Elizabeth Parker Hut, Lake O'Hara Photo: Paul Zizka

 NEWS

February 16, 2023

New Hut Planned for Abbot Pass

The Alpine Club of Canada (ACC), the Association of Canadian Mountain Guides (ACMG), and the Lake Louise Ski Area announced today they are partnering to develop a proposal to build a new hut at Abbot Pass. Parks Canada says it welcomes their interest and looks forward to exploring options and working with them throughout the assessment and engagement processes.

The 100-year-old hut, a National Historic Site of Canada, was built by Swiss Guides in the early 1920’s on a ridge overlooking Lake Louise and Lake O’Hara, between Mts. Lefroy and Victoria as a place where climbers could overnight whilst climbing these mountains. The hut was removed this past spring when it became unsafe due to climate-change-induced site erosion. More information can be found on the ACC Aspects blog.

February 4, 2023

Lake O’Hara Day Use Reservation Changes for 2023

As a result of the changes happening to the Parks Canada reservation system, reservations for the Lake O’Hara day use shuttle will not be done through a random draw for the 2023 summer season. Instead, seats will be reservable in the same way other Parks Canada offers are reserved. Reservations will be available beginning at 8:00 am Mountain Time, April 12, 2023. Visitors will need to create a new user profile in order to make reservations. Parks Canada strongly recommends creating these profiles before reservations open.

Parks Canada will be employing a queuing system to help manage the expected high demand. Users may navigate to the reservation service webpage beginning at 7:30 AM. Starting at 8:00 am all users waiting will be randomly assigned a place in the queue. This is not influenced by how long users have been waiting. Any users arriving to the website after 8:00 am will be placed in the back of the line. When users reach their turn, they will be alerted via an on-screen message. At that point, they have 30 minutes to proceed to the reservation website.

Parks Canada is planning to return to the random draw in 2024.

For more information, visit Parks Canada’s Lake O’Hara web pages

February 25, 2022

Parks Canada will dismantle and substantially remove the Abbot Pass Hut in spring 2022. The Abbot Pass Refuge Cabin National Historic Site has been negatively impacted by the effects of climate change. Slope erosion and glacial recession have caused structural damage to the hut. More information in this Parks Canada press release.

Summer 2021

With the easing of Covid-19 restrictions, many services at Lake O’Hara have returned to normal. Le Relais offers window service from 8:30 am to 6:30 pm. For details on other services, please check the Yoho National Park, Lake O’Hara Lodge, and Alpine Club of Canada websites.

April 28, 2021

Parks Canada Stakeholder Update: BC Provincial Health Restrictions

On Friday April 23rd, the Government of British Columbia announced new travel restrictions to reduce the spread of COVID-19. These new travel restrictions prohibit non-essential travel within or outside of British Columbia.

What you need to know

These restrictions will impact reservable visitor offers within LLYK, including: delaying the launch of reservations for Lake O’Hara backcountry camping and the notification of successful applicants for the Lake O’Hara random draw until draw until such time as there is further clarity on the impacts of these restrictions to the visitor season. For further information, please continue to check the Yoho National Park website.

February, 2021

Summer 2021 Reservations

Applications for the random draw for reservations on the Lake O’Hara day use bus will be accepted between April 1 and April 30, 2021. Summer 2021 reservations for the Lake O’Hara campground will open on April 27, 2021 at 8 am MDT. For more information, check the Yoho National Park website.

August, 2020

Parks Canada Information Update: Improvements to Lake O’Hara Road 

What’s happening?

As early as Saturday, August 22, 2020, Parks Canada will begin ditching, drainage, and surface improvements to Lake O’Hara Road.  During construction, pedestrians can expect to encounter authorised construction vehicles on the road.

What you need to know

Work is expected to begin as early as Saturday, August 22, 2020 and conclude in mid-October. 

Pedestrians are asked to exercise caution:

  • Watch and listen closely for approaching vehicles and equipment.

  • Ensure all members of your party walk on the same side of the road.

  • Keep to the edge of the road at all times.

  • Obey all signage and flaggers for safety.

The road will not be paved but rather resurfaced using recycled materials to improve cost-effectiveness and reduce resource consumption. This work will improve the road surface making it safer and more comfortable to travel in the future.

Strict development limits are in place to protect the ecological integrity of national parks. Parks Canada has a rigorous development review and environmental assessment process that ensures all improvements comply with these limits and healthy ecosystems are maintained.

For more information

Amy Krause, Public relations and communications
Banff, Yoho and Kootenay national parks
amy.krause@canada.ca / 403-522-4230

June 19, 2020

Parks Canada announced the following information for the 2020 summer season in the Lake O’Hara area, effective June 29, 2020. Please visit https://www.pc.gc.ca/en/pn-np/bc/yoho/visit/covid-19-info for the most up-to-date information.

DAY USE

  • Lake O’Hara is accessible by hike in/out only. Parks Canada is not operating the Lake O’Hara shuttle this season.

  • Bikes are not permitted on the Lake O’Hara Road.

  • Cooking shelters remain closed at this time.

  • Day-use access will only be available by hiking 11 km one-way along the Lake O’Hara access road. Day-users attempting to hike the 22 km round trip should be prepared with food, water, bear spray, and appropriate clothing and footwear, as there are no amenities at Lake O’Hara this season. Lake O’Hara Lodge and Le Relais shelter remain closed.

SHUTTLE

  • Parks Canada will not be operating the Lake O’Hara shuttle this season.

  • Any visitors with reservations for the Lake O’Hara shuttles will be refunded the full amount plus the reservation fee, plus all of the and Lake O’Hara random draw application fee – both successful and unsuccessful applicants.

  • Any visitors wishing to cancel their Lake O’Hara campground reservation will be refunded in full with no cancelation fees.

  • All entrants of the Lake O’Hara day use bus random draw, and successful applicants with reservations, can expect an email from the Parks Canada Reservation System in the coming weeks with refund details.

OVERNIGHT CAMPING

  • Camping at Lake O’Hara remains closed until at least June 29.

  • Only visitors with a camping reservation will be permitted to overnight in the campground.

  • Visitors with a reservation for the Lake O’Hara campground will be able to access the campground and trails via the 11km (one way) access road on foot.

  • Any visitors wishing to cancel their Lake O’Hara campground reservation will be refunded in full with no cancelation fees.

June 3, 2020

Yoho National Park is now offering limited visitor services, as Parks Canada begins to reopen some areas under Covid-19 restrictions. The Lake O’Hara road, campsite and trails remain closed. For the most current information, please see https://www.pc.gc.ca/en/pn-np/bc/yoho/visit/covid-19-info

May 21, 2020

The Lake O’Hara Trails Club will provide online access to its 2020 Annual General Meeting taking place on June 16 at 17:00. Please email the club at info@lotc.ca if you would like us to send you the password and zoom link for the meeting.

April, 2020

PLEASE NOTE DUE TO THE CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19): ALL PARKS CANADA FACILITIES ARE TEMPORILY CLOSED AND ALL VISITOR SERVICES ARE SUSPENDED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE.  PLEASE CHECK WITH PARKS CANADA TO GET CURRENT INFORMATION AT https://www.pc.gc.ca/en/pn-np/bc/yoho

THE LAKE O’HARA LODGE WILL NOT BE OPEN FOR THE 2020 SUMMER/FALL SEASON.  https://www.lakeohara.com/

Yoho National Park Plan Review – March, 2020

New management plans are due in 2020 for all the mountain national parks (Banff, Jasper, Kootenay, Yoho, Waterton Lakes, Mount Revelstoke and Glacier). Management plans lay out the future direction for the parks including a vision, key strategies and objectives over the next 10 years. They are developed through engagement with Indigenous groups, stakeholders and interested Canadians. 

Between February and April 2019, Parks Canada asked for input on what key considerations and opportunities should be addressed in drafting management plans for the mountain national parks, including Yoho National Park. Each park has now produced What We Heard summaries. 

The most common theme identified by respondents was a desire to see the park protected and its ecological integrity restored. Participants also expressed a strong desire to ensure that Yoho’s natural landscapes remain accessible, while acknowledging the need to carefully manage human use to ensure the health of the park ecosystem and the maintenance of park infrastructure. Many people recognized the need to define appropriate human use levels as part of the vision for Yoho, including consideration of visitor use quotas or other demand management tools in sensitive or congested areas.  A summary of comments received by each park can be found online at www.letstalkmountainparks.ca. To read the summary of comments, you can also visit https://www.pc.gc.ca/en/pn-np/mtn/plan.

Parks Canada has used the feedback it received to draft new park management plans. A further public review of the draft plans is anticipated to begin this summer, including an online component, as well as open houses and potentially some workshops. Please check the lotc.ca website as well as the Lake O’Hara Trails Club Facebook page – information on how to provide input will be posted there as it becomes available.  

Changes to Reservation System – November, 2019

YOHO NATIONAL PARK, Canada: On November 21, 2019 Parks Canada announced that all day use reservations for the Lake O’Hara shuttle bus will be booked through a random draw reservation system beginning in 2020. This system will improve the reservation service for visitors, reduce stress on the current reservation system, and help to ensure all online users have a chance at securing a reservation for a seat on the Lake O’Hara bus. Visitors will have a one-month period from February 1 – 29, 2020, to submit an application online. For complete information on the new bus reservation system, check the Yoho National Park website.

Also new in 2020, all overnight camping reservations at Lake O’Hara will be offered on the Parks Canada Reservation Service. Beginning at 8:00 a.m. MST on January 24, 2020, the entire overnight camping season will be available to reserve on a first-come first-serve reservation model. More information on campground reservations.