We travel to Banff several times a year and Vermillion Lakes is a spot we return to over and over again. It's a few minutes outside of town - easy to access via foot and vehicle. They have done some upgrades to the area over the past few years: more benches and signage. It looks like a lovely spot to kayak or canoe but I prefer to snap photos. The water is still and it's very peaceful there. You will see the beautiful mountains and if you're lucky, you'll spot some wildlife. It's free to visit - open to the public.
These are just a short drive from Banff. You can pull off the main road, and take a side road right up to the edge of the lake. You can get great views across the lakes with the mountains behind. This was one of our first closeups with the lakes and mountains, and made for an ideal photo opportunity.
Gorgeous and stunning lake. Quite unique compared to the other lakes around. Best place to be during sunset. We saw a lot of water fowls and plenty of ducks.
Nothing to recommend these lakes. We expected to see bird life and saw none. The views of Mt Rundle reflected in the lake was the only redeeming feature.
We went on a guided horseback trip around Vermillion lakes and we had a fantastic time. I strongly recommend doing this for an afternoon.
Only 5 minutes from town, the Vermilion Lakes are surrounded by an easy paced walking trail with various points to stop and hangout along the lakeshore. A great place to kayak, canoe or just hang out with some friends/brews and take in views of the surrounding mountains.
We were driving to Banff and stopped for a break here and the views were tremondous, especially in the snow. There are signs at the pull in so you know what mountains you are looking at.
A great plce to stoll or hike, close to the town centre...on a warm sunny day, you may even see the Beavers swimming around. A great place to view the lakes and mountains
We visited the lakes area in November 2014 and it was a little too late to see the lakes in action. Initially I was not anticipating it to be a worthwhile attraction during winter, but I was so wrong. The road to the lakes may be closed and you may want to check the road conditions before you head out to see them. We used this website heavily (http://www.amaroadreports.ca/) The lakes look really good with a back drop of Mt. Rundle (i think) and the sun shining on it shows you how far it spans. We really took our time to relax and enjoy the scenary. You only need an hour or two for this attraction. Tip - Use the restroom/toilet before hand as I had trouble finding one. Luckliy we were staying down the street.
Osprey were hunting in the lake at dusk. Mountains reflect in still lake waters. Makes for some nice photos.