Big Beehive + Plain of Six Glaciers

Start with Mirror Lake and Lake Agnes

From Lake Louise, climb toward Mirror Lake and continue to Lake Agnes. The Lake Agnes Tea House makes this a fun stop because you can actually get a snack or drink in the middle of the hike.

It was crowded when we visited, but we still enjoyed it.

Big Beehive is the Lake Louise view you want

Continue around Lake Agnes and climb Big Beehive. It is not an easy climb, but the view from the top is fantastic. You can look down over the entire turquoise lake and Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise.

We skipped Little Beehive

We had read that Little Beehive gave a relatively similar perspective, so we skipped it and saved our legs for the longer route. I do not regret that decision.

Combine Big Beehive with Plain of Six Glaciers

The key is not to descend all the way back to the Lake Louise lakefront and start over. Connect from the Big Beehive area toward the Plain of Six Glaciers route and turn the day into one bigger loop-style hike.

Plain of Six Glaciers feels completely different. Instead of looking down over Lake Louise, you hike toward the glaciers and mountains that form the backdrop everyone sees from the hotel.

The Plain of Six Glaciers Tea House gives you another fun place for a snack or drink.

Is it hard?

Yes. Combining these routes is a real hiking day with sustained climbing and meaningful distance. But the scenery changes constantly, so the effort never felt like it was all for one single payoff.

How I would do it

Lake Louise → Mirror Lake → Lake Agnes → around Lake Agnes → Big Beehive → descend toward Plain of Six Glaciers → Plain of Six Glaciers Tea House → return along Lake Louise.

Our Verdict