Emerald Lake Lodge, Yoho National Park, Canada

Where it is

You reach it down a short spur road off the Trans-Canada Highway, a few minutes from the old railway village of Field and 20 to 30 minutes from Lake Louise. Calgary airport is around two and a half hours away. Cars stay in a guest car park; a shuttle brings you and your bags across to the lodge.

Yoho's big draws are its waterfalls, Takakkaw above all, and the Burgess Shale, world-famous fossil beds with UNESCO status that you can visit only with a guide. Fine glacial silt gives the lake its colour, most vivid on sunny summer days.

Rooms

The 85 rooms are spread through 24 timber chalets clustered around the historic main building. Each comes with its own log fire, down duvets and a balcony or patio, and there are no televisions; Wi-Fi is only in the main lodge. Ask for a lake view, as outlooks vary. Suites add space for a longer stay.

Dining and the rest

The Mount Burgess Dining Room serves Rocky Mountain cooking with elk, bison and other regional produce, while drinks are poured in the Kicking Horse Lounge over an antique oak bar that reputedly began life in a Yukon gold-rush saloon. Summer adds Cilantro on the Lake, a casual spot at the water's edge.

For evenings, there's a hot tub outside facing the peaks, a sauna, and snooker in the games room. Canoes can be hired at the shore, the easy 5.5-kilometre lake loop starts at the door, and in winter there is cross-country skiing and snowshoeing on the frozen lake.

The moment

An early paddle before the day visitors arrive, mist lifting off the jade water and the President Range mirrored in the lake, then back indoors for breakfast beside the fire.

Why we chose it

Emerald Lake Lodge offers the Rockies at their most peaceful, in a historic setting, at a fairer price than the big-name hotels nearby. Rooms are rustic rather than luxurious, but for walkers, paddlers and anyone who wants to switch off, it is hard to beat.

Pair it with Moraine Lake Lodge for a classic Rockies duo, or compare it with the glass rooms of Juvet in Norway's fjord country.

When to go

The lodge is open all year. July and August bring the brightest water colour, the warmest weather and the most visitors, during the school holidays. September is quieter, with crisp days and autumn colour, and a fine time for the Iceline Trail and Lake O'Hara, which must be booked ahead through Parks Canada.

Winter turns the lake into a snowy plain, with cross-country skiing, snowshoeing and evenings by the fire, and it is the most peaceful season of all.

The longer stay

Three or four nights lets you walk the lake, see Takakkaw Falls, visit the Burgess Shale and still have an afternoon in the hot tub. Combine it with Moraine Lake, the Icefields Parkway and Jasper for a two-week Canadian Rockies journey.