Vermilion Lakes Paddling on 22-May-2026

Participants: Leslie, David, Andre, Tina

Vermilion Lakes

Towards the end of May, four Ramblers (Dave, Leslie, Tina and Andre) decided to visit Vermilion Lakes for a relaxed day of paddling. Vermilion Lakes are a cluster of three lakes, located a few kilometers west of the town of Banff in the Bow Valley. Although they are nestled between the TransCanada Highway and the Canadian Pacific Railway tracks, the lakes nevertheless offer a feeling of wilderness.

When we arrived around 9:30 a.m. on a Friday morning, we were greeted by calm waters, blue skies, and a wisp of clouds drifting towards the summit of Mount Rundle to the east. The wavering call of a loon drifted across the lake, and an osprey was overhead, effortlessly circling up in the rising thermals. Raptors such as osprey and bald eagle nest in the trees surrounding the lakes and hunt for fish in the waters.

We decided to begin our day by lazily paddling towards the third lake, which is the most westerly of the three. Because the lakes are quite shallow in places, the water warms up quickly, providing ideal growing conditions for tall grasses such as Bluejoint Reed Grass, common bulrushes, and grass-like sedges and cattails. These grasses stabilize the shallow marshes and provide ideal cover and nesting habitat for local birds such as red-winged blackbirds and red-necked grebes.

As we made our way through the various large and small water channels that intersect the marshes, the cares of daily life started to fall away. In the kayaks, we were close to the water. Surrounded by tall reeds gently wafting in the breeze, and hearing the trill of the abundant blackbirds, it began to feel as if we were entering a different world.

The extensive wetlands of Vermilion Lakes are said to support more birdlife than almost any other area in Banff National Park. Among the many species of birdlife, we spotted Canada Goose and waterfowl such as Bufflehead and Cinnamon Teal.

The gentle, sloping shores of the lakes also attract herbivores such as elk, who graze on sedges and willow shoots, while moose frequent the marshy areas to feed on aquatic vegetation. Mule deer can often be seen browsing on the fringes of the lakes. Muskrats and beaver navigate the channels and use the reeds to build lodges while feeding on the abundant aquatic plants. Although I have paddled Vermilion Lakes many times, I have never been fortunate enough to see a moose, and this was sadly the case for us today.

After paddling through a series of channels, we were stopped by a small waterfall draining from a large pond on the outskirts of the third lake, and we decided to make our way back to the second lake. Paddling back through one of the larger channels, we were greeted by the snow-covered slopes of Mount Inglismaldie to the west. In the surrounding bulrushes and willows, we were fortunate to catch a glimpse of several songbirds such as Yellow Warblers and perhaps a Common Yellowthroat.

At one point, we heard a loud and distinct bird call, which none of us could identify. The loudness of the call told us that we were quite close, and we quietly paddled up to some dense sedges and cattail, hoping to see it. However, the bird was so well camouflaged that we could not see it, although we could hear it clearly.

After exploring the second lake, we decided to visit the first lake, which can be accessed through a channel on the north side of the lakes, quite close to Vermilion Lakes Road. Because the lakes are so marshy, there are few places to pull out, and so we decided to go to the first dock, where we could stretch our legs and have lunch.

As it was now approaching the noon hour, there were more people around than in the morning. A lady told us that someone had spotted a bear cub in the grassy, somewhat wooded area to the north of the road. We looked, but could not see it. Large carnivores such as grizzly bear and black bear occasionally pass through the grassy corridors in the Bow Valley.

When we were having lunch on the dock, we met a family from Belgium who had rented a canoe from the Banff Boathouse on the Bow River. A small creek, called Echo Creek, winds its way from the boathouse to Vermilion Lakes. The family told us that it had been relatively easy to paddle the creek and reach Vermilion Lakes, although they had encountered one beaver dam along the way. They said the dam could be circumvented by hiking along a small trail on the side of the creek and pulling the canoe around.

After lunch, we decided to explore Echo Creek. The channel which connects the creek to the first Vermilion Lake can be a bit tricky to find. As we made our way along the eastern shore of the lake, we spotted two swans. The pair might have been Trumpeter Swans, which stop at Vermilion Lakes during the spring to feed on the rich aquatic vegetation. Shortly after seeing the swans, we found the entrance to Echo Creek, which was marked by a distinctive, green colored metal pole.

A few minutes later, we came upon a huge beaver lodge. It was one of the largest lodges that I have ever seen. Close by it was the dam. We saw another couple who had rented a canoe from the Banff Boathouse, and they were pulling their canoe over the side of the beaver dam in order to paddle toward Vermilion Lakes.

As dark rainclouds were starting to gather overhead, and a stronger wind was starting to blow, we decided to make our way back towards the first lake. The swans were no longer in the place where we had initially spotted them, but we could see them on the west side of the first lake. They were likely Trumpeter Swans because of their call, which was a single, low, throaty “toot.” (Tundra Swans apparently have a higher pitched whistling call.) We paddled towards them, hoping to catch a closer glimpse of these beautiful birds. We were careful, however, not to approach too closely.

After seeing the swans, we accessed the channel leading to the second lake, where we had started. On our way back, we were blessed with seeing an osprey directly overhead. It was amazing to see it hover in place, and then tuck its wings to dive towards the water. However, as it neared the water, it abruptly rose up again, regaining its previous hovering position. Incredibly, the osprey dove a total of three times, each time skimming just above the water, only to regain its hovering position. We did not see the osprey actually catch a fish, but hopefully it was eventually successful. Osprey apparently face into the wind when hovering, which enables them to create lift without moving forward. They are the only raptors that dive underwater to catch their prey. Osprey have transparent eyelids which act like goggles, protecting their eyes as they dive under the water.

Seeing the osprey up-close was a beautiful finish to what had been a rich but relaxing day, immersed in the natural beauty of the three lakes.

Many thanks to Dave, Tina, and Andre, for joining me, Leslie (c/s) on this relaxed paddling day.