Lake O'Hara Alpine Circuit
Lake O'Hara Alpine Circuit is a loop hike in Yoho National Park, built from three alpine trail segments: Wiwaxy Gap/Huber Ledges, Yukness Ledges, and All Soul’s Route. The route stays on high ledges above Lake O’Hara and connects multiple lakes and alpine lookouts as you go around the circuit.
Plan on a full-day push. The loop distance is about 11 km (3.04 mi) with roughly 500 m of elevation gain on typical full-circuit variations; it’s long enough that even experienced hikers move more slowly due to steep grades, ledgy terrain, and frequent short pauses.
Expect the hardest work on the ledge-and-pass sections. Wiwaxy Gap is the high point along the alpine circuit, followed by the Huber Ledges traverse to Lake Oesa, which involves sustained scrambling/rocky travel. From there the route shifts to Yukness Ledges, with exposed sections continuing the traverse around the alpine side of Yukness Mountain.
After the Yukness Ledges traverse, the circuit reaches the Opabin area and then commits to the final climb on scree and alpine meadows via All Soul’s Route. This upper section tops out at All Soul’s Prospect before the descent back down toward Schaffer Lake and the Lake O’Hara side of the loop.
Route direction is commonly clockwise, which is used to take the steepest climbing first on the Wiwaxy side. If you do it the other way, you still get the same circuit segments, but the pacing and exposure feel different because you’re doing the big climb later in the day.
Access around Lake O’Hara is quota-limited in practice, so most hikers either secure the Lake O’Hara shuttle reservation or walk the gated service road up to the lakeshore; the access constraints affect how you time and plan the day. The fire road itself is not bicycle-accessible year-round, so treat this as a hike-focused itinerary once you’re on the route.
More information: Hiking The Lake O'Hara Alpine Circuit - Follow That Nerd, 2026 Lake O'Hara Alpine Circuit Hiking Guide, Lake O'Hara Day Hike: Alpine Circuit & Fall Colors in Yoho