How the Parks Canada shuttle to Moraine Lake and Lake Louise books: the spring launch, the 60% of seats released 2 days ahead at 8am MT, and late cancellations.
Last checked: October 2026, against the Parks Canada Lake Louise and Moraine Lake shuttle page and reservation policies.
About
Moraine Lake is the glacier-blue lake under the Valley of the Ten Peaks, and Lake Louise is the one with the Château at its shore. Both are in the Lake Louise area of Banff National Park, and both are famous for full parking lots by sunrise. Since Parks Canada closed Moraine Lake Road to personal vehicles (it's now closed year-round), the Parks Canada Shuttle is how most visitors get there.
The shuttle leaves from the Lake Louise Park and Ride at the Lake Louise Ski Resort (1 Whitehorn Road), where parking is free for people with a reservation. One ticket covers Lake Louise, Moraine Lake, the Lake Connector between them and the ride back to the Park and Ride. You still need a national park pass on top.
For 2026 Parks Canada ran these services:
- Lake Louise Lakeshore route: May 15 to October 12
- Moraine Lake route: June 1 to October 12, weather permitting
- Alpine Start: June 1 to October 12, with 4 am and 5 am departures. It's the one shuttle that leaves from the Lake Louise Lakeshore lot, where paid parking applies.
- Lake Connector: every 30 minutes, 7 am to 6 pm, June 1 to October 12. First come, first served, and you need a boarding pass.
How booking works
Book through the Parks Canada reservation site (reservation.pc.gc.ca) or by phone at 1-877-737-3783. Each reservation holds up to 10 seats, and you pick a one-hour departure window and which lake you visit first.
Seats are released in two stages:
- Launch day: 40% of seats. In 2026 that was Wednesday, April 15 at 8 am MDT, with a virtual queue.
- Two days before: the remaining 60% are released at 8 am MDT two days before each departure day.
There's a non-refundable reservation fee of $3.50 online or $5.50 by phone. Parks Canada's shuttle page sends you to the park fees page for the fare itself.
The 2027 launch date hasn't been announced. Expect a mid-April launch with the same 40/60 split, based on 2026, and confirm on the Parks Canada page before you plan around it.
How fast it sells out
Summer days at Moraine Lake are among the most sought-after reservations in the park. The sunrise-friendly early departures and July–September weekends go first on launch day, and the two-day release at 8 am MDT is the second big rush: the 60% share means most seats on any given day only appear two mornings before. If you're not at a screen right at 8 am Mountain time, the popular windows can be gone.
When cancellations appear
The shuttle has the loosest cancellation rule in Parks Canada's system: you can change or cancel up to one hour before your departure window (for a $3.50 online or $5.50 phone fee). Parks Canada asks people who can't go to cancel so someone else can have the seat.
That means seats come back on any day, right up to departure:
- the evening before and early morning of a trip, when people check the weather
- days with a poor forecast, smoke or a cold snap
- shortly after the 8 am two-day release, as people with overlapping bookings drop the extras
Watching it with Canada Camp Alerts
The shuttle is watched per day, not per night: watch the Moraine Lake shuttle for the days you want, and we'll alert you when a day turns from sold out to having a seat free on any departure. We don't pick a specific departure window, lake or number of seats for you, so check the window and seat count on the booking site before you pay. We don't book or hold anything.
The free plan gives you one watch, by email, with alerts sent 15 minutes after season-pass holders get them. On a shuttle that's often long enough for the seat to go. The season pass (C$25 once, 12 months, no auto-renew) sends alerts instantly, adds Telegram and web push, and lets you run up to 10 watches.
Tips
- Set an alarm for 8 am MDT two days out. That's the biggest release for any given day.
- Be flexible on the window. Midday departures tend to be easier than sunrise slots.
- Have your national park pass sorted. The shuttle ticket doesn't include park entry.
- Use Roam Transit. Roam's Route 8X (Lake Louise Express) runs year-round from the Town of Banff to the Lake Louise Lakeshore; Parks Canada recommends reserving it in summer. A Roam Reservable Super Pass also lets you ride the Lake Connector to Moraine Lake, with some restrictions.
Nearby alternatives
If you're camping in the park, watch a campground too: Two Jack Lakeside and Tunnel Mountain Village 2 are near the Town of Banff. Hikers can look at the Banff, Kootenay and Yoho backcountry campgrounds. The park overview is on our Banff National Park page.
No. Parks Canada says Moraine Lake Road is closed to personal vehicles year-round. You get there on the Parks Canada Shuttle, with a licensed commercial operator, or as a registered guest of Moraine Lake Lodge.
In 2026, 40% of seats went on sale on April 15 at 8 am MDT. The other 60% are released at 8 am MDT two days before each departure day. The 2027 dates haven't been announced; expect a similar mid-April launch, based on 2026.
Yes, up to one hour before your departure window. Changes and cancellations cost $3.50 online or $5.50 by phone, and the booking fee isn't refunded.
No. We email you (or message you on Telegram or web push with a season pass) when a day you're watching has a seat free on any departure. You book it yourself on the Parks Canada reservation site.