Plain of Six Glaciers Hike to the Tea House (Lake Louise)

Kim Martinez
Jul 13
4 min read

One of our favorite hikes in Banff National Park was at Lake Louise: the Six Plains Glacier Hike to the Tea House.

We’d done this hike about four years ago, and I remember it being extremely difficult for me — but it was so beautiful that when Trevor (our 16-year old grandson) flew in to join us, we had to experience it again.

For us, it was about 7–8 miles round trip with roughly 1,500+ feet of elevation gain.

Quick hike snapshot

· Trail: Six Plains Glacier (to the Tea House)

· Starting point: Lake Louise shoreline

· Distance: ~7–8 miles round trip (for us)

· Elevation gain: ~1,500+ ft

· Best surprise: How quickly you climb above the lake and into “glacier country”

· Timing tip: We started around 7:00 PM and loved the quieter trails and evening light

The gentle start: escaping the Lake Louise crowds

We started by hiking along one side of Lake Louise, heading toward the far end where the rivers and streams feed into the lake. This section is gentle, beautiful, and it quickly pulls you away from the biggest crowds — most people stay closer to the entry end near the Fairmont – we were lucky since we started at 7:00pm the crowds were small.

The climb begins: following blue water uphill

Once we hit the climb, it was varying degrees of “up,” and we followed a happily flowing river/creek with that unreal blue water coming down from glaciers way above us.

It’s amazing how fast you rise far above the bright blue expanse of Lake Louise. And every time we stopped to rest (okay… mostly when I stopped to rest while Manny and our 17-year-old mountain goat grandson scampered up the hills like they weren’t hills), I loved looking back.

Lake Louise kept shrinking into the distance, while the mountains and glaciers felt like they were coming closer… even though they were still far, far away.

Snow and slippery patches: slow and careful footing

**Careful through the snow/ice covering moving water just below!**

After another mile or so — still climbing — we hit snow. We started walking through icy, slippery patches, with water flowing underneath from the streams coming down from the mountains above.

We picked our way carefully because slipping in some areas could lead to a pretty dangerous fall.

The “magic” plateau: where the world feels quiet

Eventually we made it to a large plateau-like area. By then, Lake Louise was so far away it looked like a tiny blue speck.

We were high above the creeks and rivers flowing in the valley below, and suddenly we felt closer to the mountain areas and glaciers we’d been staring at through binoculars.

The best part? There’s no way to “accidentally” end up in a place like this — you earn it.

Because we started around 7:00 PM, it was mostly just the three of us, with only a few other straggler groups passing by. Sitting in that quiet, glacier-filled landscape felt like being in a magic pocket of the world. It made us feel small… but also really connected.

Narrow ledges, switchbacks, and the Tea House at the top

**At the Top of the trail where the Tea House is**

The hike wasn’t done yet. We continued above the snow patches to a slightly easier section with better footing along a narrow (but safe) rock ledge. In some spots, water trickled down from the mountains — like the mountains were still rising forever above us.

Then we hit the switchbacks, climbed a little steeper, and finally made it to the Tea House.

There’s a little river flowing through the top of the mountain up there, and the Tea House itself is adorable — but it was closed by the time we arrived (around 8:00 PM).

What surprised me most was learning that employees stay up there, because the only way to get there is the hike we did. We talked to one employee who was making dinner for the others. They’re all young, and he was from Australia — he’d signed up for a two-year work visa and got hired through a job fair.

I get the sense a lot of the workforce comes from other countries: young people who want to travel and work in a place like this. What an experience.

The hike back down (and a teenager moment)

We sat on the benches for a bit. Manny and Trevor threw snowballs at each other — there was still quite a bit of snow at the top — and then we headed back down.

On the way back, our grandson decided to check out a steep uphill trail. Manny and I declined and continued down the main trail… but Trevor didn’t come back.

I was able to get cell service (unusual, and very lucky). He said he was walking along another trail — the Highline Trail— and “should” meet back up with us at Lake Louise.

I pulled up my AllTrails app and that was a strong no. It was taking him way up and over a mountain with another 1,000+ feet of elevation, through the woods, alone, at night, with no bear spray. No way.

So we turned around and went back for him. He ended up cutting through a snowbank and coming down with no trail… and it was getting dark soon… and we still had to ride our bikes back to camp.

Teenagers.