Lake O'Hara Bus
Yoho National Park, British Columbia · shuttle / bus
How Lake O'Hara day-use bus seats work: the March random draw, the seats released after it, the 3:30pm day-before cutoff and how to catch a cancelled seat.
How booking works here
- Each park opens its season on its own launch day in January or February, usually at 8am local time.
- Most bookings are refunded in full (minus a fee) until 3 days before arrival, so cancellations bunch up just before that.
- West Coast Trail fees are only fully refundable 21 or more days before the start date. Lake O'Hara camping and bus bookings can be changed until 3:30pm the day before.
- Bookings are made on Parks Canada; we never book, hold or resell shuttle seats.
Official booking page
About
The Lake O'Hara bus is how most day visitors reach one of the most protected corners of Yoho National Park. The 11 km access road is closed to private vehicles, and Parks Canada caps the number of people who ride in each day to protect the area. That cap is why a seat is so hard to get, and why the bus has its own random draw instead of a normal first-come launch.
In 2026 the bus ran from June 19 to October 4.
The bus
Parks Canada's 2026 timetable (MDT), from Plan a trip to Lake O'Hara:
- Inbound to Lake O'Hara: 8:30 and 10:30
- Outbound: 9:30, 11:30, 14:30, 16:30 and 18:30
- Group size: maximum 6 people per reservation, and children aged 1 to 16 must be included
Licensed guiding outfitters book separately, by phone from April 1.
How booking works
The random draw. Most seats are allocated by a random draw, applied for online through the Parks Canada Reservation Service. For 2026:
- Applications ran from 8:00am March 2 to 11:59pm March 23 MDT
- Each application cost a non-refundable C$10
- You could list up to 6 inbound bus dates and times in order of preference
After the draw. Seats that aren't taken are made available as standard reservations on reservation.pc.gc.ca, and bus reservations can be made until 3:30pm the day before your trip.
2027: not announced yet. Expect a March draw, based on 2026.
Last checked: October 2026.
When it sells out
The draw exists because demand far outstrips seats, so expect the whole summer to be spoken for once draw results are claimed. Weekends are the hardest days to get. Seats that come back are usually scattered single days rather than whole weekends.
How to get a cancellation
From the Parks Canada reservation policies for day-use activities:
- Cancel 3 or more days before: full refund, less the non-refundable reservation fee (C$3.50 online) and the cancellation fee (C$3.50 online).
- Cancel less than 3 days before: 50% refund of the activity fees, less those fees.
- Reservations close at 3:30pm the day before the bus.
That 3-day line gives people a reason to cancel early, and draw winners who change plans can decline their offer. Both put seats back on sale for anyone to book.
Watch the Lake O'Hara Bus on Canada Camp Alerts and we'll email you when a day you picked goes from full to bookable. Alerts for the bus are per day: a day counts as open when any public inbound departure has a seat. We don't match a specific departure time or your party size, so if you need 4 seats, check the count when the alert lands. We don't hold or book seats; you book on the Parks Canada site.
The free plan covers one watch, with email alerts 15 minutes after we spot the opening. Bus seats go fast, so the season pass (C$25 once, 12 months, no auto-renew) is worth a look here: up to 10 watches, instant alerts by email, Telegram or web push.
Tips
- Apply to the draw anyway. It's the main way in, and a cancellation watch is a backup, not a replacement.
- Watch several days. Single seats on random days are the typical cancellation. Flexible dates win.
- Go solo or as a pair. A cancelled seat or two is far more common than six together.
- Remember the walk. If nothing turns up, the road is open to walkers, 22 km return.
Nearby alternatives
Questions
When is the Lake O'Hara bus random draw for 2027?
Not announced yet. In 2026 applications ran from 8am March 2 to 11:59pm March 23 MDT, at a non-refundable C$10 per application. Expect a similar March window, based on 2026.
Can I still get a seat if I missed the draw?
Yes, sometimes. Parks Canada makes seats that aren't taken in the draw available as standard reservations, and seats freed by cancellations go back on sale. Reservations can be made until 3:30pm the day before your bus.
How do your alerts work for the bus?
Bus alerts are per day. A day counts as open when any public inbound departure on it has a seat. We don't match your party size or a specific departure time, so check the seat count before you book.
Can I walk in instead?
Yes. The access road is 11 km one way (22 km return) and open to walkers. Camping still needs a campground reservation.
Nearby places we watch
- Elizabeth Parker Hut — Yoho National Park, British Columbia · 68 open, 18 of 180 nights booked out
- Kicking Horse — Yoho National Park, British Columbia · 0 open, 0 of 180 nights booked out
- Lake O'Hara Campground — Yoho National Park, British Columbia · 0 open, 0 of 180 nights booked out
- Monarch — Yoho National Park, British Columbia · 0 open, 0 of 180 nights booked out
- Scott Duncan Hut — Yoho National Park, British Columbia · 86 open, 0 of 180 nights booked out
- Stanley Mitchell Hut — Yoho National Park, British Columbia · 86 open, 0 of 180 nights booked out
Set a watch on Lake O'Hara Bus
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