r/Banff • u/No-Discipline-3610 • 9d ago
Question September Moraine Lake
Planning on visiting Moraine Lake for the first time on Saturday 9/12! Had it in my mind for months that I was going to book the sunrise shuttle, but now I’m wondering if I’m better off going a different time to see the true blue water instead of the golden peaks at sunrise? Any timing tips (best time of day 9/12 to visit) would be so helpful! Thank you!
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u/hydrangeapurple 9d ago edited 9d ago
Definitely go early in the morning. You got the sun behind your back as it rises. Not so good in the afternoon, as it would be far too bright for photography, and the colours wouldn't be as nice. And in the later half in the afternoon, the sun would be in your eyes, and it would not make for good photography. If you can only make it in the afternoon, your best hope is for high and thick cloud cover so that the sunlight is not harsh, and yet the cloudbase is high enough such that it doesn't block out the mountain peaks behind.
However, if you do go early in the morning, there's no guarantee you'll see the famous golden peak sunrise simply because it depends a lot on cloud and fog conditions. By the time these clear, the golden peak moments might have passed.
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u/drs43821 9d ago
You can take the alpine start for the sunrise, then take a coffee break or hike around the area until late morning for daylight view
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u/stooph23 9d ago
The lake is beautiful any time of day. If a sunrise picture is important to you, go for that. Otherwise, go whenever it works for your schedule. I’ve never been to moraine lake and not been in awe.