Sunset at Moraine Lake: Evening Tour and Why the Bad Weather Didn’t Ruin Everything

When planning my trip to Banff, I reached out to a friend in Calgary. She offered some great tips and one was to see the sunset at Moraine Lake! The rules to get to Moraine Lake have changed in recent years, so we booked a sunset tour to Moraine Lake to keep it easy.

Even though the weather wasn’t cooperative for the sunset aspect, we did get to see Moraine Lake and experience it with no crowds! It was worth it for that reason alone, but Moraine Lake was magical even with the cloud cover and rain!

How to Visit Moraine Lake

It is no longer permitted for visitors to drive to Moraine Lake. When on the tour, I asked the guide and she said the traffic on the road to Moraine Lake was so bad, it became dangerous. As a result, they have closed the road to Moraine Lake for non-commercial vehicles.

You can walk or bike the road, but booking a tour, shuttle or bus is the easiest. We ended up choosing a shuttle to visit Lake Louise during our 5 days in Banff and it worked out well! There was an option to add on Moraine Lake, but we ended up booking a separate sunset tour. While I think adding it on to our Lake Louise day would have also been nice, the sunset tour ended up giving us the lake to ourselves! Plus, we had more time to hike and enjoy Lake Louise.

Of course, staying at Moraine Lake is also an option! The Moraine Lake Lodge offers small cabins with massive windows that overlook the lake. You would still have to share the lake with tourists during the day, but the evenings will be quiet and beautiful!

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Why Visit Moraine Lake at Sunset?

Ultimately, it was my friend in Calgary who mentioned sunset at Moraine Lake. I had reached out to her for Banff tips and she specifically mentioned visiting Moraine Lake for sunset. With that in mind and learning about the new rules for visiting this lake, we booked the Sunset at Moraine Lake & Stargazing Tour.

One obvious advantage to the sunset tour is not having to wake up super early! Additionally, there seems to be a lot more options for sunrise versus sunset. While I can’t speak to every night at Moraine Lake, the night we were there, only guests at the Moraine Lake Lodge were around. There were no other people in the parking lot!

We didn’t get to stargaze due to the weather, but I can imagine how beautiful the night sky must be! So yes, sunrise is always an option, but sunset might actually be even quieter and possibly more beautiful! I do think this lake is going to be beautiful any time of day, so whatever works best for your Banff itinerary will still be great.

My Experience | Sunset at Moraine Lake & Stargazing Tour

We booked the Sunset at Moraine Lake & Stargazing Tour from Canmore/Banff for the 4th night of our 5 days in Banff. We had beautiful weather the first few days in Banff, and then came the rain and snow! Despite the bad weather, the tour continued and we were excited to see the lake regardless of the weather.

The tour included pickup from Canmore, where we were staying, which was a nice break for the two drivers in our group. The pickup spot was across the street from our Airbnb, which was great because it was raining. Our tour guide pulled up on time and our group of eight climbed into the van. We only had one more stop to pick up another couple making our tour a group of ten. The guide did say it’s capped at thirteen, so no tour will be too packed!

Stop at Morant’s Curve

The first stop we made was at the famous Morant’s Curve. The train didn’t come by, but the view is incredible! We only stayed a few minutes before continuing the drive along Bow Parkway.

There was an elk sighting and this ended up being the only sighting for our entire trip! We continued along the scenic road and eventually made our way to Moraine Lake.

Arriving at Moraine Lake

When we pulled into the parking lot at Moraine Lake, there were no other cars in the lot! The tour provided umbrellas and ponchos and some of us took a quick bathroom break. The bathrooms at Moraine Lake are drop toilets (pit toilets), which aren’t my favorite. However, there are plenty of them, which shows me how many visitors Moraine Lake must see daily!

Moraine Lake

We made the short walk to the edge of Moraine Lake and were immediately enamored by the color the water! Even under the cloud cover and rain, the color was still strong and mesmerizing! After taking some photos at the front area, we walked down the trail to admire this beautiful lake from other angles.

We never saw anyone outside, but the Moraine Lake Lodge guests enjoy views from the big windows of their rooms. One guest waved at us from his room but other than that, we never saw anyone else!

The lake was still, peaceful and vibrant in color. The colors of the canoes with the bright lake were breathtaking. I’m amazed how striking it was even in the rainy sunset. I’m sad we didn’t get the sunset at Moraine Lake from the rock pile, but I’m still glad we got to see this beautiful lake. The colors still popped, the mountains still left us in awe, so the trip was absolutely worth it!

Bad Weather Bonus | Lake Louise

On a normal tour, Lake Louise isn’t included, but due to the bad weather they added a stop here! We had visited Lake Louise the day before and arrived around 8AM. The lake was already full of people! We did the hike to the Lake Agnes Tea House and onto the Little Beehive before enjoying lunch at the Fairmont. The lake was beautiful in the morning, afternoon, and now at dusk, but to avoid crowds definitely come for sunset!

The tour offers tea or hot chocolate, so some of us made a drink before walking to the lake. Unlike the day before, there was only one other small group at Lake Louise. It was calm and magical. If you are trying to decide on a good time to visit Lake Louise and don’t need time to hike, consider sunset to avoid the crowds!

Return to Canmore

We enjoyed the lake for a while, and as darkness had set in, we made our way back to the van. The drive back to Canmore took about an hour, but we chatted with the tour guide and the time went by fast.

While I’m bummed we didn’t get the sunset or stargazing experience, the color of Moraine Lake still left us in awe. The beauty of the mountains next to the bright turquoise water is stunning even on a rainy evening!

Book Sunset at Moraine Lake & Stargazing Tour from Canmore/Banff

What to Pack for a Moraine Lake Sunset Visit

The tour requests that you dress appropriately for being outside, which should be top of your Canadian Rockies packing list. Hiking boots or workout shoes with good traction will work. It’s very important to pack layers as the temperature will drop! Lastly, be sure to bring some snacks and a water bottle!

The tour provides refills on water as well as tea and hot chocolate. They also provided ponchos and umbrellas for the rainy weather we encountered! We didn’t get the sunset or stargazing due to weather, but the description states binoculars and headlamps are offered as well.

Beautiful Banff Scenes

Sunset at Moraine Lake

I hope you consider sunset at Moraine Lake for your Banff trip! Even though the weather wasn’t great, the lake was still stunning! I also loved not having to share it with hundreds of other tourists!

Lake Louise and Moraine Lake are the two most visited lakes in Banff and for good reason! Yet, the crowds can put a damper on experiencing them. I’m so grateful my friend in Calgary mentioned sunset at Moraine Lake and I’m glad the tour continued despite the weather, because the views were magical!

Regardless of when you end up visiting Moraine Lake, I hope you have a great time at this iconic scene!