Sunday, April 28, 2024

Hiking to the Lake Agnes Tea House & the Beehives

lake agnes tea house

The good thing about this particular hike is that there are plenty of opportunities to stop for a break on the large rocks that line the trail. The trail itself is also wide enough for 2-3 people, making it a great hike for families or groups. If you plan on hiking for several hours, you will need a well-fitted backpack to carry all your gear. It will need to be big enough to carry all your essentials, while at the same time, not being so heavy that it gets to be too much. First and foremost, you should always let someone know that you are heading out for a hike.

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HI Lake Louise Alpine Center ($)

Cucumber sandwiches, scones with Devonshire clotted cream, and sticky toffee pudding are all meticulously served by a suited butler. And 4 p.m.; reservations are taken by telephone a week in advance. We stayed at the Deer Lodge which was a 5 minute walk to Lake Louise . Despite the lower reviews, it is in the middle of renovations so we booked a newly renovated rooms and it was perfect! They provide breakfast and pre-made sandwiches that we bought for lunch before we headed out every day! The place to stay is the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise – but it will cost you (see current rates).

But If You’re Determined, You’ll Make It!

lake agnes tea house

Once you pass the viewing platforms and the Fairmont hotel, you will see a bronze statue of a Swiss mountain guide and the trail signs. The main walking trail forks at this point; stay to the right. New paid parking is in effect for the 2021 season, from June to mid-October. A valid parking permit is required between 7 am and 7 pm for all vehicles in the Lake Louise Lakeshore public parking lot. We continued out to the far edge of the Big Beehive where there is a small shelter. The views of the surrounding Rocky Mountains are absolutely beautiful!

The Hike

You can hike to the top after your tea, although it’s known as a harder hike adding 1.6 km each way. The horses follow the same trail as the hikers for the last portion of the trail and take in Mirror Lake. They do morning and afternoon rides, and reservations are highly recommended.

Enjoy The Delicious Tea!

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Together with Mirror Lake and Lake Louise, these lakes are often referred to as the 'Lakes in the Clouds'. For those preferring a less strenuous approach, horses are available for hire at Brewster or Timberline Stables in Lake Louise. One could say that the Alberta Rocky Mountain tradition of having tea on a mountain top began at Lake Agnes.

lake agnes tea house

Lake Agnes Tea House Hike Highlights

Tickets sell out pretty far in advance, but a limited number of tickets are held for last-minute reservations. Each adult ticket is $8 which will take you to either Lake Louise or Moraine Lake, between the two, and back to the Park & Ride. The hike to the tea house should take you an hour to an hour and a half, depending on your fitness level and the weight of your pack. As the park is very busy, using the shuttle service (June to September) is recommended (but not obligatory) to reduce the number of vehicles in circulation. I strongly advise you to arrive as early as possible to avoid the line and have the chance to enjoy an excellent cup of tea with a delicious tea biscuit.

Just before you reach the tea house, the trail ends at a long set of stairs with about 58 steps. The Lake Agnes Tea House is at the top of this set of stairs. You'll see a corral on the side of the trail just before you reach the stairs, and this is as far as horses go.

Fairmont Château Lake Louise – $$

From The Lake Agnes Tea House, continue around the north end of the lake. This gave us a pretty view looking back towards the tea house and the peaks in the distance. From here, the trail begins to steeply climb up the backside of the Big Beehive.

But I should also note that, contrary to the hopes and wishes of many Angelinos, drinking tea is not going to make you any hotter. The worst part of travel for me is that I want to write about all of it because it’s all so amazing, right? This look gorgeous and you know I’m a hiking fan, so putting this on the bucket list. I imagine the line might be even worse around lunch time because people start ordering sandwiches and hanging around longer. In the morning, everyone was very quick ordering mostly desserts and tea.

At about the 5.1 km mark, you will arrive at Mirror Lake, where you will rejoin the main trail back down to the Chateau Lake Louise. The views coming down are awesome, especially since you are not working as hard, and now have the opportunity to really enjoy them. From the Little Beehive Summit, you will have some pretty spectacular views of the surrounding glacier-capped mountains, Lake Agnes and Lake Louise. The summit is well marked with signage as well as some benches to rest on before heading back down. Lake Agnes, like the tea house bearing the same name, also has a place in local Canadian history. The lake was named after Lady Susan Agnes Macdonald, wife of Canada’s first prime minister after she visited the lake in 1886.

At the top, the trail runs along the edge of the Big Beehive, and it's from up here that you get fantastic views of Lake Louise far below. If you are afraid of heights, you'll want to stay well back from the edge of the cliffs. Resembling a giant beehive capped with trees, the Big Beehive is a very distinctive feature that can be seen from the shores of Lake Louise, high above on the right side. From Mirror Lake, it's impossible to miss this rock wall towering over the lake. And as you walk from Mirror Lake to Lake Agnes, it dominates your view as you look up the path.

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