The pretty meadows around Emerald Lake were where, until the late-19th century, the Cree hid their women and children while the men headed east to hunt buffalo. You can see why: it’s a beautiful and secluded spot, and now has some nice hiking trails. Yet it’s not too busy, considering an 8km-long road leads to its shores from the Trans-Canada Hwy-1.

The main attractions are the short hike to Hamilton Falls (20mins • easy • 1.6km return); and the wheelchair-accessible trail Emerald Lake Trail around the lake (1.5hrs • easy • 5.2km). You can add to either for a longer hike:

<> Beyond Hamilton Falls the Hamilton Lake Trail (3hr • hard • 11km return) grinds through conifers for an hour then steeply clambers above the tree-line into magnificent high-alpine terrain.

<> An offshoot off the Emerald Lake Trail, the Emerald Basin Trail is another out-and-back trail and leads to a rock amphitheatre of hanging glaciers and avalanche paths (3.5hrs • medium • 13.2km return with lake trail).

Longer trails from Emerald Lake head to the Yoho Valley over high-mountain passes.