log crosses the calm edge of Lake Louise beneath forested slopes and Victoria Glacier – Banff National Park, Alberta.
Smooth gray boulders fill the foreground beside vivid lake water, forested mountains, and distant glacier ice.
Large rounded boulders anchor the Lake Louise shoreline while turquoise water leads toward Victoria Glacier – Banff National Park.
Clear turquoise water, sunlit shoreline trees, and the craggy Ten Peaks define a bright Moraine Lake scene.
Sun reaches the turquoise shoreline of Moraine Lake below the rugged Ten Peaks – Valley of the Ten Peaks, Banff National Park.
Calm teal water reflects a dark tree line and mountain slope with muted gray cloud above.
A still corner of Emerald Lake mirrors the forest and low mountain ridge beneath overcast light – Yoho National Park, British Columbia.
Bright red canoes sit at a wooden dock on turquoise Lake Louise below cloud-covered mountains and glacier ice.
Red rental canoes rest beside the Lake Louise dock with turquoise water and Victoria Glacier beyond – Banff National Park, Alberta.
Turquoise water stretches between dark mountain walls toward glacier-covered peaks under overcast skies.
Lake Louise fills the glacial valley between steep forested mountains beneath a dense gray sky – Banff National Park, Alberta.
Lake Louise fills the foreground beneath steep forested slopes, layered cliffs, glacier ice, and low cloud.
Open turquoise water leads directly toward Victoria Glacier and the cliffs at the head of Lake Louise – Banff National Park, Alberta.
One spruce stands above brilliant Moraine Lake with layered rock in front and the Ten Peaks beyond.
A lone spruce rises from the Rockpile above intense turquoise Moraine Lake and the Ten Peaks – Banff National Park, Alberta.
Golden shrubs line vivid turquoise water with a steep, jagged mountain and dark forest beyond.
Yellowing lakeshore shrubs brighten the turquoise water beneath a rugged mountain at Emerald Lake – Yoho National Park, British Columbia.
A small turquoise lake lies below pale glacier ice, dark forest, and steep layered cliffs under cloud.
Lake Louise sits far below broad glacier ice and steep mountain walls in a compressed telephoto valley view – Banff National Park, Alberta.
The stony edge of Moraine Lake transitions from clear shallows to bright turquoise below steep mountain walls.
Shallow clear water turns brilliant turquoise along Moraine Lake beneath talus slopes and the Ten Peaks – Banff National Park, Alberta.