The Beehive — Local services in Alberta

I hiked the Big Beehive on the morning of September 25, 2022. This was an amazing hike with stunning views and you can even find some larch trees here.

The trail starts along Lake Louise and branches off to the right. It is a steady but gradual uphill climb along long switchbacks through the forest for about 2.5 km to Mirror Lake. Mirror Lake was gorgeous and you get the first view of Big Beehive! The trail continues to gain elevation and gets a little steeper up to Lake Agnes. You climb a set of wooden steps before reaching the lake. This lake was so pretty as well with the reflections. The teahouse was busy and had a long line so I didn’t stop here.

From the lake, the trail follows along the shore until you reach the opposite end where it becomes quite rocky. This is where the steep switchbacks to the top of Big Beehive begin. This was the most challenging part of the hike, and I stopped at every corner. It was a relief to make it to the top! There were some larches scattered around and the trail continues through a rocky area at Big Beehive with lots of viewpoints of Lake Louise below and the surrounding mountains. You can hike right to the tip of the Beehive which is amazing. There is a wood shelter with benches for seating. The views were absolutely stunning and well worth the effort it takes to get there!

The trail goes back down the same way, or there are other options if you want to connect to the Plain of 6 Glaciers trail. It was much faster coming down. My FitBit recorded 650m elevation and it took me 4.5 hours to complete including lots of stops for photos and breaks. I pre-booked the Parks Canada shuttle from Lake Louise Ski area and arrived to the lake at 8:30 am. The trail was busy but thinned out on the way to Big Beehive as lots of people only go to Lake Agnes.

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The Big Beehive is the one of the most amazing trails you can do in Lake Louise. The trail is well marked. You can take two routes to get there. One through the Lake Louise - Lake Agnes trail and the other one is the one coming back from The plain of Six Glaciers. I would suggest to take the Lake Louise - Lake Agnes trail because the other one is harder as the entire trail will be only incline until you reach the beehive. Lake Agnes route has a gradual Incline but also some plain ground which will help you to keep your stamina. On the other hand the other trail will drain you fast & crazy. By taking the Lake Agnes route you can complete the Big Beehive and The plain of Six Glaciers Tea House together (Approx 5-6 hours hike depending on your pace). You will enjoy more if you take the first route. For me and my buddy Ninja it was our second time reaching to the top. Loved every second of the trail. Please be respectful to the environment and do not litter. Best of luck to you...

From the Lake Agnes Tea House, we had planned to extend our hike by taking one of the Beehive trails. Once there, we chose Big Beehive over Little because the trail followed around the lake and looked gorgeous. The path around the north half of the lake was pretty easy, but things escalated rapidly - pun intended - on the other half. It was a very steep incline up a series of several switchbacks which eventually bring you to a plateau. Stick left at the T, and make your way along the plateau. Good views of Lake Louise and the Fairmont from the right side of the plateau. Keep going until you reach the shelter at the very tip for the best view of all. Bring water and perhaps a snack, as there is nothing up there but the scenery and views. I strongly recommend sturdy shoes. We took about 7 hours round trip, but that included probably more than an hour sitting at Mirror Lake, having breakfast at the Tea House, and then at the shelter atop...