I have photographed in the Rockies in every season and I do not have a single answer to when to go. The honest answer depends on what a couple values most. The season they should choose is the one that aligns with the visual outcome they want, not the one with the best average weather. Here is how I break it down.
Summer: July and August
Summer is the most popular season and the most crowded. The wildflowers are extraordinary in early July above the treeline on the Ha Ling and other trails. The park access points at Lake Louise and Moraine Lake are at their most congested. Afternoon thunderstorms are a regular feature and I always have a weather contingency. The light in summer at this latitude is exceptional: the sun does not set until after nine in the evening and the golden hour lasts two full hours. For couples who can commit to an early start and are comfortable with weather contingencies, summer gives the full range of the Rockies.
Larch Season: Late September to Mid-October
The larch trees that grow between the treeline and the high alpine in the Canadian Rockies turn yellow-gold in the second and third weeks of September, with the colour typically peaking around the last week of September and the first week of October depending on the year. Larch Valley above Moraine Lake is the most famous larch location in the Rockies and it is extraordinary, but the crowds in larch season at Larch Valley are significant. I use the larches above Grassi Lakes near Canmore, which are less well known and give the same colour conditions with a fraction of the traffic. Larch season is my single most-requested season and I book it out months in advance.
Destination Wedding Photographer
Vancouver · Medellín · Worldwide
