Lake Louise, Alberta
Lake Louise is both an actual lake and a nearby
hamlet located in the
Canadian province of
Alberta in
Banff National Park. The unique emerald colour of the lake comes from
rock flour carried into the lake by melt-water from the
glaciers that overlook the lake. Recreational activities in the area include
hiking,
scrambling, and exceptional down-hill
skiing.
Lake Louise is named after the
Princess Louise Caroline Alberta (
1848-
1939), the fourth daughter of Queen
Victoria of the United Kingdom, and the wife of
Sir John Campbell, who was the
Governor General of Canada from 1878 to 1883. The province of Alberta is also named for the Princess Louise.
The hamlet of Lake Louise is located beside the
Trans-Canada Highway, 180
km (112 miles) west of
Calgary. The background of Lake Louise is filled with views of several snow-capped
mountains including
Mount Temple (3543 m / 11,692 ft),
Mount Whyte (2983 m / 9,844 ft) and
Mount Niblock (2976 m / 9,820 ft). The village has a small shopping centre called "Samson Mall" which includes a park
visitor centre,
grocery store,
bakery,
sporting goods store,
liquor store, and
fast-food establishments. The
ski area Lake Louise Mountain Resort is also located here.
On the eastern shore of the lake is
Chateau Lake Louise, an elegant five-star hotel. It was gradually built up at the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century by the
Canadian Pacific Railway and is thus a cousin to
Château Frontenac at the other end of the country. Several hiking trails start near the chateau which lead up to Saddleback Pass,
Fairview Mountain (2744 m / 9,055 ft), Mirror Lake,
Lake Agnes, Big Beehive, Little Beehive, and for the more adventurous, Devils Thumb, Mount Whyte, and Mount Niblock.
The lake can be reached by following Lake Louise Drive for a few kilometres up a fairly steep winding grade. Even with several large lots at the lake, parking is at a premium between 11:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. in July and August. About two-thirds the way up Lake Louise Drive, the 15 km (9 mile) road to
Moraine Lake branches off to the southwest.
Image:Lake Louise.jpg|Lake Louise and the glacier in winterImage:Lake_Louise_Canada.JPG|Lake Louise and glacierImage:Lake_Louise_17092005.jpg|The lake with the Chateau *
Lake Louise Mountain Resort*
Resorts of the Canadian Rockies
