August 9-11, 2026. Three days hiking with two nights at the iconic Skoki Lodge.
- Region: Banff National Park. Traditional territory of the Tsuu T’ina, Stoney, Ktunaxa, and Blackfoot First Nations
- Distance:
- Trailhead to Skoki Lodge via Deception Pass: 11km one-way
- Lake Merlin from Skoki Lodge: 7.7km round-trip
- Skoki Lodge to trailhead via Packer’s Pass: 11.6km one-way
- Total Ascent:
- Trailhead to Skoki Lodge via Deception Pass: 461m
- Lake Merlin from Skoki Lodge: 281m
- Skoki Lodge to trailhead via Packer’s Pass: 337m
- Elevations:
- Deception Pass: 2450m
- Skoki Lodge: 2140m
- Lake Merlin: 2230m
- Packer’s Pass: 2450m
- Safety and Disclaimer
I had the good fortune to receive a gift card for Skoki Lodge from my work colleagues. For those that haven’t heard of it, Skoki Lodge is a backcountry lodge in the Skoki Valley, east of the Lake Louise ski resort. It was built in the 1930s and provides somewhat rustic accommodations combined with decidedly luxurious food and service. Guests need to hike in and out, though the hike isn’t arduous. Its location makes it a great jumping-off off point for a variety of day hikes in the Skoki Valley. My wife and I visited this August. The goal was easy hiking and relaxation, which we found in abundance. While we stayed at Skoki Lodge, many people do a similar itinerary as a backcountry camping trip staying at Merlin Meadows campground. Many campers stop by the Lodge in the afternoon to buy treats like pastry and beer.
Day 1: Deception Pass to Skoki Lodge
Our access was via a shuttle from the Fish Creek parking lot nearby the Lake Louise ski area. The shuttle took us approximately 4 km up a wide gravel road to the trailhead. Private vehicles are not permitted to make that drive, so non-guests of the Lodge (campers and day hikers) have to walk the road.
The initial hike was on a broad trail that looked like an old decommissioned road. Signs on trees declared it to be a winter snowmobile route. Easy hiking through the woods, crossing the occassional creek, brought us to the area of the Halfway Hut. Here, there was an outhouse, the Halfway Hut itself, and a relatively new-looking three-way metal sign sitting trailside informing hikers of conservation efforts. I could have done without the metal sign (it looked badly out of place), but I liked poking my head into the hut and reading the ghost story on the door.
After exploring the hut we hiked passed a branch-trail heading towards Hidden Lake (a lake with a backcountry campground and a good jumping-off point for some scrambling) then continued to ascend up and over Boulder Pass. Ahead of us as we hiked were a trio of 3000-ers: Mount Richardson, Pika Peak, and Ptarmigan Peak. Minor sustained uphill hiking got us over Boulder Pass and then Ptarmigan Lake came into view.
Ptarmigan Lake was a natural place to take a break. We had some water and snacks before continuing along the trail on its northwest aspect, more or less half way along its length. There, the trail departed from the lake shore and ascended slowly along the northern wall of the valley. At one point, we passed small cairns marking an un-signed path heading uphill. We learned (on our return) that this is where the Packer’s Pass route joins the official trail system. We continued past there about 1km to a fork in the path. There, we took the left fork uphill towards Deception Pass while the right fork curved gently downhill towards Baker Lake. About 500m further along the trail, and about 110m ascent, we reached Deception Pass.
Reaching the pass we were treated to new vistas, particularly impressive to the north and west. From there, the path descended steadily down into the Skoki Valley, losing about 310 m of elevation. Roughly 3.5km along the trail we reached Skoki Lodge.
A review of Skoki Lodge is not within the scope of what I usually do on this blog. If you’re interested, information abounds about it online. All I’ll say is that my wife and I loved it, and the staff were amazing.
Day 2: Lake Merlin
After our first of two sleeps at the Lodge we got ourselves ready to visit nearby Lake Merlin. Lake Merlin sits in a hanging valley west of Skoki Lodge. A well-marked trail leads up to it and back down. The trail is best followed in a clockwise direction, ascending by a “high line” route above a broad meadow and smaller Castilleja Lake then descending through the forest down to the meadow and back to the Lodge. According to the Canadian Rockies Trail Guide 9th ed this trail was designed and partially built by legendary mountaineer and trail-builder Lawrence Grassi. Merlin Lake, along with Merlin Ridge and Merlin Castle (two peaks to the west of the lake), are named for the resemblance of a collection of pinnacles on the mountainside to a magician’s castle (per Central Rockies Placenames by Mike Potter). A few websites credit the naming to James F. Potter. I’d note that Merlin didn’t have a castle in the Arthurian legend.
The journey to Lake Merlin was fun and quite straightforward. It even featured a minor scramble up a headwall. On the day we visited there was smoke in the air from wildfires (the unfortunate default state of summer months in this era). Nevertheless, Lake Merlin and environs were spectacular.
After a long stop on the lake shore we continued in a clockwise manner along the trail and descended to the valley floor, past the Merlin Meadows Campground, and back to Skoki Lodge in time for “high tea”. This meant a charcuterie board and some beer (I mentioned Skoki Lodge was luxurious, right?).
There was rain forecast for the evening, but we could easily have done another short hike before it arrived. As it turned out, though, we just enjoyed lounging outside the lodge, visiting with hikers and guests and swatting mosquitos until supper time.
Day 3: Return via Packer’s Pass
After our second sleep at the lodge we planned our route back to the trailhead. We decided not to return the way we’d come via Deception Pass and instead return via Packer’s Pass. The route over Packer’ Pass first took us past 2 lakes, Myosotis Lake and Zigadenus Lake. Both lakes are beautiful blue gems perched above headwalls in a multilevel hanging valley east of Ptarmigan Peak. Ascending to Myosotis Lake required a minor scramble up a rock chimney adjacent to a waterfall.
Trails led us around the southern shore of Myosotis Lake towards another headwall. A waterfall was audible but not visible until we had started to ascend the trail angling up the headwall. No scrambling was needed for this ascent and we were soon at Zigadenus Lake.
Packer’s Pass itself is about 200 m above Zigadenus Lake. Upon reaching the pass we were greeted to a familiar view of Ptarmigan Lake and Redoubt Mountain. Descending from the pass, we soon rejoined the trail we’d originally followed past Ptarmigan Lake and began to follow it back towards Boulder Pass then onward to the Halfway Hut and the trailhead.
Hiking With Par 