Yoho National Park Lake O’Hara
“Yoho!” The Cree expression of awe will escape your lips in the high alpine of Yoho National Park. Amid the western slopes and hanging valleys of the Rockies, the Lake O’Hara trail network starts above 2,000 metres—an engineered, multifaceted circuit that skirts some dozen lakes ringed by the jagged formations of the Wiwaxy Peaks and Cathedral Mountain. Take the Lake Oesa (oh-EE-sa, another wonder-filled word meaning “ice”) Trail past Seven Veils Falls, along quartzite cliffs and up giant stone steps carved by legendary (and quite literal) trailblazer Lawrence Grassi. It’s as if you’ve stumbled upon Middle-earth. There’s a quota system that limits visitors into Lake O’Hara’s trail network (accessible only by Parks Canada bus service), but if there are no spots left for the day, you can always stay for tea or overnight at the rather posh Lake O’Hara Lodge. lakeohara.com— B.S.