Lake Annette Trail

The Lake Annette Trail is an activity and sightseeing recreation trail located in the Paradise Valley region of the Banff National Park. Paradise Valley is situated south of the village of Lake Louise, Alberta, Canada.

The Lake Annette Trail is a popular activity destination in the summer months for hiking, sightseeing and horseback riding and in the winter months, after the snow has fallen, the trail becomes a cross country skiing route.

The forested lake trail follows along the banks of Paradise Creek leading to Annette Lake which is located at the base of the northern slopes of Mount Temple in Banff National Park.

The trail begins from the Paradise Valley parking lot. It measures 6 kilometres one-way with an elevation gain of 245 metres. The route should take about 3-5 hours, at a casual pace, to complete the return trip.

The lower section of the trail explores, mostly, a forest of fir and spruce trees. There are exposed tree roots and steep sections. From the forest the trail enters a valley where there are views of Temple Mountain and the surrounding mountain Ranges.

At the 4.2 kilometre point of the trail there is an important junction. To the right there is a trail leading to Saddleback Pass and a straight direction continues to Lake Annette. The trail is well signed.

The Lake Annette Trail is part of the Paradise Valley Circuit of trails. From the lake continue 20 kilometres further along the Annette Highline Trail which continues to explore Paradise Valley before eventually connecting to the Giant Steps - a scenic lookout point.

The Paradise Valley trailhead entrance to the Lake Annette Trail also provides access to other hiking trails in the region like the Moraine Lake Highline, Saddleback Pass and the Sentinel Pass Trails.