Beautiful! The walk up is pretty easy- just a lot of uphill but very short until you get to the viewing platform. We opted to go over the fence before reaching the overcrowded viewing deck and took photos from underneath the platform- still a great view but only a few other people so much better and easier to get photos!

The path to the lake was Ice/compacted snow and was a tricky walk up and even trickier coming down. Took us about 30 minutes to get up to the lake. Stunning view once you got there though, then a tough 30 minutes down again, not sure it was worth the effort, Lake Louis was probably better and much easier to get to!

Stunning views. We visited during May long weekend. I knew Lake Louise & Morraine lake would be swamped so we opted to drive a little further. The parking lot was less than a quarter full. It’s just a short walk to the view point. So beautiful with out the crowds of people!

What an amazing view and beautiful site, stunning! We stopped on way on Ice Field Parkway to Jasper. One of the best of many spectacular views on our Canadian Rockies trip. It was about 1/3 mile walk from parking area, all uphill. At that elevation we stopped once on way there to catch breath due to elevation. It was well worth it, simply spectacular! No fee to see, parking may be little crowded in busy season.

Definitely somewhere to visit. Stopped on the Ice Field Parkway on our trip from Banff to Jasper, Free parking, that at the time we visited, was not too busy. It is uphill and quite a way, so may not be suitable for all, although there maybe a higher car park (possibly for buses) that may make the trek a little easier.

This lake is a sleeper, it is not nearly as crowded as Moraine or Louise, but does have the views. There is a short hike to the viewpoint and it is a little steep but your effort will be rewarded. This lake is very blue but the best part is that the Lake is shaped like a wolf head. Definitely make this one of your stops along the parkway, it is worth it!

Peyto Lake had a breathtaking watercolor, and I got some great pictures of the entire lake. The surrounding mountains and the trees were out of this world. I took a trail that was probably about half (1/2) a mile long to reach the boardwalk that allowed me to see this lake. It was not difficult to find parking. Although this attraction was crowded, it was definitely under control. I would encourage people to dress appropriately in terms of their usage of warm clothes and proper footwear.

This was our FAVORITE lake, sight, activity, parkway stop, etc in all of Banff and Jasper NPs. Made our trip. The beauty was unparalleled. Get off the beaten path a bit away from the viewing platform crowds and you'll be rewarded with a serene view of the most majestic sight of your life.

Although this hike/walk is about 1/3 if a mile (.6 km) each way on a smooth paced path there’s a lot of uphill. I’ve got knee issues and did ok going up and down. Going up gets your heart going & knees aching on the way down.. but take your time & it’s doable. Knew the bus parking lot at the top would be better for me, but I didn’t try to park up top. Great viewing platform and look out areas.

We missed Peyto Lake the first time we drove the Icefields Parkway back in 2016 so we added it to our itinerary this time. We left Banff and drove the scenic 1A Highway (no wildlife seen) down to Lake Louise taking in Morant’s Curve and on to Peyto Lake. The car park here is not massive so it tends to be one in one out depending on the time of day you arrive. We arrived late morning so the car park was pretty much full. The walk to the lake is uphill all the way (one or two steep bits) but it is well worth the walk. There is a coach and disabled area higher up so the walk to the lake will be more level. There is a viewing platform (which was built when the area was closed during pandemic times). We had fabulous weather with sun and cloud so the view changed depending on whether the sun was out or behind the clouds. It gets busy here but by being patient, you will get to the edge and get to see the most gloriously blue lake you will ever see. The photos you see on the web do not do this lake justice. By walking back away from the platform, you will find gaps in the fences to enable you to climb down to get much better photos and a photo with just you (and the odd photobombing chipmunk). If you are brave enough to clamber over rocks, you can find yourself in an area by yourself and get some different perspective views. Our route back to Banff on the Icefields Parkway saw a bear jam. We managed to get very close to a young black bear. We managed to get pictures before Parks Canada Rangers appeared to monitor the situation. We also stopped at Bow Lake (see other review) to get an afternoon’s view as this view also changes depending on the time of day.