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    Alberta, Canada · Ikon / Mountain Collective

    Lake Louise

    1,700 hectares, 160 runs across four faces in Banff National Park. Striking alpine views, Ikon Pass.

    Season 2025 - 2026
    Opens
    4 Nov 2025
    Closes
    4 May 2026
    Days open
    181
    Annual snow
    7m
    The Overview
    MF
    Michael Fulton
    Melbourne-based skier and snowboarder with 50+ resorts across 5 continents. Specialises in Australian resorts and international resort comparisons.

    Lake Louise's summit reaches 2,637 metres, dropping 991 vertical metres to a base at 1,646 metres across 160 runs spread over roughly 1,700 hectares within Banff National Park, Alberta. Terrain splits 45 per cent intermediate, 25 per cent beginner, 19 per cent advanced and 11 per cent expert, with average annual snowfall of roughly 7.3 metres. The resort carries Ikon and Mountain Collective affiliation. Ten lifts, including four quad chairs, one six-person chair and one gondola, serve the mountain alongside one triple chair and three surface lifts.

    Lake Louise holds a genuinely distinctive place among Canadian Rockies resorts, spread across four separate mountain faces that give the resort exceptional terrain variety for a single connected ski area. Its considerable scale, combined with sweeping views over the turquoise lake and surrounding glaciers, has built Lake Louise's reputation as one of the most visually striking ski destinations in North America.

    Skiing history at Lake Louise dates to the 1930s, when Temple Lodge was built in 1938 on what is now the resort's Larch side, following the earlier construction of the nearby Skoki Lodge. A rope tow was built behind Temple Lodge in 1952, replaced by a detachable Poma lift in 1954, before the area's various slopes were formally amalgamated as the Lake Louise Ski Resort in 1971.

    Charlie Locke became a primary investor in the resort in 1974 and sole owner by 1981, operating the mountain for two decades before Resorts of the Canadian Rockies assumed sole ownership in 2003. Locke reacquired a 50 per cent share in 2008, and the resort remains family owned and operated by Locke, his wife Louise, and their daughters Robin and Kimberley. Adult daily tickets run from 145 to 175 Canadian dollars.

    991m
    Vertical
    160
    Runs
    4,201 acres
    Skiable
    7m
    Annual snow
    Ikon / Mountain Collective
    Pass
    The Terrain

    160 runs across 4,201 acres skiable

    Lake Louise spreads 160 runs across 4,201 acres skiable of terrain. It leans intermediate at 45%, with 40 beginner runs to find your feet and 48 advanced or expert runs when you want to push.

    Terrain split
    160
    runs
    160 runs across 4 grades
    Beginner40 runs · 25%
    Intermediate72 runs · 45%
    Advanced30 runs · 19%
    Expert18 runs · 11%
    Time it right

    When to visit Lake Louise

    The 2025-26 season at Lake Louise ran from 4 November 2025 to 4 May 2026, a roughly twenty-six-week season supported by average annual snowfall of around 7.3 metres. This extended season reflects Lake Louise's considerable elevation and reliable early and late-season conditions within Banff National Park.

    Midwinter, from December through February, typically brings the most consistent conditions across Lake Louise's four mountain faces. As an Ikon and Mountain Collective resort, Lake Louise draws substantial visitation from pass holders alongside destination travellers drawn by the resort's renowned alpine scenery.

    Lake Louise's considerable scale supports strong visitor capacity during peak weekend and holiday periods, with terrain spread across four faces helping distribute crowds relative to the resort's popularity. School holiday periods bring substantial family visitation given the resort's varied terrain across all ability levels.

    Specific event programming beyond standard operations is not confirmed in available resort information. Since the Locke family regained majority ownership in 2008, Lake Louise has continued building on nearly a century of skiing history since Temple Lodge's 1938 construction. The resort's considerable scale and striking alpine setting remain central to its enduring international reputation.

    Season 2025 - 2026
    4 Nov 2025
    Opens
    4 May 2026
    Closes
    181
    Days open
    7 m
    Annual snow
    Getting there

    Getting to Lake Louise, and where to stay

    Lake Louise sits within Banff National Park, Alberta, with a base elevation of 1,646 metres and a summit at 2,637 metres across a 991-metre vertical drop over roughly 1,700 hectares spanning four mountain faces. This setting places the resort beside the renowned Lake Louise and surrounding glacial peaks.

    The village of Lake Louise, a small national park hamlet, offers lodging and dining within a short drive of the resort, while the larger town of Banff provides more extensive services roughly 45 minutes away.

    The Trans-Canada Highway provides direct access to the resort from both Banff and Calgary. Winter driving conditions on this route can include snow and ice, though the well-travelled highway is regularly maintained given the resort's status as a major national park destination.

    Calgary International Airport, roughly a two-hour drive away, is the primary gateway for visitors flying into the Canadian Rockies, with Lake Louise's considerable international profile supporting substantial destination travel alongside more local Alberta visitation.

    Where to stay

    Search all stays →

    Hotels and lodges near Lake Louise, powered by Stay22.

    Latest News

    From the SnowStash desk

    View all news →
    FIS Weighs Holding World Championships in Almost Every Winter, Starting 2032

    FIS Weighs Holding World Championships in Almost Every Winter, Starting 2032

    The International Ski and Snowboard Federation is looking at a major shake-up to its title events calendar. From 2032, World Championships could run not just in odd-numbered years but in every non-Olympic winter too, effectively putting a global title event on the calendar almost every season. The FIS Council has approved the concept following a feasibility study, though an accelerated rollout as early as 2028 is also under consideration.

    4 Sept 2026
    Mount Buller Becomes Latest Australian Resort to Call Time Early on 2026

    Mount Buller Becomes Latest Australian Resort to Call Time Early on 2026

    Mount Buller closes out its 2026 season this Sunday, joining Falls Creek, Hotham and Charlotte Pass in a cluster of closures landing almost simultaneously and roughly a month ahead of schedule. The culprit is stark: Spencers Creek's benchmark snow depth hit 31.2cm on 3 September, just 18% of the 73-year average and an all-time low for this point in the season. Six of Victoria and NSW's best-known resorts will have shut their lifts early within a span of about two and a half weeks.

    4 Sept 2026
    Tremblant to Add New Timber Summit Ski Sector for 2027/28 Season

    Tremblant to Add New Timber Summit Ski Sector for 2027/28 Season

    Tremblant has confirmed a major expansion of its Quebec ski area, with a new Timber Summit sector adding 62 acres of terrain, eight trails and a high-speed quad chairlift for winter 2027/28. It's part of a CAD 42.5 million investment that also includes a new beginner learning zone at Versant Soleil opening this coming season. The project has grown considerably since it was first announced back in 2020, when it carried a far smaller budget and an opening date that never eventuated.

    2 Sept 2026
    Mount Hotham to Close for the 2026 Season on Sunday, September 6

    Mount Hotham to Close for the 2026 Season on Sunday, September 6

    We knew when the Bird Bath Pond Skim showed up on Hotham's Instagram that the season was on its way out. It's been a rough one - I only managed two days on snow all year, at Falls Creek - and now Baw Baw, Selwyn and Hotham have all called it, possibly the worst Australian season I've seen in a decade. Hotham's last day of lift operations is Sunday, 6 September, with a Retro Day, Father's Day après and closing sales before the lifts stop turning for good.

    1 Sept 2026
    Thredbo to Replace Ageing Gunbarrel Quad With New Six-Seat Chairlift for 2028

    Thredbo to Replace Ageing Gunbarrel Quad With New Six-Seat Chairlift for 2028

    Thredbo Alpine Resort has confirmed plans to replace its 37-year-old Gunbarrel quad chairlift with a new six-seat Doppelmayr D-Line, targeting winter 2028. The AUD 35 million project will keep travel time roughly the same but lift capacity from 2,800 to 3,000 skiers per hour. It's part of a broader investment push that also includes doubled snowmaking capacity at Friday Flat for 2027, with the ageing Kosciuszko Express now flagged as the resort's next major lift replacement after Gunbarrel.

    31 Aug 2026
    Aerial Tram Collides With Crane at Alpe d'Huez: 23 Injured

    Aerial Tram Collides With Crane at Alpe d'Huez: 23 Injured

    An aerial tram carrying around fifty passengers struck the boom of a construction crane on the route to Pic Blanc at Alpe d'Huez on Wednesday morning, injuring 23 people, three seriously. The cabin tipped on impact before the operator reversed it to right the car. Most of the injured were treated on site, with five taken to hospital in Grenoble, including a pregnant woman assessed as a precaution.

    28 Aug 2026
    Why Glaciers Are Collapsing - And What Happens When They Do

    Why Glaciers Are Collapsing - And What Happens When They Do

    A deadly flood on the Nepal-China border, a decade-old tragedy on Italy's Marmolada, and an unstable glacier right now above a village near Zermatt - three very different mountain ranges, the same underlying story. Warming ice is destabilising terrain that was considered settled for generations, and the results range from catastrophic floods to slow-motion monitoring situations that could go either way.

    27 Aug 2026
    Pitztal Glacier Set to Reopen for the 2026/27 Ski Season on 26 September

    Pitztal Glacier Set to Reopen for the 2026/27 Ski Season on 26 September

    Tyrol's highest ski area is gearing up to open a full month ahead of most of the Alps. The Pitztal Glacier is scheduled to start its 2026/27 season on Saturday 26 September, running through to 2 May 2027, with the lower-altitude Rifflsee area following in December. High-altitude terrain up to 3,440 metres gives the glacier a head start on snow, though as always, the actual opening extent will depend on how September's weather plays out. Early online ski pass bookings can save up to 30%.

    26 Aug 2026

    Lake Louise Snow Report

    Snow Report
    Updated 7 Sept 2026
    2637m
    summit
    +0cm
    new snow · last 24 hours
    Clear1°C / 12°C · W 18km/h
    Snowfall
    24 hours
    0cm
    48 hours
    0cm
    7 days
    0cm
    Base depth
    0cm
    Season total
    0cm
    Total lifts10

    Live open status isn’t available right now.

    4 Nov 2025 - 4 May 2026

    Hour by Hour

    Next 46 hours· Updated Sep 8, 2026 at 6:32 AM
    TueNow9a10a11a12p1p2p3p4p5p6p7p8p9p10p11pWed12a1a2a3a4a5a6a7a8a9a10a11a12p1p2p3p4p5p6p7p8p9p10p11pThu12a1a2a3a4a5a
    Conditions
    Temp°C · feels
    1-2
    52
    85
    107
    106
    117
    117
    117
    117
    128
    107
    96
    85
    63
    52
    41
    30
    2-1
    2-1
    1-2
    1-2
    1-3
    0-4
    1-3
    1-2
    42
    74
    95
    105
    105
    116
    127
    127
    138
    128
    116
    95
    84
    74
    73
    63
    63
    53
    52
    42
    41
    Snowfallcm
    0
    0
    0
    0
    0
    0
    0
    0
    0
    0
    0
    0
    0
    0
    0
    0
    0
    0
    0
    0
    0
    0
    0
    0
    0
    0
    0
    0
    0
    0
    0
    0
    0
    0
    0
    0
    0
    0
    0
    0
    0
    0
    0
    0
    0
    0
    Precip chance%
    1%
    1%
    1%
    1%
    1%
    1%
    2%
    3%
    4%
    4%
    5%
    3%
    3%
    3%
    2%
    2%
    2%
    1%
    1%
    1%
    1%
    1%
    2%
    2%
    2%
    2%
    2%
    2%
    2%
    3%
    3%
    3%
    4%
    4%
    0%
    9%
    9%
    9%
    9%
    9%
    9%
    42%
    42%
    42%
    42%
    42%
    Precipmm0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000
    Wind / gustkm/h
    3G6
    6G8
    9G15
    13G23
    14G24
    15G23
    15G22
    16G24
    17G26
    18G28
    16G29
    13G23
    11G15
    9G14
    7G13
    7G13
    6G12
    6G12
    5G11
    5G11
    5G11
    5G11
    6G12
    4G12
    3G12
    3G12
    9G36
    16G45
    23G47
    24G46
    25G46
    26G47
    25G49
    25G49
    26G52
    24G53
    21G55
    18G34
    18G30
    16G29
    15G22
    11G13
    8G9
    8G8
    9G9
    9G8

    Scroll for the full outlook · Open-Meteo

    7-Day Outlook

    2,637 mUpdated Sep 8, 2026 at 6:32 AMOpen-Meteo

    Days 1–7

    5.1cm

    Days 8–14

    0.0cm

    Unlock days 8–14

    Free account required

    Tue, Sept 8

    Overcast
    Temp12° / 1°°C
    Snow0.0cm(5%)
    Wind18 km/h W

    Live snow from the resort feed; forecast from Open-Meteo, via Supabase.

    Understanding the Lake Louise snow report

    Track current conditions at Lake Louise in Alberta. This report covers snowfall totals, base and summit depth, and the forecast across 160 runs.

    Snow measurements

    Snow depth at Lake Louise is tracked at both the base and summit, since the two elevations often see different totals — roughly a 991m difference here. We report fresh snowfall over the last 24 hours and 7 days alongside the running season total, in both metric and imperial units.

    Weather conditions

    Current weather conditions affect snow quality. Cold temperatures with low wind typically preserve snow quality, while warm temperatures or rain can impact conditions negatively — something worth watching closely at Lake Louise's 1646m base elevation, where temperatures run milder than the summit.

    Data sources

    We pull Lake Louise's conditions from on-the-ground mountain reporting, then layer in forecast data so you get a fuller picture than either source alone. The mountain is served by 10 lifts, including 4 quad chairlifts and a 6-person chairlift.

    When to check

    Snow reports are typically updated early morning and late afternoon. For the most current conditions, check back regularly, especially if a winter storm is approaching.