Emerald Lake, Natural lake in Yoho National Park, British Columbia, Canada

Emerald Lake is a glacier-fed body of water in Yoho National Park characterized by its luminous green hue, which results from fine rock particles suspended in the cold alpine waters. The surrounding landscape features steep rocky slopes and evergreen forests that frame the shoreline.

Canadian guide Tom Wilson reached the valley in 1882 while tracking a string of horses that had gotten away, and so became the first non-Indigenous person to see the lake. He named it for its colour. Earlier that same year he had already given the name Emerald to another lake, soon renamed Lake Louise.

Emerald Lake Lodge stands on a peninsula jutting into the lake; it was founded in the 1920s and completely rebuilt in the 1980s. Tom Wilson, the Canadian guide who came upon the lake in 1882 while tracking escaped horses, gave it the name Emerald for its colour.

A trail around the perimeter extends roughly 5 kilometers and is walkable for most visitors regardless of fitness level. During warmer months, canoes are available for rent at the boathouse if you prefer to experience it from the water.

Tom Wilson named this lake Emerald in 1882, months after giving the same name to another lake he had found; that first lake was soon renamed Lake Louise. The green colour comes from powdered glacial rock that reflects the green spectrum rather than the blue seen in Moraine, Hector, Bow and Peyto Lakes.