Lake Minnewanka Cruise

About Lake Minnewanka Cruise

Lake Minnewanka is the largest lake in Banff National Park at 24 kilometres long, and the cruise covers enough of it to give you a genuine sense of the scale of the place. The interpretive commentary covers the geology, the wildlife ecology of the lake corridor, and the story of the drowned town of Minnewanka Landing.

The resort community was submerged when the dam raised the water level in 1941. The building foundations are still visible in clear water at certain depths. Wildlife sightings along the shoreline are common. Bighorn sheep on the slopes above the lake are reliable in the morning.

The cruise runs 90 minutes. It is the most accessible way to experience the lake for visitors who are not paddling or hiking. The Minnewanka Loop road provides the driving alternative if you prefer to cover the same ground without the boat.