AT A GLANCE
Why go?
Hamilton Lake is a stunning cliff-circled alpine tarn perched high in Yoho National Park, reached by a rewarding day hike from the shores of Emerald Lake. The lake sits in a dramatic bowl beneath the towering faces of Mount Carnarvon and Emerald Peak, offering hikers a peaceful, almost secret-feeling destination after a steady climb through old-growth forest.↗↗
The trail to Hamilton Lake passes the lovely Hamilton Falls early on, then winds through dense hemlock and cedar forest before the final rocky stretch to the water. On warm summer days, the clear blue lake invites a bracing swim, while its perch above the treeline makes it a natural base for ambitious scrambles toward Emerald Peak or Top Hat Peak.↗↗
The Hike In
The journey to Hamilton Lake begins at the Emerald Lake parking area on the Emerald Lake Road, a well-maintained side road branching from the Trans-Canada Highway just west of the town of Field. From the parking lot, the trail heads uphill almost immediately, climbing a total of 850 metres over roughly 5.5 kilometres one way. The path is well-defined and maintained by Parks Canada, marked with a moderate-to-strenuous rating that reflects the constant, steady nature of the ascent rather than any technical difficulty.
