Paget Lookout

Yoho National Park

Getting connected

Begin in a dense subalpine forest, which opens to reveal views of the surrounding peaks. As you hike, discover diverse species and their surprising connections, from grizzly bears to fungi. At the Paget Fire Lookout, gaze at the snow-capped Continental Divide and the Kicking Horse River far below.

While you are at the site you will walk among whitebark pine trees, a species at risk, and take part in research that is helping protect them. We will show you how to use the iNaturalist app to assist in citizen science data collection for projects across Canada!

Banff National Park offers a guided conservation hike to Hidden Lake.

Is this hike right for you? | Schedule | Cost | Reservations | Hike logistics

Paget Lookout hike

Difficulty: Moderate
Distance: 7 km round trip
Elevation Gain: 520 m gain
Duration: 6 hours, 8 am – 2 pm

Is this hike right for you?

The Paget Lookout hike is rated as moderate in difficulty. The beginning 1.4 km of the trail are gently graded on well maintained, packed dirt trails through forest. The final 2.2 km section of the trail continues through the forest into the subalpine. At this point the trail narrows and involves steeper sections and switchbacks on rocky dirt trails.

Please see our day hikes page for details on hike ratings and to compare other hikes in Yoho National Park with similar difficulty.

Note:

  • Children under 8 are not allowed on the Paget Lookout hike
  • Children and youth up to 16 years of age must be accompanied by an adult
  • Parent or guardian of participants 17-19 years of age must sign a waiver at the trailhead
  • No pets
  • No exceptions

We want you to enjoy your day! If you are unsure if this hike is right for you, please call us to discuss at 1-250-343-6783 or email us at pc.yohoinfo-infoyoho.pc@canada.ca.

Schedule - 2023 Paget Lookout guided hikes

Paget Lookout guided hikes run every Friday and Saturday starting July 7 to Sept 1.

When travelling east from Vancouver, the time changes from the Pacific Time Zone to the Mountain Time Zone at Glacier National Park’s eastern boundary. All hike times are in Mountain Daylight Time, the same time zone as Calgary, Alberta and Golden, British Columbia.

Cost

Visit our fees page for pricing.

All participants on the Paget Lookout guided hikes require a valid national park pass. Purchase your pass the day before your guided hike; the park gates and visitor centres are not open in the early morning, and our guides do not sell park passes.

Reservations

Reservations are required and available starting March 29, 2023. To make a reservation you will require the following information:

  • Date and hike requested
  • Names and ages of participants
  • Emergency contact and medical info
  • MasterCard, Visa or AmEx number

Call 1-877-RESERVE (1-877-737-3783), or Reserve online!

Hike logistics

Meeting point

Meet at the Sherbrooke Lake parking lot, Yoho National Park, at 8 am (MDT).
The parking lot is directly across from Wapta Lake. It is 11 km east of Field, or 15 km west of Lake Louise, on the north side of the Trans-Canada Highway. Please do not park in the Great Divide Lodge parking lot. Hike ends at the same location.

Westbound directions

Take the Trans-Canada Highway past Lake Louise (in Banff National Park) into British Columbia and past the Lake O’Hara Road. Approximately 100 meters past the Great Divide Lodge on the Trans-Canada Highway, look for the signs for Sherbrooke Lake. Turn right off the highway into the parking area and look for the Parks Canada vehicle to meet your Guide.

Eastbound directions

There is no sign for Sherbrooke Lake from the eastbound lanes as you are not able to turn left off the highway into the Sherbrooke Lake parking lot. Look for the left hand turn lane into the Great Divide Lodge. The lodge is at the top of Kicking Horse Pass and across the highway from a small lake. Turn left into the Great Divide Lodge parking lot. (If you have reached the Lake O’Hara Road, you have gone too far.) Turn around in the parking lot and turn right (westbound) on the Trans-Canada Highway. You will immediately see the signs for the Sherbrooke Lake parking lot approximately 100 meters west of the Great Divide Lodge. Turn right into the parking area and look for the Parks Canada vehicle to meet your Guide.

Note: When travelling east from Vancouver, the time changes from the Pacific Time Zone to the Mountain Time Zone at Glacier National Park’s eastern boundary. All hike times are in Mountain Daylight Time, the same time zone as Calgary, Alberta and Golden, British Columbia.

Note: Construction in the Kicking Horse Canyon, 10 km east of Golden, means periodic overnight closures of the Trans Canada Highway between 10 pm and 7 am.

These closures may impact some visitors traveling from Golden, British Columbia into Yoho National Park on the morning of their hike. Check www.drivebc.ca for details and alternate routes.

Related links

COVID-19

Your safety and the safety of our staff is our top priority. Parks Canada continues to follow the advice and guidance of public health experts to limit the spread of COVID-19, and reduce the risks to residents, visitors, employees and other users.  

  • Visitors are asked to continue to follow the advice of public health experts on personal hygiene and physical distancing during the hike program
    • Physical distance with people outside of your household.
    • Good hygiene, e.g. sanitize hands before and after eating/drinking, cover coughs and sneezes, avoid touching face.
    • Come prepared with your own “COVID-kit” including water, snacks, hand sanitizer and toilet paper
    • You may bring your own masks, if desired.
What to bring

A day of hiking in the Rockies requires preparation. Conditions can change rapidly in the mountains and higher elevations increase your exposure to the sun and stormy weather.  To have a safe and fun time outdoors you will need to bring:

Hikers on a trip to the Burgess Shale
  • Warm layers of clothes (no cotton), rain jacket and rain pants, winter gloves, and a winter toque / hat
  • Hearty lunch and multiple snacks
  • Drinking water, at least 2 litres or ½ gallon per person
  • Sturdy and worn in hiking boots and extra wool socks 
  • Hiking poles (required for the Mount Stephen hike). Note: Your guide may have hiking poles for you to borrow for the day.
  • Sturdy and supportive backpack with a waist belt
  • Sunscreen, sunglasses, sun hat, insect repellent
  • Toilet paper in a plastic bag for disposal, hand sanitizer
  • Reading glasses, if you wear them
  • Blister kit and personal medical supplies (just in case)
  • Sorry, no pets please.
  • Camera!
 
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