Emerald Lake
The vivid green water of Yoho's largest lake is absolutely breathtaking and rivals any other lake found in the Canadian Rocky Mountain parks. It was discovered by European explorer Tom Wilson in 1882, and by 1902, the Canadian Pacific Railway had built the Emerald Lake Lodge wilderness resort for its guests to enjoy the stunning landscape. It's worthwhile to hike the 5.3-km (3.2-mile) mostly flat trail around the lake, where you can see a diversity of plants, including orchids found on the lake's southeast side, and animals like bald eagles, moose, and osprey. There are picnic areas, and Emerald Lake Lodge has a patio restaurant where you can enjoy lunch or coffee lakeside. There are canoe and rowboat rentals in the summer, and in the winter, Emerald is a good place to cross-country ski or snowshoe. Due to its high altitude, the lake is frozen from about November to July.
