Emerald Lake

British Columbia


For most visitors, this vividly colored lake is Yoho’s most unmissable sight. Ringed by forest and silhouetted by impressive mountains, including the iconic profile of Mt Burgess to the southeast, it’s a truly beautiful – if incredibly busy – spot. Escape the mobs in a rental canoe. The lake road is signed off Hwy 1 just to the southwest of Field and continues for 10km (6.2 miles) to the lake shore.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby British Columbia attractions

1. Burgess Shale Fossil Beds

2.05 MILES

This World Heritage site protects the amazing Cambrian-age fossil beds on Mt Stephen and Mt Field. These 515-million-year-old fossils preserve the remains…

2. Yoho National Park

3.24 MILES

Although the smallest (1310 sq km) of the four national parks in the Rockies, Yoho is a diamond in the (very) rough. This wilderness is the real deal; it…

3. Takakkaw Falls

5.11 MILES

A thundering torrent of water tumbles from its source in the nearby Daly Glacier over a sheer cliff face for 255m (836ft), making it the second-highest…

4. Upper Spiral Tunnel Viewpoint

5.15 MILES

The main viewing platform for Canada's ingenious spiral railway tunnels is off Trans-Canada Hwy/Hwy 1, 8km east of the hamlet of Field.

5. Lower Spiral Tunnel Viewpoint

5.92 MILES

Canada's marvel of railway engineering, the so-called 'spiral tunnels,' can be viewed from this pull-out on the Yoho Valley Rd.

6. Kicking Horse Pass & Spiral Tunnels

6.04 MILES

The historic Kicking Horse Pass between Banff and Yoho National Parks is one of the most important passes in the Canadian Rockies. It was discovered in…

7. Lake Louise

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Considered by many to be the crown jewel of Banff National Park, Lake Louise is nearly impossible to describe without resorting to clichés. This…

8. Crowfoot Glacier Lookout

15.89 MILES

From this pullover viewpoint on the Icefields Pkwy you can see the icy behemoth of Crowfoot Glacier nestled on the rocky flanks of Crowfoot Mountain,…