Lake O'Hara - A Hiker's Paradise

Have you ever wondered what was on the other side of a mountain?

Each year millions of people gaze upon Lake Louise staring at Victoria glacier hanging off the mountain at the far end of the lake end. It's one of Canada's most famous scenes and a top tourist destination yet few people ever get to see what's on the other side.

SPOILER ALERT: It's even nicer

Lake O'Hara is so exclusive you are not allowed to drive there and they only let about one thousand people take the bus up to it per year! The lake is 2017m above sea level and is surrounded by delicate ecosystems. While you can walk to Lake O'Hara (biking is prohibited), it's ten kilometers from the highway and a 400 meter vertical walk up a dirt road. If you walk there you might have to walk back, unless there is space on the bus. After such a walk, most people aren't able to make the most of this Hiker's Paradise so it's best to reserve a spot in advanced.

The waters from lake Oesa which is couple hundred meters above Lake O'Hara cascade down the cliffs into this glass-like lake. Lake Louise would be on the other side of those mountains to the left. Now back to reservations, for those reading this, you're probably not going to be able to reserve the bus to Lake O'Hara. Twenty to thirty thousand people try to get a spot for a ticket during a thirty minute window. This means if you don't get lucky during those thirty minutes, once per year, better luck next time!

This year, 2024, the reservation date for camping is on January 25 at 8am Mountain Time source. You have to be logged on between 30 minutes and 1 minute before that time to be in the draw, or you go to the back of the line (good luck, time to rage quit until next year). Last year I made sure I could log on with three devices to get better chances in the queue, plus a couple other people were in my group doing the same.

Luckily I got selected and quickly booked a camping spot for the Saturday of the August Long-Weekend, Prime Time Baby! Since there are only thirty camping spots and just a couple of months where camping is allowed you better be fast, as days keep filling up and you will waste time checking your schedule. If you're too slow or experience an issue with your credit card, better luck next year. The only alternative is to book a spot in the lodge, prices start at $995 per night.

Once camping is booked, they sell a few select tickets for the bus (usually in a February to April lottery). But there is a catch, because there are 30 camping groups of up to 4 on any given day who need to get to Lake O'Hara there isn't much room left on the bus. They only have two busses going up per day and some of the seats at the back are taken out and others are purposely kept empty. We decided to camp because then you get a few more hours of hiking and could even hike the next day if you're up to it.

The pictures in this blog are taken of the lake from the trails around it. We did a version of the Alpine Circuit Hike, the only 4.9 star hike I have ever seen and can agree with. Yes it beat's the hikes around Lake Louise and the best part is, it's not crowded.

These photos are taken from the Yukness Ridge between Lake Oesa and the Opabin Plateau (both must sees.) Up here you feel like you're on top of the world and just imagine doing this hike after walking up to the lake. One can truly appreciate the delicate nature up here and understand why it's so exclusive. Due to the short growing season above two thousand meters, a large amount of hikers would destroy the plants.

One feels lucky up here as any other lake so nice would have hundreds if not thousands of people taking selfies on the shore. This has ruined Lake Louise and Emerald Lake as hoards of tourists vye for a few feet of space during peak season to get that perfect selfie. The beauty of the nature surrounding Lake O'Hara is luckily preserved for those who are truly dedicated.

This is our hiking tent, the Aurora Nemo. This is backcountry camping, so they don't allow hard coolers or a ridiculous amount of gear on the bus. If you can't carry it in one trip, keep it in the car or they won't let it on the bus. I wouldn't try to get on with a two-four either, this place isn't for partying.

After hiking we worked up a sweat and decided to jump in the lake. It was about 4 degrees and after a minute you turn white and need to get out. Just wanted to try swimming in a glacial lake, NOT RECOMMENDED as hypothermia sets in fast. I'm sure the water felt clean like nothing ever before but we weren't thinking about that, it just felt cold.

That view though, not a person in site. What can compete?

Thank you for reading and I promise to share some photos of the hiking we did in future posts.

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All photos taken with an s20 or iPhone 13 pro and are unfiltered.