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Caption: Lake O’Hara Western Canada’s best-kept secret
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Caption: You’ve Heard of Lake Louise. You’ve also heard of Moraine Lake. Imagine those places without hordes of tourists. That will give you an idea of the incredible beauty at Lake O’Hara, located in Yoho National Park.
Caption: Parks Canada does an amazing job limiting the number of tourists to this pristine spot. There are 3 options to get here:
1. Reserve a spot on the day bus: this requires a lot of luck, as Parks Canada only allows 25 day trippers per day over the summer. Reservations for the year are full just minutes after opening.
2. Reserve a spot at the campsite: you are guaranteed a bus ride in/out if you manage to snag a campsite. Again, reservations are full soon after opening!
3. Stay at the 5-Star Lake O’hara Lodge: at over $700 per night, this is the most expensive option.
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Caption: We were able to reserve a spot on the 8:30am bus. There are a variety of hiking trails available. We went with the trail to Lake Oesa.
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Caption: Lake O’Hara to Lake Oesa Trail
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Caption: One of the most immaculate trail systems in the world.
Picture of Lake O'Hara
Picture of Lake O'Hara
Picture of Lake O'Hara
Picture of Lake O'Hara
Caption: After a stunning couple hours on the trail, we reached Lake Oesa.
Picture of Lake O'Hara
Caption: Instead of turning around and going back the way we came, we made our way over to the Yukness Ledges trail.
Picture of Lake O'Hara
Video of Lake O'Hara
Caption: The views from up here were breathtaking.
Picture of Lake O'Hara
Caption: Near the end of the Yukness Ledges Trail. A right at this lake leads back to O’Hara, but we took a quick detour to the left to catch one more lake.
Picture of Lake O'Hara
Picture of Lake O'Hara
Caption: Time to go back to Lake O’Hara
Picture of Lake O'Hara
Caption: Nothing quite like strolling through the woods and hearing the subdued rumblings of a nearby stream.
Picture of Lake O'Hara
Picture of Lake O'Hara
Caption: It’s easy to see why reservations for the campsite and bus fill up so fast. Lake O’Hara and its trails are the most beautiful alpine environment I’ve ever seen.
Lake O'Hara
Caption: Thanks for reading our final #epixtrip entry! To make a reservation for the Lake O’Hara bus, head over to Parks Canada.
For our Canadian adventure, we kept coming back to one resource, and I can not recommend it enough. Check out this blog for detailed guides on the best sites, sounds, & hikes. We don’t know her personally, but Courtny and I have used her site for multiple trips: InAFarawayLand.com
Lake O'Hara
Caption: Photos and Videos:
Phil Navatsyk
Courtny Jodon Instagram: @philnavatsykphoto
