| Trailhead | The Fish Creek parking lot is in the Lake Louise Ski Area, east of Lake Louise Village. |
|---|---|
| Distance | 11 km (6.8 mi.) |
| Elevation Gain | 770 m (2,526') |
| Maximum Elevation | 2,475 m (8,118') |
The trail over Deception Pass is the most popular backpacking route into the Skoki area east of Lake Louise, but the pass itself is an excellent destination for day hikers. Although the first 4 km of the trail is a ski-area access road, the rest of the trip traverses mostly open and level meadows. Refer to the Boulder Pass section for a description of the first part of the hike to Ptarmigan Lake. The main trail continues around the north side of the lake to the sign-posted Baker/Deception junction. From there, the trail climbs steeply to the summit of Deception Pass in about 500 m. A better view of the glacier-fed Skoki Lakes can be obtained by scrambling up the low mound, known as Bunker Hill, that is east of the pass. Fossil Mtn., the peak that forms the east flank of the pass, is a popular scramble.
For those continuing on to Skoki Lodge or Merlin Meadows campsite (Sk 18), the trail makes a straightforward descent to the lodge in 3.4 km. The campsite is about another kilometre further down. This map (75 KB), based on a Parks Canada pdf brochure, indicates the general location of the trail. Click here to view a map of the Skoki Valley that is made from sections of the Hector Lake 82 N/9 and Lake Louise 82 N/8 topographic maps. Additional photos are posted here.