Picture a turquoise alpine lake ringed by rugged peaks, a remote teahouse, and a meadow glowing with golden larches.
Believe it or not, this isn’t Banff National Park. It’s Diana Lake, which is tucked into an alpine valley beneath the Brisco Range on the BC side of the Canadian Rockies. Reaching the lake involves a 45-minute drive on an unpaved road from Radium Hot Springs, followed by a six-hour return hike.
Diana Lake is a truly special place and easily one of my most memorable hikes last year. We visited in late September, just ahead of the golden larch peak. The lake is also a fantastic destination in July and August, especially if you’re daring enough to take a plunge into the its icy waters!
Adventurous hikers can continue past the lake to the larch forest and then up to a ridge to summit the Judge, a 2739m high peak with views of Mount Assiniboine. Back at the lake, it’s possible to stay overnight in the lodge bunkhouse or at the free campsite.
In this post, I’ll share what you need to know about hiking the Diana Lake Trail, including a hike overview, safety tips and lodge/campground info. Everything I would have loved to have known before we visited during our fall trip to the Columbia Valley.
Diana Lake Trail
Location: Brisco Range, north of Radium Hot Springs
Distance: 12km return to lodge (20km return to the Judge summit)
Elevation gain: 700m (+550m for ridge/Judge)
Hike type: Out and back
Time: 5 to 7 hours (+ extra time for ridge/Judge)
Difficulty: Moderate
Camping: Yes, plus lodge
Fees: None (only for the lodge)
When to go: Mid July to early October
Dogs: Permitted but grizzly activity often in area
Backcountry necessities
- Always bring the 10 Essentials
- Know how to stay safe in the backcountry
- Remember to Leave No Trace to help keep the wilderness wild
- Understand how to avoid negative bear encounters
- Trying out backpacking for the first time? Read Backpacking 101
- Check out our packing guide with gear recommendations
- Sign up to our newsletter for a free backpacking checklist
Introducing Diana Lake
Diana Lake is a spectacular turquoise coloured lake in British Columbia, Canada, not far from Radium Hot Springs. It has all of the alpine beauty you would expect, but with few visitors.
The hike isn’t that long but it is moderate difficulty and travels through prime grizzly bear habitat. Indeed, grizzlies are regularly spotted from the trail. The access road is unpaved and as of 2025, has a large rut that makes it difficult for low clearance vehicles to navigate safely.
There has been a cabin at Diana Lake since 1956. It now serves as the dining room and kitchen of Diana Lake Lodge, a teahouse and bunkhouse close to the lake. Under new ownership, the lodge will soon be known as Pinnacle Meadows Backcountry Cabin.
Soup, baked treats, coffee and tea are available for purchase at the Diana Lake Teahouse between 11am and 3pm most days during the summer hiking season (closed Tuesday and Wednesday in 2025). The lodge has a sunny picnic area next to the cabin. There are no lake views from here but it’s a lovely place to be.
Beyond the lodge is a huge larch forest, which turns wonderfully golden in late September/early October. The trail leads through the trees and then uphill along a ridge towards the summit of the Judge (2,739m).
Diana Lake hike overview
The Diana Lake Trail begins with a bit of a false start. Just beyond the trail kiosk, flooding has washed out the trail above the creek.
Choose between a narrow, sketchy path along the dirt bank or walk along the creek instead (we did the latter). Look for the metal bridge ahead.
After the bridge, the trail follows an old logging road for 1km. This section of the hike is straightforward and is easy to walk, but there is not a lot of shade. A makeshift plank bridge provides a crossing over a creek.
Look for a signed right hand turn – before not to miss this. The real hike begins as this side trail immediately heads uphill and into the forest.
From this point, the path alternates between forest and open mountain slopes, the latter covered in tall, overgrown shrubs and wildflowers.
The combination is pretty interesting, especially as some of the trees are surprisingly old (200+ years). The views of the surrounding mountains and avalanche chutes are pretty scenic.
Expect to see some fallen trees. There are a couple of small crossings of Pinnacle Creek, all of which had bridges on our visit. The largest one was at 4.5km.
At the 4.8km mark, the trail starts opening up even more. Scattered larch trees border the meadows. The Judge, the area’s tallest peak, appears on the right hand side.
Be particularly careful to stay on the path and boardwalk sections here, as the sub-alpine terrain is so delicate.
Not long after this beautiful section begins, turquoise coloured Diana Lake appears below a rugged wall of rock. A trail to the left follows the lakeshore, the path ahead leads to the lodge and the trail to the right heads up towards the small campsite.
Diana Lake Lodge and larch forest
The lodge is about 400m from the lake and can also be accessed from the lakeshore. The inland route is slightly uphill. Hikers are welcome to visit the lodge between 11am and 3pm Thursday to Monday to purchase baked treats, coffee, tea and soup (open Thursday to Monday).
The trail continues beyond the lodge to the ridge and summit of the Judge. The route passes through an expansive larch forest, which is truly glorious place to be in early fall.
In late September, the needles on these trees turn golden before dropping for the winter. It’s an amazing sight to see – definitely make the 1km return detour into the larch forest when visiting at this time of year.
About 500-600m after the lodge, there is a trail junction. Continue ahead for the ridge, or turn left to return to the shoreline of Diana Lake, via a longer loop trail. This is the route we chose as we were on a bit of a time crunch.
Ridge/Judge trail extension
The ridge and Judge summit are popular add-ons to the main Diana Lake Trail. The route to the summit adds another 8km return, with around 550m elevation gain.
From the larch forest, the trail first ascends to Whitetail Pass before turning almost 180 degrees to follows the ridge.
A moderate scramble is required to reach the Judge peak from the ridge. On a clear day, there are apparently incredible views of the Bugaboos, Mount Assiniboine and Kootenay National Park.
If you’d like to hike up to the Judge in late September, I’d recommend setting out early (prior to 9am) due to the limited daylight. The standard Diana Lake hike is around 5 to 7 hours – allow 2 to 3 hours more to ascend to the ridge.
Camping at Diana Lake
There is a basic campsite just uphill of Diana Lake, built by Recreation Sites and Trails BC. It is pretty small, with just 2 or 3 spots for small backpacking tents. There is a picnic bench and green throne outhouse. There is no food storage area – be prepared to build a bear hang.
The campsite is user maintained, so you must pack out everything you bring in, including trash. There are no camping fees or reservation system.
I don’t think it is a very popular camping destination but you should be prepared to hike out if it is full. There are no real other options for camping nearby and the alpine landscape is super fragile.
Diana Lake Lodge and Teahouse / Pinnacle Meadows Backcountry Cabin
For years, Diana Lake Lodge and Teahouse has provided summer backcountry accommodation as well as yummy baked goods and coffee to day hikers from early July to late October. Winter access is by helicopter only. The lodge is a short walk from Diana Lake itself.
The main cabin is used as a kitchen and dining room. There is running cold water in the summer and a small source of electricity. Overnight guests have use of the cabin outside of the hours 11am to 4pm.
Accommodation is in the nearby bunkhouse, which has three semi-private rooms and beds for 10 people maximum. There are propane heaters in both the bunkhouse and cabin. Mattresses and pillows are provided, but guests must bring their own bedding.
Other facilities include a composting outhouse, sauna and hot outdoor shower. The bunkhouse is pretty popular and is usually booked out through the summer.
With new owners, Diana Lake Lodge is in a transition phase – as of 2026, it will be known as the Pinnacle Meadows Backcountry Cabin.
Bookings are available for 2026 via the new website. The rate for the entire bunkhouse (exclusive use) is $700 (plus tax) for adults, $600 (plus tax) for groups with two or more children under 16 years of age.
For day hikers, Diana Lake Lodge sells tea ($4), coffee ($4), ice tea and coffee pitchers ($4 / $9), baked goods ($4 to $6), soup with crackers ($9) and soup with foccacia bread ($14). Cash or card accepted.
Diana Lake driving directions
The Diana Lake trailhead is located at the end of the Pinnacle Creek Forest Service Road (FSR). It is 41km from Radium Hot Springs, a distance that takes around 45-50 minutes to drive. Alternatively, you can visit from Golden, which is 109km away.
From Radium Hot Springs:
- Head north on Highway 95 for 17.5km (measured from Radium’s roundabout).
- Turn right onto the signed Kindersley-Pinnacle Forest Service Road. This is the same exit for Luxor Corrals Trail Rides
- Follow this unpaved road. Stay left at the fork at the 7km mark to stay on Pinnacle Forest Service Road
- Continue on this main route for another 16km. Avoid turning onto any of the smaller branch roads. Look for the small green Diana Lake signs
- The Diana Lake trailhead is located at 50.86548, -116.23177
From Golden, travel south on Highway 95 for 86km and then turn left onto the Kindersley-Pinnacle Forest Service Road and then follow above directions.
Kindersley-Pinnacle and Pinacle FSR are unpaved roads, still used for active logging. Drive with caution and give way to industrial vehicles.
When we visited in September 2024, both FSRs were in pretty decent condition. A lot of the road is pretty wide, with good visibility ahead. The last section is narrower and had some small potholes.
At that time, I would have said that most vehicles could drive it with some clearance (SUVs, for example).
I was informed in August 2025 that there is a very large rut across the FSR at the 22km mark. It’s usually full of water and reportedly about 30cm deep.
For this reason, I would now recommend a high clearance vehicle. There is a pull-out not far before the rut, so there is the option to park there and add another 4km return to the hike.
The Diana Lake trailhead has space for around 7 vehicles. There are no facilities here besides the trail kiosk, which features a basic map and information about the lodge.
On the drive to the trailhead, watch for the Edgewater Flume – a 13km long structure built over a century ago that still supplies water to 95 local landowners
General safety tips
- Bring the 10 Essentials, even on a day hike – these items will help prevent small inconveniences from becoming emergencies
- This trail is located in prime grizzly bear habitat. Sightings are not uncommon. Make noise while hiking, especially in overgrown areas. Travel in a group if you can
- Be sure to carry bear spray in an accessible place (like a belt holster) and know how to use it. Understand what to do if you do encounter a grizzly bear
- There is zero phone signal anywhere on this hike, including at the trailhead. Tell someone where you are going and when you plan to be back
- The trail is moderate difficulty – most of it features a steady ascent through the forest and across mountain slopes. It is overgrown and often features fallen trees
- 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
- Some trail sections don’t have much shade. Bring a hat and sunscreen. Stop often and drink plenty of water.
- Before leaving the highway, check that your spare tire is inflated and you know how to change it
- Bring bug protection, especially in July and August. We did not have any issues in late September, but I’ve heard the mosquitoes are ferocious in the summer months
You may find these other hiking posts helpful:
Mount Assiniboine Provincial Park: Complete Hiking Guide
Bugaboo Provincial Park, BC: Conrad Kain Hut Trail Guide
Where to Find Golden Larches in British Columbia
Backpacking Gear List: Packing Guide for Multi-Day Hikes
The Berg Lake Trail: Complete Backpacking Guide
One half of the Canadian/British couple behind Off Track Travel, Gemma is happiest when hiking on the trail or planning the next big travel adventure. JR and Gemma are currently based in the beautiful Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada. Consider buying us a coffee if you have find any of our guides helpful!