Lake Minnewanka Scenic Cruise Banff

Lake Minnewanka: the lake of the spirits

Lake Minnewanka stretches for about twenty-one kilometres through a glacial valley in the Front Ranges of the Rockies, making it the longest lake in Banff National Park and one of the few where motorboats are allowed. The Stoney Nakoda, who hunted and camped along its shores for thousands of years, called it Minn-waki, the lake of the water spirits, and the commentary on the cruise begins with their stories and the archaeological finds on the shoreline. The water is a deep turquoise from the glacial silt and cold all year.

The boarding dock sits at the western end near the picnic grounds, about fifteen minutes' drive from Banff town. A Lake Minnewanka boat tour is the easiest way to see the whole length of the valley, because the road ends at the dock and the far reaches of the lake are only accessible by water or on foot. Is Lake Minnewanka worth visiting? For most visitors it is the most dramatic lake scenery close to town.

The Fairholme Range and the wildlife along the shore

Once the boat leaves the dock, the peaks of the Fairholme Range rise directly from the water on the southern shore, limestone walls of grey and ochre that were folded and pushed up when the Rockies formed. Mount Inglismaldie and Mount Girouard are the most prominent, and the guide explains how the lake's valley was carved by glaciers and how the layered rock records an ancient seabed. On the northern shore the lower slopes of Mount Aylmer are a corridor for wildlife.

Bighorn sheep are often seen on the slopes near the dock, bald eagles and ospreys fish over the water, and with luck a black bear or a grizzly appears on the shoreline meadows in early summer. The guide points out whatever is moving, and the open viewing areas at the front and back of the boat give everyone a clear line of sight; binoculars are worth bringing on a Banff lake cruise.

Devil's Gap and the village beneath the water

The cruise heads east along the lake to the narrows known as Devil's Gap, where the mountains close in on either side and the lake squeezes through a gap towards the Ghost River valley and the prairies beyond. The light changes as the boat turns here, and it is the most photographed point of the trip, with the full line of peaks reflected behind you on a calm day. The boat holds position for a few minutes before turning back towards the dock.

The commentary also covers the lake's hidden history: a dam built in 1941 raised the water level by about thirty metres and submerged the resort village of Minnewanka Landing, whose cabins, hotel foundations and a bridge still stand on the lake bed and are now a destination for divers. Hearing about the drowned village while crossing the water above it is one of the best parts of the Lake Minnewanka cruise, and the guide explains how the dam still shapes the lake's levels each season.

Getting there: the Lake Minnewanka Scenic Drive from Banff

How to get to Lake Minnewanka from Banff is simple: the Lake Minnewanka Scenic Drive leaves the Trans-Canada Highway just east of town and climbs past Cascade Ponds and Two Jack Lake to the dock in about fifteen minutes by car. In summer a public shuttle from Banff town also serves the lake, and parking at the dock fills by late morning, so an early or late-afternoon departure is easier. A Banff National Park entry pass is required for every vehicle and is not included in the cruise.

Arrive at the dock about fifteen minutes before your departure to check in. The lake area has picnic tables, a snack kiosk and short lakeside trails, so many visitors combine the cruise with a stop at Two Jack Lake on the way back or with the Banff Gondola the same afternoon. The best time to visit Lake Minnewanka is from June to September for the warmest weather, while mid-May and early October bring quieter docks and snow on the peaks.