Baker Lake and the Skoki Loop Hiking Guide, Banff National Park

The Skoki Valley is a much-loved part of Banff National Park and it’s easy to see why. A network of well travelled backcountry trails connect a series of spectacular valleys, passes, mountains and lakes. For anyone who loves the alpine, it’s a dream to explore.

One of the most popular routes is the Skoki Loop, with Baker Lake serving as one of its many highlights. Hosting a small backcountry campground, Baker Lake is a popular overnight stop or base camping destination. In late September, the area is popular for viewing golden larch trees.

JR and I have hiked many of the most famous backpacking routes in the Rockies, including the Berg Lake Trail, Mount Assiniboine and Rockwall Trail.

Baker Lake and the Skoki Loop definitely deserve a place alongside them. It’s a visually stunning area with so many options for exploring.

The main trails are approachable too, suitable for first time or novice backpackers. There’s a lot here for experienced hikers too, with plenty of choice for more challenging objectives.

Read on for a full overview of Baker Lake and the Skoki Loop, including route descriptions, itinerary suggestions, reservation guidance and more.

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Introducing Baker Lake and the Skoki Loop

Baker Lake is located in Banff National Park, on Treaty 7 land and the traditional territory of the Blackfoot / Niitsítapi, Stoney, Métis, Ktunaxa and Tsuut’ina.

To be specific, Baker Lake lies northeast of Lake Louise Ski Resort and is situated at 2240m elevation. Baker Lake is a great stop on any multi-day hike in the area, whether as a base camp or just for one night on the way to another campground.

It is located on the Skoki Loop, a balloon (or lollipop) shaped hiking route that showcases many of the highlights of the Skoki Valley area. The path passes Skoki Lodge, a backcountry ski lodge facility built during the 1930s, now a National Historic Site.

There are four campgrounds in this area – Baker Lake (SK11), Hidden Lake (SK5), Merlin Meadows (SK18) and Red Deer Lakes (SK19). With so many trails and camping options, there are actually quite a few variations of the Skoki Loop. I definitely found it a bit confusing when researching for our own trip.

To add to that, there isn’t one singular way to hike it either. Some people hike the route while changing campgrounds each night, while others prefer to set up a base camp and day hike different sections instead.

The most straightforward Skoki Loop route starts at the Fish Creek Trailhead, continues to Baker Lake via Boulder Pass and then circles Fossil Mountain via Jones Pass, passing Skoki Lodge and Merlin Meadows. Hikers return to Fish Creek via Deception Pass. This is around 36km total and can be hiked clockwise too.

Hiking in late September and with possible inclement weather in mind, we decided to base ourselves at Baker Lake and day hike the main part of the Loop (Merlin Meadows, Jones Pass).

With heavy snow the morning we started and -12°C temps overnight, it was the right choice for us. I would not have wanted to pack up the next day and move campsites!

Quick facts

• 26km return hike to Baker Lake, most often hiked as part of a 36km multi-day trip
• Moderate difficulty trail, ideal for first time backpackers
• Best hiked from July to late September (usually snow free)
• Highlights include amazing mountain views, larch forests, beautiful lakes, alpine meadows
• Baker Lake campground is one of four in the area
• Park pass required, plus backcountry permit for camping
• Camping reservations open in January each year (26th January at 8am MT in 2026)

Baker Lake Hiking Guide

Continue reading to find all the essentials for planning your Baker Lake adventure, including reservation details, backpacking options and safety tips.

Location and trailhead details

Baker Lake is located in Banff National Park, behind Lake Louise Ski Resort. While it feels remote, keep in mind that it’s still possible to hear the horn from passing trains in the distance at night!

The primary access point for Baker Lake is the Fish Creek Trailhead near Lake Louise Ski Resort (click for Google Map directions). The hike from Fish Creek to Baker Lake is 13km, one way.

There is space for around 35 to 40 vehicles in the parking area. The only facilities are a trail kiosk and two porta potties.

The trailhead is 60km west of Banff Townsite, about 45 minutes drive. It’s almost accessible via public transport. Take the Roam 8X bus to Lake Louise Village and then walk to the trailhead from there. The 3.4 km distance can be covered in around 45 to 60 minutes.

Baker Lake fees and permits

While there is no specific fee to hike to Baker Lake, there is a requirement to have a valid Park Pass for Banff National Park. Fees were $11/day for adults in 2025, TBC for 2026.

Park passes for the national parks in and around the Canadian Rockies are interchangeable – a Park Pass for Jasper is also valid in Banff. If you’re travelling the Canadian Rockies parks for more than seven days, it may be worthwhile to buy an annual Discovery Pass.

No fees will be charged for access to Banff National Park from 19th June to 7th September 2026 as part of the Canada Strong program.

A valid backcountry permit is required to camp at the Baker Lake Campground as well as the other campgrounds in the Skoki area (Hidden Lake, Merlin Meadows, Red Deer Lakes). All of the sites are reservable.

The fee for a backcountry permit is $13.50/per person/per night. To get a permit, plan to make a reservation. These cost $11.50 online, $13.50 by phone. I’ll talk more about the reservation process in the campground section.

Baker Lake hike breakdown

Here’s what to expect on the hike to Baker Lake, from the Fish Creek trailhead to the campground.

Please note that the trail can get pretty muddy after snow or heavy rain (as we found out). This is also true of the Skoki Loop in general, especially as it’s a popular horseback riding area.

Fish Creek to Boulder Pass

The experience starts with a 4km long uphill hike along the ski resort access road. Some call it dull but I say straightforward!

The wide road is lined by forest on both sides most of the time, with the occasional side view of chairlifts and other resort amenities. Snow fell on us the entire way through this section during our hike in the third week of September.

Watch for signs as the path moves away from the road and into the forest. While not quite as wide, it’s still a very established trail with enough space for two hikes to walk side by side most of the time. The path continues upwards and crosses the creek with a couple of small footbridges.

Around the 5.7km mark, mountains start to loom above the trees. The views really start to open up as you arrive into the beautiful (and mostly flat) Corral Creek Meadow. There are a few more creek crossings and then the Hidden Lake Campground junction.

Nearby is the Halfway Hut, a simple log cabin that was constructed at the midway point from the CPR station at Lake Louise to Skoki Lodge. It’s a recognised heritage building and the ideal destination for a break before the next uphill section. There is an outhouse here.

Leaving the hut, the trail snakes through a larch forest towards Boulder Pass (these trees turn golden in late September). Most of the climb is gentle, with a few steeper areas. The surrounding mountains are pretty impressive at this point, so there are lots of great distractions.

Boulder Pass to Baker Lake

As the name implies, the path itself is rocky, with some large boulders right next to the path (a popular break location). Beyond Boulder Pass lies Ptarmigan Lake, with the trail following its shoreline for the next kilometre. There are some small ups and downs along the way but it’s mostly level.

The next section is one of the prettiest of the entire route. The landscape is wide open, with mountains in every direction. Grassy meadows line the trail. Alpine hiking at its best!

Located downhill, Baker Lake is only visible about 1km before you reach its shoreline. Again, it is framed by a wonderful backdrop of peaks. The Baker Lake campground is on the other side of the lake, another kilometre further.

The route back to Fish Creek is via the same trail. On your return, be sure to try and spot the iconic Victoria Glacier which sits behind Lake Louise. From the ski resort access road, you can even see the top of the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise.

Baker Lake Campground

Situated just above the lake, the Baker Lake Campground (SK11) has ten wood framed dirt tent pads. Most are clustered in a forested area with an outhouse. My friend Leigh from HikeBikeTravel has advised me that the tent pads usually flood easily in rainy weather.

There is a separate cooking area with small picnic tables nearby, along with another outhouse. Two bear poles, for food storage, are located down the hill towards the lake.

The lakeshore itself is only a few minutes walk from the campground. A lot of campers eat there rather than the designated cooking area. Water collection is easy from the lake or the creek inflow.

There are larch trees scattered around the campground, which turn golden in late September/early October before the needles drop. We were slightly too early to see them at their best during the third week of September.

Campground reservations

Baker Lake is a popular camping destination and is usually booked up all summer.

Reservations for the Baker Lake Campground (and others on the Skoki Loop) open in January each year. The date is usually announced in late November or early December on this Parks Canada page.

For the 2026 hiking season, reservations for Banff backcountry campsites (including Baker Lake) will open on 26th January at 8am MT.

All users on the reservation website prior to the launch are placed in a virtual waiting room and then allocated a place in the queue at 8am.

• Once on the website, select ‘backcountry’ and then ‘backcountry zone’ and ‘Banff, Kootenay and Yoho’
• Choose your preferred dates, group size, number of tent pads and the Fish Creek Trailhead
• On the next screen, select the Baker Lake Campground if green and then ‘add to stay’ and ‘reserve’
• If red (unavailable), toggle to the calendar view and select some available dates

I’d highly recommend creating a Parks Canada account and practicing the reservation process before the launch date. Being fast is key to securing a spot!

If you don’t get lucky, keep in mind that cancellations are pretty common. Return to the website often or use a service like CampNab to automatically check for you (I use it all the time to book popular campgrounds).

Day hikes from Baker Lake

The most popular day hike from the Baker Lake Campground is the Skoki Loop, which circles the base of Fossil Mountain (2946m). Other options include:

• Skoki Mountain summit
• Packer’s Pass
• Packer’s Pass peak
• Merlin Lake
• Red Deer Lakes

Skoki Loop day hike overview

From the Baker Lake campground, the most direct Skoki Loop route around Fossil Mountain is 12.3km total with around 440m elevation gain and the same amount of loss.

I’d recommend the short detour to the famous Skoki Lodge. It’s only an extra 700m return. Located half way through the loop, Skoki Lodge is a great place to take an early afternoon break. Sweet treats, tea, coffee and alcoholic drinks are available for hikers to purchase from 2pm to 4pm daily.

The Skoki Loop can be hiked in both directions. We hiked clockwise to get most of the elevation gain out of the way early.

From the campground, backtrack along the shoreline of the lake to the Deception Pass junction*. Deception Pass rises quickly and offers incredible panoramic views of the surrounding mountains. On the other side of the pass, the path descends through a larch forest to the Skoki Lodge junction.

Heading east towards Jones Pass, the narrow trail weaves in and out of forest. The pass itself doesn’t involve a lot of climbing – only around 50m of elevation gain when hiking in this direction. There are big mountain views in the open sections.

After the Red Deer Lakes junction (turn right), the views open up even more as the trail passes through a very wide valley.

We saw plenty of recent bear activity here, so stay alert. There are a couple of clusters of trees to pass through, with the final forest section leading almost all the way back to the campground.

*An alternative to Deception Pass is Packer’s Pass. While considered more scenic, it is not an official Parks Canada trail and is therefore not marked on all maps. It features the chance to see some beautiful turquoise lakes such as Myosotis Lake and Zigadenus Lake. Note that there is a narrow and rocky chimney section.

Baker Lake and Skoki Loop backpacking options

As previously mentioned, there are so many ways to structure a Skoki Loop backpacking trip.

The most simple route, and the one promoted by Parks Canada, is:

• Day 1 – Fish Creek Parking Lot to Baker Lake via Boulder Pass, 13km with 700m/170m elevation gain/loss
• Day 2 – Baker Lake to Merlin Meadows via Jones Pass, 7.7km with 120m gain, 300m loss
• Day 3 – Merlin Meadows to Fish Creek Parking Lot via Deception Pass, 15km with 420m gain, 780m loss

This is a 3 day, 2 night trip with around 36km of hiking.

In my opinion, the Skoki Loop is a solid moderate level multi-day hike. It features established, well built paths with fairly short distances between campgrounds and an approchable amount of elevation gain. I think it’s a great option for a first time backpacking trip.

One of the most popular ways to adapt this itinerary is to hike from Merlin Meadows to Fish Creek via Packer’s Pass rather than Deception Pass, as noted in the day hike section above.

Alternative itineraries

Here are some other ways you could modify or extend the standard Skoki Loop route:

• Have extra time? Spend an additional night at Merlin Meadows. This offers a chance to relax or check our Packer’s Pass (above) on a day hike
• Late start? Camp at Hidden Lake on the way to Baker Lake or Merlin Meadows
• Want to see even more? Add on a detour to the Red Deer Lakes between Baker Lake and Merlin Meadows
• Can’t get a reservation for Baker or Merlin? Check out Red Deer Lakes or day hike from Hidden Lake instead
• Looking for a bigger challenge? Start your hike at Mosquito Creek and hike through Molar Pass on the way to Merlin Meadows. Another idea would be to continue on the Sawback Trail towards Johnston Canyon
• Need some more comfort? Book a stay at Skoki Lodge

Navigation, safety and other essential information

Prepare to have no phone signal after leaving the Lake Louise Resort access road. Tell someone where you are going and when you plan to be off the trail again.

Weather can change quickly in the mountains. Snow and cold temperatures are possible even in summer. Check for predicted weather on Mountain Forecast but be prepared for all conditions, with plenty of layers. Baker Lake can be windy. Campfires are not allowed.

Bring at least two types of map (physical plus map app, for example). We love Organic Maps as you can use it offline easily – download the relevant map before leaving.

Be sure to store food properly. Use the provided bear hangs to store all your smelly items (food, toiletries, trash) overnight and when not in use.

Keep a clean camp and Leave No Trace while hiking. After eating, make sure you haven’t left any food or wrappers around.

Grizzly bears roam this area. Carry bear spray. You should know what to do if you see a bear on the trail.

Make noise while hiking. This alerts wildlife to your presence and gives them a chance to avoid you. As a general rule, animals don’t want to be close to humans.

Porcupines like to hang out around Baker Lake. Although we didn’t see them, they have quite a reputation in this area. Keep all of your items in your tent to avoid damage (they like rubber on shoes, hiking poles etc).

Give wildlife space. If you do see any animals, keep your distance – ideally 100m or more. This offers them an escape route.

Recommended items to bring

• Carry the 10 Essentials – these items will help prevent small inconveniences from becoming emergencies
• Have bear spray in an accessible place (like a belt holster) and know how to use it.
• If camping, print or save a copy of your backcountry permit on your phone
• Some trail sections do not have much shade. Bring a hat and sunscreen. Stop often and drink plenty of water, especially on warmer days
• A satellite communicator is very helpful to have in case of an emergency. We carry an InReach device. The new iPhones have satellite messaging capability – check before you go
• Bug protection is a must in July and August. We did not have any issues in late September, but I’ve heard the mosquitoes can be really bad in the summer months
• This trail doesn’t have any long and steep descents but hiking poles can always be helpful. We love the lightweight Black Diamond Carbon Z poles
• Good dry bags for food storage are a must since Baker Lake Campground has a bear hang system (food bags are exposed to the elements)
• Don’t forget to bring cash and/or cards for drinks and treats at Skoki Lodge. See this menu for example prices

Where to stay before hiking the Baker Lake Trail

There are two frontcountry campgrounds with showers in nearby Lake Louise – the Soft-Sided Trailer/Tent campground and the Hardsided Campground (for RVs). Both are usually very busy in the summer months.

We stayed at the soft-sided campground in our van after our own Baker Lake hike. If you can, reserve a spot that is as far away from the railway tracks as possible. The trains pass and blow their horns all night. As with Baker Lake, reservations open in January each year.

Lake Louise has a collection of hotels and resorts, including the famous Fairmont Chateau. Prices are usually very high, especially in July and August.

While Banff has more choice, it is also pretty expensive. We rate the Moose Hotel & Suites as one of the best places to stay since it is super central and has an amazing rooftop hot tub area. For a once-in-a-lifetime visit, consider the Fairmont Banff Springs or the Rimrock Resort.

Other hiking guides you may find helpful

Mount Assiniboine Provincial Park

The Rockwall Trail

Berg Lake Trail

Turbine Canyon Loop (Kananaskis)

West Coast Trail

Juan de Fuca Trail

North Coast Trail