Canadian Rockies – the iconic places
The national parks in the rockies provide plenty of possibilities for everyone, from the lone wolf explorer to the lazy tourist moving with the crowds. Wild fires or wildlife may sometimes limit your options, but everyone can craft his own experience. There are places though that are a must for everyone visiting the area, so famous that are well known even to people that have never been to Canada and have become iconic images of the entire country.
Here are the 3 most known places in the Rockies, someone say even in the country, seen through the “eye” of my camera.
1. Lake Louise
Lake Louise is said to be the most photographed place in Canada, for very good reasons I might say, even if it is not probably the best in the list and honestly it probably wouldn’t make my personal top 5 of Canadian lakes. The thing is, it is easily accessible (close to Hw.1 and with parking lots almost on the shores), every tour stops there, it is the perfect hub for all the incredible hikes in the area… and it is beautiful of course!
I’ve recently read a statistic report stating that more than 90% of people visiting national parks in US and Canada never go more than 1 Km away from their vehicle, so Lake Louise is really the perfect spot for everyone and that’s probably why it became so famous.
Since I was there mostly for the hikes, I’ve chosen an image taken from the top of the Big Beehive instead of the classic shot from the shores.
2. Spirit Island
If Lake Louise comes first, this is probably the second most photographed place in the country and, if the light is right in the afternoon, it is simply amazing. Back when the Rockies were still a place for explorers, it was a picture of Spirit Island that started it all and now everyone is trying to replicate that shot.
Spirit Island – well it is not really an island, it depends on water levels how you see it – is not so easy to view. It is in the middle of Maligne Lake, 1 hour South of Jasper at the end of the only road going there, and can be seen or reached only by boat (canoeing there takes hours) since it is hidden from the shores at the end of the road and no trails lead there.
Once you reach it, the reward is well worth the trip and a lot of people are not missing the opportunity even if only for a short time.
3. Moraine Lake
This lake is probably the most iconic place of the entire country. Not only it is found on covers of most travel guides, calendars and desktops, it was also for years on the back of the 20$ bills… and it really is one of my absolute favourites, far better than Lake Louise for the views.
It is close to Lake Louise but at the end of a mountain road and with very limited space for parking, so it is harder to reach. The best time of the day to get there is at sunrise because then it gets the best light and the crowds are still sleeping; do not expect to be alone even at 5 in the morning tough, photographers fight for the best spots very early.
After the early morning shots it is also a great place to rent a canoe and enjoy the rest of the morning on the lake away from the crowds invading the shores… the real Canadian experience.
The shot below is the classic “20 dollar view” taken from the Rock Pile early in the morning.
