Ok, so if you haven’t heard of Larch Valley, it needs to go on your bucket list.. right now.

Every year in September, a few parts of Banff National Park transform from green to an incredible gold colour. Rare Larch Pine trees start to change colour and transform whole valleys into a burst of colour.

This year, it was my turn to find out what “Larch madness” really meant, and we decided to check out the most famous Larch spot of all… “Larch Valley”.

I’d been to Moraine Lake more times than I can count, but I’d never taken the quick hike up to Larch Valley. I’d googled pictures, but I had NO idea what I was missing. You can’t see the valley from the Moraine Lake car park, and it’s only when you’re literally standing in the valley that you’ll suddenly be hit by the incredible colours.

The hike is an easy 1-2 hours, depending on your ability, but there is a lot of elevation gain in a short amount of time. Be prepared for crowds like you’ve never seen (see picture)!

This hike is really something special that everyone should do once, and it’s worth battling through the crowds. The whole valley is absolutely breathtaking and can easily be done in an afternoon. What’s more, if you’re looking for a more challenging hike, you can continue on to sentinel pass and make a day of it! I could keep try and describe the valley more, but as they say, ‘a picture’s worth a thousand words’!

 

 

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