Last updated on January 5th, 2024 at 02:24 am
Backpacking the Skoki Loop had been a long time dream of mine but I was either already pushing my limits on the number of backpacking trips I was squeezing into the short summer or was unlucky at reservation time. This summer the stars aligned and I snagged a night at both Baker Lake Campground and Merlin Meadows Campground at the end of August.
This year I seem to have found success booking things more towards the shoulder seasons and so far it has paid off. Our trip backpacking the Skoki Loop may have proved to be a somewhat unlucky weather wise it turned out, but in the mountains it can snow in July and August so you really just have to hope for the best! During our two night, three day trip backpacking the Skoki Loop we had hot sunshine, torrential rain accompanied by crazy thunder and lightning storms and topped it off with a good portion of snow…to remind us winter was just around the corner.
Backpacking the Skoki loop was the kind of trip which reminds you, pack for all weather conditions, they can change quickly in the mountains. Even though it was August, after checking the forecast we made the solid decision to pack our four season tent, yes the extra weight wasn’t fun but feeling safe and secure in howling wind and snow made it worthwhile! I for one also packed sunscreen, full thermals and a toque. I used it all!
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Three Day Itinerary For Backpacking The Skoki Loop
Day 1: Fish Creek Trailhead to Baker Lake Campground
Backpacking the Skoki Loop doesn’t start in a dazzling blaze of glory. More like the boring hill from hell. After a long few weeks of work I have to admit getting up this hill was harder than I expected. It offered no views and trudged upwards consistently before arriving at the back side of the Lake Louise Ski Resort. This is used as a service road in summer so keep your ears open for cars, I can’t say they were all driving at pedestrian friendly speeds.
Once you reach the chairlifts, the trail was easy to follow, with clear signs for Baker Lake, including a bear warning, guiding our way. The trail cuts steeply upwards as it leaves the ski resort but quickly flattens out and winds through the forest for some time. A perfect spot to have a break and escape the sunshine.
Leaving the trees the trail appears into a beautiful meadow area revealing the first real views of the hike. Look behind for spectacular views of Mount Temple. The trail is easy going here and mostly flat. When you cross the creek head towards the sign opposite the bridge for hidden lake and then take a right at the sign to stumble across Halfway Hut, a great spot on worse weather days to take a break and escape the elements!
Not long after leaving Halfway Hut the trail starts to climb again, at times quite punishingly as the hike up and over Boulder Pass begins. Looking back the views are spectacular as you climb. Plus for those who know, the larches start appearing, so if you manage to snap a reservation for mid to late September you would be in for a show on this trip!
Once at the top of the pass, Ptarmigan Lake is revealed, enjoy the beauty of this place. While we were there on our way in, there wasn’t a hint of wind, the silence up there was incredible! The trail skirts the lakeshore with a tiny bit of elevation gain. Nearing the end of Ptarmigan Lake, our goal for the day revealed itself, down below we caught our first glaces of Baker Lake in the distance.
You quickly start to lose elevation here and before we knew it we were at the lake. No time to relax for us though as the storm clouds were catching up with us and the distant rumbles of thunder were slowly getting louder. The Baker Lake Campground is located at the far end of the lake and an easy, mostly flat portion of trail easily gets you there.
The Baker Lake Campground has eight tent pads, I assume due to the bad forecast most people had cancelled their trip as we only shared the site with one other tent! There is a cooking area, two outhouses and a bear hang. The lake is easily accessible from camp with a few tent pads offering beautiful lake views. All campgrounds while backpacking the Skoki Loop must be booked online ahead of time on the Parks Canada website, here. Reservations for summer 2024 open on Monday 29th January at 8am MST.
Day 2: Baker Lake to Merlin Meadows
Over night it rained and stormed hard but we woke up to a beautiful, sunny and still morning! We dried off the tarp and tent as we ate breakfast and packed up and hit the trail.
For day two of backpacking the Skoki Loop we headed out the back way from Baker Lake Campground, not really sure what to expect. As we rounded the corner we found ourselves in a beautiful alpine valley, surrounded by peaks and filled with grass. We followed the aptly named Cotton Grass Pass trail.
As we got to the trail junction for the Red Deer Lakes trail it started hailing hard so we decided to keep our day short and took the trail upwards, cutting off the corner and missing Red Deer Lakes. After a short and steep ascent we were back in the trees. The trail felt pretty overgrown and we were happy for our rain pants to protect us from the wet growth we brushed past.
The trail offered some gorgeous views before joining up with the deception Pass trail shortly before Skoki Lodge. Since it was still raining, we didn’t hang around to grab a beer from the lodge. We were camping at Merlin Meadows and it was clearly signposted from the lodge. The trail descends through the trees for what feels like considerably longer than the 1km stated on the sign. Eventually we ran across the outhouse and the campground sign.
The Merlin Meadows Campground is a big site with two different areas to hang food. There are no tent pads but some clear, flattened areas to pitch tents spread among the trees, some offering stunning views of the mountains surrounding the Meadows. There is a spaced out cooking area with some questionable benches, the water source is easily accessible and in the form of a river running through the meadow. There are also two fire pits at Merlin Meadows Campground but no provided firewood.
It started snowing shortly after we arrived and kept going all afternoon so we mostly hid in our tent and watched a downloaded movie on Netflix. This was the story of our night at Merlin Meadows. We had a small break in weather and we managed to stay dry and eat dinner before the temperature plummeted and the snow started again. I’m sure on a sunny, warm day this would be an incredibly beautiful camping spot while backpacking the Skoki Loop. On us however it was so frigid we didn’t spend much time outside of the tent!
Day 3: Merlin Meadows to Fish Creek Parking
We got up on day three of backpacking the Skoki Loop, not knowing what to expect after it had snowed most of the night. We lucked out and the snow line was just a few meters higher than the campground. It made the place look magical, however there was still snow on the tables and on our food bag, so it was a cold start.
After packing up we headed back up the trail to the Skoki Lodge. Most people backpacking the Skoki Loop recommend exiting via Packers Pass rather than the more common Deception Pass, so this was our plan. Packers Pass wasn’t on our map and it wasn’t signposted from the lodge but a quick chat to a super friendly member of staff at the lodge had us set straight and on our way.
From Skoki Lodge, follow the signs for Merlin Lake and hikers. The trail crosses the creek beside the lodge before heading through the forest. Shortly after there is a fork in the trail, marked by….a giant wooden fork. The right trail heads to Merlin Lake, while the left trail heads to Packers Pass.
Soon the trail emerges into an open meadow and skirts the outside heading towards a headwall with a waterfall cascading off of it. Once at the waterfall look for the cairns which mark the trail up beside the waterfall. It looks intimidating but the trail has been created to make passage for hikers fairly easy, with rock steps meaning the trail through the headway is easy to navigate. There is a rock you have to pass under….easy for shorter people like myself but for my taller partner he had to get on his knees to pass under it.
Once at the top the beautiful blue lake behind reveals itself. The trail runs alongside the lake so you are never short of views. Once at the far end of the lake the trail climbs steeply, affording stunning views looking back down over the lake. As the trail nears the top the second lake reveals itself along with the glacier behind it. This part of the trail was truly a highlight of backpacking the Skoki Loop.
After passing the lake the trail climbs significantly to reach the pass. When we were there it started snowing hard, reminding us to always pack for all weather! With gloves, toques and full rain gear on we made it to the pass. I’m sure in nicer weather this would provide an incredible view but for us it wasn’t a good time to hang around, so we quickly started to descend to Ptarmigan Lake.
Upon reaching the lake, the main trail we entered on, was our route out. An easy mostly downhill slog from here meant my knees were burning by the time we got back to the truck. With the bad weather we barely stopped for breaks and we ran into very few other people heading in to backpack the Skoki Loop. The poor weather forecast it seems really had put people off and we had an incredibly quiet time backpacking the Skoki Loop which I’m sure many others don’t get to experience.
Getting to the Skoki Loop Trailhead
From Highway One take the main turning to Lake Louise. Follow signs for the Lake Louise Ski Resort, the opposite direction from the lake itself. Shortly after passing the turning for the old highway, the 1A, the Fish Creek Trailhead is signed on the right hand side of the road. Once you turn the access road is rough and loose. There is a gate to stop you going up the access road very far and parking is located on the right hand side. The hike begins up the access road after passing through the gate.
Lessons Learned From Backpacking The Skoki Loop
Backpacking the Skoki Loop is a stunning trip. There are lots of scrambling opportunities in the area and trails to explore. If I was to redo this trip I would absolutely spend more time out there! We bumped into another couple who had allocated five days to slowly make their way around the full Loop. We really only had time to hike from campsite to campsite each day and so missed exploring some of the other gems along the way.
I would love to go back and backpack the Skoki Loop in fall, as I mentioned before, the trail went through lots of larch trees which will be glowing yellow in mid to late September. Something I am sure would be absolutely beautiful to see!
There is also the option to add backpacking the Skoki Loop onto the longer Sawback trail which eventually ends up in Banff but starts or ends at the same trailhead! We backpacking the Sawback trail separately on a different year, however in hindsight, we could have done a longer trip and combined the two.
Items You Might Need To Backpack The Skoki Loop
A good pair of hiking boots will work wonders when backpacking the Skoki Loop, especially when tackling the rocky passes, boots are a great option for protecting your feet! I love my La Sportiva Ultra Raptor 2 boots. Waterproof helps when there is fresh fall snow on the ground too!
Hiking poles for me were a must for tackling the steep climbs but also descending on fresh, slippery snow. They helped me to balance and have control, so I didn’t slip over.
A good tent will help with protecting you from the elements, whatever they offer up. We use the Marmot Tungsten 2 person tent for most of our backpacking trips. It isn’t the lightest to carry but it is sturdy, reliable and has seen us through downpours, hail, snow and of course, sunshine! We had our first one for seven years and only replaced it this year, with the newest version, because we had an accident and split two seams!
A good rain jacket, will keep you dry regardless of what the weather throws at you. I love my Patagonia rain jacket, it hasn’t let me down yet and it great at keeping me dry as well as protecting from the wind. The pit zips make it breathable when I’m working hard.
