Best place to Canoe in Banff NP or Jasper NP
 

Last summer I participated in a hiking vacation with a group for a week in Banff NP and Yoho NP. I fell in love with the area (not unusual, right?!) and planned another Rockies trip for this summer. In two weeks I'll be leaving this Georgia humidity and again head to Banff NP for a couple of days, adding several days in Jasper and a 5-day hut-to-hut backpacking trip in Wells Gray Provincial Park. In Jasper, Yoho, or Banff, my boyfriend and I would like to have a relatively peaceful canoe experience in an area where it's not so jammed that we have to constantly maneuver around someone else's canoe. I've seen Moraine Lake, Lake Louise, and Emerald Lake (and Peyto Lake, but no canoeing there), but have not yet seen any lakes in Jasper. Would like your suggestion on which lake would offer the best canoeing experience in terms of little crowding on the lake (maybe going early in the morning would help?) and beautiful scenery. Thanks so much.

Kate

Take a look at www.malignelake.com . You can rent canoes on maligne lake, but the cruise boats can be disturbing.

I would recommend to canoe in Wells Gray park (clearwater/azure lake). The park is very suited for canoeing or you choose the bowron-lake Provincial park, which has even more to offer for canoeing (a combination of rivers & lakes).

Link to Wells Gray canoe lakes:
http://wlapwww.gov.bc.ca/bcparks/exp...kpgs/wells.htm

Link to Bowron Lake canoe lakes & rivers

http://wlapwww.gov.bc.ca/bcparks/exp...pgs/bowron.htm

Thanks, Tom. Still looking for any recommendations in Banff, Jasper, or Yoho National Parks, as unfortunately our plans won't allow us to canoe in Wells Gray.

You can canoe on any lake you stumble across so long as you have a canoe with you . . . . Rental locations are limited pretty much to those you and Tom22 mentioned.

My only other suggestion is at the the Jasper Park Lodge. The lodge rents canoes to use on the lake in front of the Lodge - the name of the lake escapes me for the moment. It is a fairly large lake, and they don't rent that many canoes, so it doesn't get crowded. You don't need to be a guest to rent one, but I don't know if rental preference goes to guests . . . you may want to see if you could even reserve one in advance.

We just returned from a fabulous trip and canoed on both Moraine Lake and Lake Louise ($35 per hour). It was the peak tourist season and perfect weather and didn't find it a problem at all on either lake. The only difference between these 2 lakes were that Moraine Lake was bluer and clearer, and Lake Louise was greener. Both have spectacular scenery and canoeing was yet another perspective to enjoy the scenery.

Karen

You can rent a conoe at Pyramid Lake. It's a short drive through the woods north of Jasper town (takes about 5 minutes to drive from main street in Jasper; you'll pass by Patricia Lake before you get to Pyramid Lake).
The lake is very pretty and I believe it is L-shaped, and has a great view of Pyramid Mountian.