Lake Minnewanka is one of the most visited lakes in Alberta and it’s conveniently located just by the town of Banff. For as long as the area has been inhabited, people have lived along the shores of this lake. The Indigenous Stoney Nakoda people called it “Minn-waki”, or “Lake of the Spirits”.

It’s accessible a year around but summer offers the most activities - boat cruises, kayak rentals and shore trails are accessible.

The parking lot is pretty big but In the summertime, the parking lot fills up during the day with visitors from Banff. You should be prepared to wait between 15-45 minutes and I would recommend arriving 45 minutes early if you booked a cruise or kayak on the lake.

You can also catch the Roam public bus to Lake Minnewanka from Banff city center - the bus leaves every 30 minutes and it takes 25 minutes to get there. The cost of this bus is $2 for adults and $1 for children (13 to 18) each way.