EMERALD LAKE, BC
Emerald Lake is a gorgeous freshwater lake surrounded by the President Range mountains, located in Yoho National Park, British Columbia, Canada. Because of the lake’s location, you will need to have a National Parks Pass, which can be purchased at any park gate or in advance on the Parks Canada website.
If you are driving to Emerald Lake (with your National Parks Pass displayed prominently in your car), this lake can only be accessed by one road, appropriately named Emerald Lake Road! As there is no cell coverage at Emerald Lake, I highly recommend downloading directions on your phone before you enter this area.
This body of water takes its name from the emerald green color of the lake. The water itself is not green, but instead the color comes from sunlight reflecting off glacial silt and rock flour suspended in the water. As many people flock to Emerald Lake to see this beautiful green hue, the sole public parking lot at Emerald Lake has the potential to fill up fast in the summer. Please note that there is another parking lot, but it is private and belongs to Emerald Lake Lodge.
Because we visited Emerald Lake during the winter, we had the choice of ALL the parking spots, as we were the only people there! The lake was frozen and covered in a bright blanket of snow. If you, too, are visiting Emerald Lake in the winter, you can walk on the lake and take in the stunning views. It was so surreal to be standing in the middle of a lake, surrounded by such natural beauty.
views from standing on the lake!
However, to be able to stand on a frozen lake, you have to have the right equipment! If there is fresh snow on the frozen lake, I would recommend wearing snowshoes. If the lake is just icy or has a compact layer of snow (perhaps because it hasn’t snowed in a long time), you can sport ice cleats, which are also known as crampons.
We had the best time throwing snowballs, taking in the 360-degree views, and marveling at the fact that we had the lake all to ourselves. I highly recommend an outing on Emerald Lake in the winter!
Lastly, please be aware that the lake is generally frozen and safe to walk on starting in November and it will begin to thaw out in springtime. For Emerald Lake and all other lakes you plan to walk on, please wait to walk out once there is a minimum of four inches of clear solid ice that can be measured from multiple locations on the lake. Safety first!
