Top 10 Interesting Facts about Lake Agnes Tea House, Little Beehive, Lake Louise

Lake Agnes Tea House. Image by Wilson Hui on Wikimedia

Top 10 Interesting Facts about Lake Agnes Tea House, Little Beehive, Lake Louise

One of the most popular hikes in the Lake Louise area is the hike to the Lake Agnes Tea House.

The lake Agnes tea house, little beehive, and big beehive all start on the same trail at the shores of Lake Louise.

The hike up to the tea house is often ridiculously filled with best scenery in the Alberta Rockies.

The lake Agnes Tea House is open from June to October, and the teahouse is not operational during the cold winter.

One could say that the Alberta rocky mountain tradition of having tea on top of a mountain began at lake Agnes in 1905.

Here are the top 10 interesting facts about Lake Agnes Tea House, little beehive, and Lake Louise.

1. Lake Agnes is named after the original first lady of Canada

The original first lady of Canada, lady Agnes MacDonald was the wife of Canada’s first prime minister, Sir John A. MacDonald.

Lady Agnes visited in 1886 and the beauty of the lake thrilled lady MacDonald which later on bore her name.

Lake Agnes and the tea house are located in lake Louse, Alberta, Canada, at an elevation of 7,005 feet above sea level.

2. The lake Agnes Tea House was built by the Canadian Pacific Railway

The lake Agnes tea house was built in 1901 as a refuge for hikers. In 1905 it started serving tea and was then called the oldest tea house in Canada.

The original building was a log and was replaced in 1981. The new building structure features the original building’s windows, tables, and chairs.

The lake Agnes reflects a longstanding “ Canadian” appreciation for the outdoor. The space demonstrates an appreciation of tea, an internationally enjoyed beverage.

3. Paddling on lake Louise

Canoeing at Lake Louise. Photo outsourced from Wikimedia

Canoeing on Lake Louise is a fun way to wrap up a day of adventure once you rent a canoe at the lake Louise bathhouse and paddle to the end of Lake Louise.

It’s a 4.2 km loop trail and is considered a moderately challenging route. It’s a popular area for paddle sports. The best time to visit the trail is may through October.

As you paddle, you enjoy utterly spectacular views of Lake Louise and surrounding peaks.

4. Lake Agnes teahouse hike

The famous lake Agnes tea house is only accessed by foot or horseback through what is informally called the Lake Agnes tea house trail.

Before arriving at the spectacular lake and tea house, visitors must complete a forested 3.5 km hike.

The lake Agnes tea house has an elevation of 1,300 ft. The trail itself is marked and trafficked, making it easy to navigate.

The hiking trail is clear, but hikers are advised to wear running shoes and bring water. Due to rapid weather changes during autumn, bring a rain jacket, sweater, or gloves if you are hiking in June and September.

Hiking to the tea house takes approximately an hour or an hour and a half, depending on your fitness level and the weight of your pack.

Along the way to Lake Agnes teahouse, their worthwhile stops like the mirror lake and Fairmont chateau hotel.

5. The tea house challenge

Hike lovers take on the tea house challenge. This challenge involves visiting the Lake Agnes Tea House and the plain of six Glaciers tea houses in one day.

The two tea houses connect via the Highline trail forming a 14.6-kilometre loop.

The challenge allows you to climb the big beehive to see the spectacular view of Lake Louise and the Bow Valley from above.

If you can time this appropriately, you can grab breakfast at the Lake Agnes tea house and lunch at the plain of six glacier Tea House. It takes around 5 hours of hiking to complete.

6. Beehive hike

Those who hike to lake Agnes tea house may also choose to complete the beehive hike. The beehive hike in lake Louise is a 10.9-kilometre with a heavily trafficked trail loop.

From a vantage point called “Devil Thumb” via the Lake Agnes trail, you can see the Fairmont chateau lake from the top of the bee hive.

The little beehive offers the best view at the top. Several hikers have shared their comments praising the fantastic views.

7. The lake Agnes Tea House menu

Image by Pexel- Pixabay

The tea house started serving tea and other accomplishments in 1905. They serve 100 types of loose leaf tea, coffee, and hot chocolates, among many others.

The tea house drinks pair well with their wide offering of sweet treats such as scones with jam, loaves, and apple crumble.

The lake Agness tea house also offers soups, sandwiches ( tuna land sandwich), and snacks ( chips, homemade hummus).

All snacks and drinks are fresh because the Lake Agnes tea house staff carry fresh food supplies to the tea house daily, while dry foods are flown in annually by helicopter.

The swiss guides at the tea house brought traditional mountain huts that serve tea and remain a customary hot drink in large hotels at lake Agnes.

The tea is excellent and enjoyed amongst the glorious mountains and the shining waters below.

8. The wildlife

Golden-mantled ground squirrel at the Lake Agnes Tea House. Photo by WikiPedant on Wikimedia

Lake Agnes is a small mountain lake in the Banff national park of Alberta, Canada.
Hikers travelling to Lake Agnes tea house will likely see some wildlife such as birds, squirrels, Clark’s nutcrackers and monkeys.

You will likely see many golden-mantled ground squirrels at the tea house. These squirrels are accustomed to people, curious and many approach you.

Once you visit, you are advised to watch your valuables such as your watch, phone and food if you see a squirrel approaching you.

9. The lake Agnes Tea House is a tourist destination

It is a popular destination for hikers and tourists and is widely recognized as a travel destination.

Lake Agnes tea house is one of the top-rated tourist attractions in Banff national park due to its popularity among Calgarians, Canadian and international tourist.

Member of the tea community has also given the tea house glowing praises. The establishment has been featured in national media such as the Toronto Star and Calgary herald and the provincial government profiles in travel Alberta.

As visitors hike to the tea house, they enjoy other scenic sites such as lake Louise, little beehive, and mirror lake, amongst others.

10. The mirror lake

View of lake louise and lake mirror. Photo by Simonsunuwar- Wikimedia

The first stop as you hike to lake Agnes tea house is at mirror lake. Most hikers stop to snack and take a few photos. There are benches and a flat area to rest.

It’s a pleasant family-friendly trail that will take you beyond the classic lake Louise viewpoint.

The mirror lake trail is heavily populated. The mirror lake boasts tranquillity and other world reflection of the beehive above it.