Paradise Valley

Route Description for Paradise Valley

Anyone on a snowshoe trip should have Avalanche training, we recommend AST 2 for all backcountry travellers, and AST 1 is the minimum. It is important to note that when travelling through avalanche terrain it is extremely valuable to always have a companion.

From the Lake Louise public parking lot, walk to the far (SE) end of the parking lot, where you reach a kiosk and the start of the Fairview XC trail. Don’t take the Tramline trail, which goes down to the left, but take the Fairview trail which goes to the right. We love snowshoeing out on Fairview and coming back on the Highline Trail from Paradise Creek.

While snowshoeing on any XC trail, take great care not to snowshoe on the ski tracks, as it ruins it for XC skiers and you may hear about from an annoyed skier.

Follow the Fairview Trail for roughly 4.0 km, until you come to a junction. Don’t take the route to the left, which takes you down to Paradise Creek parking lot on the Moraine Lake Road, which is closed in winter. Instead go right and follow the summer hiking trail make your way uphill, with Paradise Creek about 100 m to your left.

After about 800 m you come to another junction. In winter you may not notice this junction as the snowshoe trail will likely only go one way. Either way, go right at this junction and continue on the summer hiking path up Paradise Valley. This is also part of the winter snowshoe Highline Trail. (Note: If you go left you cross over Paradise Creek and goes up to Little Temple, a pleasant summer hiking destination).

Stay on the Highline Snowshoe trail for 250 m and then go left, again back on the summer Paradise Valley hiking trail. The trail goes through the trees for roughly 2.0 km, before it drops down to Paradise Creek. There are a series of bridges along the trail here, and the views up Paradise Valley are incredible.

We usually have lunch along Paradise Creek, before continuing to explore up Paradise Valley. We don’t like to go too far up the valley, and you can see on our map we only explored about 400 m on this day. We don’t go up Paradise Valley too far due to the number of slide paths and big avalanche features farther up the valley.

Once you’ve explored Paradise Valley, turn around and head back the way you came. You’ll make a bit of a different route back, as once you hit the Highline Snowshoe Trail (Trail #17), go left and follow this path back to Lake Louise. The Highline snowshoe trail is not nearly as scenic as the Fairview trail, however it is shorter and makes for a unique route.