Lake Minnewanka

Photo Credit: Day Trips Canada

If you are visiting Banff National Park, you must take the time to visit Lake Minnewanka. Just 15 minutes from town, Lake Minnewanka is a glacial lake that is 24 km long and up to 466 ft deep. Between May and October, Minnewanka Boat Tours offers several daily 1.5 hour cruises complete with an experienced crew that provides some history about the area and it's roots. The Lake Minnewanka valley has some of the most spectacular scenery found anywhere in Canada.

Lake Minnewanka ("Water of the Spirits" in Nakota) is a glacial lake once inhabited by aboriginal people as early as 10,000 years ago. The area is supports a variety of animal life including elk, deer, mountain goats, and bears. The western point of the lake can be reached via Lake Minnewanka Road just off the Trans-Canada Highway and the boat tours are available near the parking lot. Several hking and biking trails run along the shores of the lake and the area is popular with outdoor enthusiasts.

Recreational scuba divers flock to the lake every year and it's listed as one of the most interesting dive spots. What also adds to the uniqueness of Lake Minnewanka is that the entire area was once the site of a resort village complete with hotels, restaurants and dwellings. In 1941, the most recent dam raised the lake 30 metres and in doing so submerged the entire village known as Minnewanka Landing that had occupied the area since 1888. To this day, the buildings and original dam remain intact 30 metres below the surface.