Lake Louise and Moraine Lake Shuttles

Moraine Lake and Lake Louise are renowned for being two of the most beautiful lakes in the world. These incredibly scenic destinations are among the most visited destinations in Canada and require lots of planning. 

Moraine Lake Road Closure

During the peak of Summer 2022, traffic flaggers were required 24 hours a day to manage the demand for access at Moraine Lake Road. The parking lot remained full nearly 24 hours a day. Due to this highdemand, Moraine Lake Road is now closed to personal vehicles year round. Parks Canada shuttles, Roam Public Transit, and commercial buses will now provide transportation to the area from mid-May to mid-October.

How to Access the Lake at Lake Louise

Parking at Lake Louise Lakeshore is available. But, attempting to take your Karma campervan to this iconic destination is not recommended. The parking lot fills by 7 am and stays full throughout daylight hours.  When parking has filled, there is no space to wait for parking stalls to become available. Parking costs $21 per vehicle per day. This fee, along with fees collected from the shuttles, will go toward offsetting the cost of the transportation and traffic management program.

Shuttle Bus to Moraine Lake and Lake Louise

The easiest and best stress-free way to see the lakes that we highly recommend is to use the Lake Louise Park and Ride. This service runs between the Park and Ride, located at the Lake Louise Ski Resort (1 Whitehorn Road) and the Lake Louise Lakeshore. If you are staying in the Lake Louise Campground, it is best to leave your campervan at the campground and use the free Park and Ride Connector shuttle. 

The lakes can also be accessed by parking your Karma Campervan at the Banff Train Station (327 Railway Avenue) and taking Roam Transit to Lake Louise. Riders who upgrade to the Roam Super Pass can access the Parks Canada Lake Connector shuttle to Moraine Lake. Visit www.roamtransit.com for full details.

Moraine Lake Shuttle Tickets and Reservations 

Tickets for the Parks Canada shuttle bus are $8.00 for adults (18-64 years), $4.00 for seniors (65+), and free for youth 17 years and younger. 

One ticket gives you the flexibility to see both iconic lakes in the same day or spend the day exploring one lake – the choice is yours! Once at the lakes you may stay as long as you choose and connect between Lake Louise and Moraine Lake via the Lake Connector shuttle. A reservation is not required for the Lake Connector shuttle. Your ticket includes return shuttle service from either lake back to the Park and Ride when you are ready.

Parks Canada Shuttle Bus Schedule 

The Parks Canada shuttles for Moraine Lake, Lake Louise and the Park and Ride will run from May 19 to October 9. The shuttle bus will departure every 20 minutes from 6:30 am MT – 7:30 pm MT daily. More information and the schedules for the connector buses is available here: https://parks.canada.ca/pn-np/ab/banff/visit/parkbus/louise

How to Reserve Parks Canada Shuttle Bus

Reservations are required for all Parks Canada shuttles. No first-come first-served shuttle seats are available. 40% of available shuttle seats are currently available for the 2023 season for reservation. The remaining 60% will be released 48 hours in advance of the departure date. Reservations are available online at reservation.pc.gc.ca or by phone at 1-877-RESERVE (1-877-737-3783).

When you first click the link, this is the first screen that you will see. You will want to select the “Day Use” tab.

Once in the Day Use tab, select “Shuttle to Lake Louise and Moraine Lake”. Then use the dropdown under “Park” to select “Banff – Lake Louise”. Next, input the date you wish to see the lakes and the number of people you need to make a reservation for.  

Select “shuttle”. 

The next step is to select the lake and timeframe you want to reserve. The red dots indicate no availability and the green dots indicate that there is availability . Mouse over the timeframe you want and click to select. 

Next select the specific time frame that you want. Click the checkmark in the box for your preferred time and date. Tickets are for a one-hour window; you may show up anytime during that hour.

Once you highlight the box for your time and date, you can click “Reserve” and complete the reservation with your personal information. Hooray! 

We hope that this guide is helpful for booking and understanding the new system that is in place with Parks Canada, Moraine Lake and Lake Louise. 

Book your Lake Louise and Moraine Lake campervan rental trip with us

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