Lake Minnewanka, tucked away in the mountains near the town of Banff in the Banff National Park, is thirteen miles long which makes it the second longest mountain lake in Canada. It’s surrounded by stunning snow-capped mountains and its chilling, glacial blue waters can reach depths of up to five hundred feet. The lake’s volume has also been increased over the years, with water levels rising almost a hundred feet, after dams were built to provide hydro-power to Banff. What’s so special about it?

Why go? After the dams were built and Lake Minnewanka’s water levels rose so dramatically, they flooded a small village, Minnewanka Landing, which was on the shoreline. Now completely submerged, it’s become an amazing scuba diving site with a whole abandoned ghost village to explore underwater. If you’re there in the winter, there’s also a chance to go ice diving if you can handle the cold.


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