Hiking the Lightning Lake Loop in Manning Park
Contents
Lightning Lake Loop Hike Information
Difficulty: Easy
Distance: 8.50Km
Elevation Gain: 208m
Highest Elevation: 1,284m
Average Gradient: 4.90%
Effort/Reward Ratio: Low / Moderate
Time Needed:
– Slow: 3 – 4 Hours
– Moderate: 2.5 – 3 Hours
– Fast: 2 – 2.5 Hours
Dogs Permitted?: Yes
Season: Year-Round
4×4 / High Clearance Required? No
Scrambling / Exposure: None
Lightning Lake Loop Trail
Trailhead Coordinates: 49°03’45.3″N 120°49’37.6″W
Lightning Lake Loop Overview
Lightning Lake is a very popular spot in the heart of Manning Park, attracting hikers, beach goers, campers, boaters, anglers and generally anybody looking for easy access to enjoy the outdoors. With multiple campgrounds and the Manning Park Resort all nearby, the lake will be busy throughout the summer, and even in winter many people will make the trip out on a clear day to enjoy the surroundings. If you plan to visit on a sunny summer weekend, an early start is recommended to ensure parking.
From a hikers perspective there are a few hikes that begin from the lake, however the Lightning Lake Loop is the most popular thanks to its accessibility for all abilities. The hike traverses around the shores of the lake following a simple undulating trail, with plenty of spots along the way to stop and enjoy the waters edge.
While the full loop is around 8.5km in distance, many parties will cut the hike short by crossing the Rainbow Bridge and returning on the other side of the lake, creating a shorter loop. This reduces the hike to around 4.5km, or a little over an hour round trip. On the flip side, the hike can also be extended by adding on a loop around Flash Lake, increasing the distance to around 12.5km. This is far less popular as frankly there isn’t much to gain by adding on Flash Lake, with most parties content with what they’ve seen by looping Lightning Lake.
In terms of seasonality, Lightning Lake is accessible year-round as the parking lot is plowed in the winter. Of course summer is by far the most popular time to visit, but if you enjoy easy to access snowy scenery this is a good spot to enjoy it. The lake is usually frozen in the depths of winter, allowing you to hike on it if desired (take care to ensure it is fully frozen as falling through thin ice is obviously a risk).
Dogs are allowed at the lake, however they should be kept on leash. The main beach and picnic areas do have “no dogs” signage, however this is largely ignored and many people enjoy the lake shore with their pups. Ground squirrels are typical at the main beach area and you will see them everywhere throughout the summer. Do take care to give them space, especially if you have a dog.
Maintaining this website requires a significant investment of both time and money, if you find this website a useful resource, please consider making a donation using this button.
Is Lightning Lake worthwhile?
Lightning Lake is a pleasant and simple hike in a scenic setting suitable for all abilities. If you are looking for a straightforward outing without too much physical effort, this fits the bill nicely. It’s a great spot for families as well, especially when you’re able to do the hike then relax at the beach and enjoy the water afterwards.
That being said, if you’re an experienced hiker used to tough trails to scenic vistas, this might be a bit of a long drive for what is more of a lakeshore walk than a vigorous hike. Lightning Lake is a great spot to stop if driving through Manning Park on a trip, or if you’re camping in the area anyway, however I wouldn’t make a separate trip out just to visit the lake. You can also see it if you do one of the other nearby hikes like Frosty Mountain or the Skyline Trail.
How difficult is the hike to Lightning Lake?
Lightning Lake is a simple, well groomed trail suitable for all abilities. You even have the option of cutting the hike short if you wish to do so, as once you reach the Rainbow Bridge you can decide whether to return early at that point.
Lightning Lake Loop Route Information
Parking for Lightning Lake is from the main beach access parking lot. This lot can fill up in the summer, so getting there early is advised if you want to avoid any parking challenges. The lot is typically plowed in the winter and is accessible for all vehicles (snow tires mandatory to drive the Crowsnest Highway in winter).
From the parking lot you can decide whether to do the loop clockwise or counter clockwise. Personally I always do this one clockwise, so that’s how I will describe it. Head to the main beach then follow the trail east before crossing a bridge over an outflow. You’ll wrap around the eastern shore before reaching a trail junction where the route to Frosty Mountain begins.
Ignoring the junction, you’ll continue along the trail enjoying the frequent viewpoints of the emerald coloured lake. The trail will climb gradually as you continue along, before descending back down again as you approach the Rainbow Bridge, around 1.5km into the hike. If you’re already thinking you’ve seen enough, you can now cross over the bridge and return to the car on the other side. Do note that the return via the other side of the bridge (western side of the lake) is about twice as long as the return via the eastern side (3km vs. 1.5km). This is just because it takes a circuitous route due to the shape of the lake on this side.
Either way, you should hop onto the bridge to enjoy the views. You should be able to see the summit of Frosty Mountain off in the distance, and there’s a solid chance there will be a number of boaters padding underneath.
Assuming you’re doing the full loop, return to the eastern side of the bridge and continue along the trail. You’ll soon have a short, steep climb to tackle before the trail mellows out once again. Over the next kilometers or so the trail will undulate while continuing to offer frequent viewpoints of the lake.
Shortly before you reach the southwestern tip of the lake the trail becomes quite obscured due to the outflow of Frosty Creek coming from the namesake mountain. The creek has washed out the trail and you’ll need to navigate your way to the other side to find where it picks up again. If the creek is fast flowing you may even need to find a way across without getting wet feet. Thankfully it’s brief and once across it’s simple once more.
You’ll now cross a small bridge over the southwestern outflow of the lake. On the other side you can optionally join the trail to Flash Lake, however most parties will now begin their return to the trailhead on the western side of Lightning Lake.
It’s another 2km of hiking to reach the Rainbow Bridge again, all on similar well groomed terrain. Once you reach the bridge you may want to consider how tired you are, as returning back via the eastern side of the lake (i.e. crossing the bridge and returning back the way you came) is half the distance as returning on the western side (1.5km vs. 3km). If you’ve had enough and just want to return efficiently, I’d suggest crossing over to the eastern side.
If you’re content with completing the loop as intended, ignore the bridge and continue along the western shores. There’s not too much to say about the remainder of the trail. You’ll pass by the Lightning Lake Campground, then the Lone Duck Campground, before eventually wrapping around a northern branch of the lake (and the reason this return is longer) back to the trailhead.
When should I hike Lightning Lake?
Assuming you want to enjoy a sunny summer day in nature you’ll probably want to visit the lake sometime between June and October. As noted, it is accessible all year, and even in the winter there is often a well trodden snow path around the lake loop (at least to Rainbow Bridge, perhaps not much beyond that).
Top Tip
Personally I don’t ever take the western side of the lake between Rainbow Bridge and the trailhead that passes by all the campgrounds. It’s obnoxiously circuitous and I’m usually over the hike by the time I get to Rainbow Bridge on the return leg. I suggest crossing over the bridge and returning via the east, which will save you almost 30 minutes.
The parking lot is insanely busy during the golden larch season at the end of September and early October, with hordes of hikers on the Frosty Mountain trail. If you plan to go during this period, make sure to arrive very early.
