Lake O'Hara bus: how to get a seat after the lottery

There are three ways to get a seat on the Lake O'Hara bus in Yoho National Park, all through the Parks Canada Reservation Service. First comes a spring random draw: in 2026, Parks Canada took applications from March 2 to March 23, at $10 per application. Seats left after the draw then go on sale to anyone. Schnerp saw that happen at 8am MT on May 1 in both 2025 and 2026. After that, cancelled seats come back all season.

That last part is where most people give up too early. From May 1 to the end of the 2026 season, sold-out Lake O'Hara buses came back with seats 633 times on departures Schnerp users watched. Most of those seats were gone again within two minutes. Parks Canada hasn't announced the 2027 lottery dates yet. Here's how each step works, and when to look.

How does the Lake O'Hara bus lottery work?

The Lake O'Hara bus lottery is a random draw Parks Canada runs once a year for the day-use bus. In 2026, applications were open online from 8am March 2 to 11:59pm March 23 MDT on the Parks Canada Reservation Service. Each application costs $10, taxes included, and the fee isn't refundable.

On one application you choose your party size and up to six inbound bus dates and times, in order of preference. A reservation holds up to six people, and children from 1 to 16 count toward that.

After applications close, Parks Canada draws them at random and checks each one's first choice against the seats left. If your whole party doesn't fit, it tries your next choice. Parks Canada's own advice is to apply for only the seats you need, because a smaller party fits into more gaps.

Winners get an email and have 14 days to sign in and pay for the reservation. Offers that expire or get declined go back into the draw, and new draws run daily until the selection period ends. Unsuccessful applicants hear at the end.

When do leftover Lake O'Hara bus seats go on sale?

Leftover Lake O'Hara bus seats go on sale once the draw is finished, and Parks Canada doesn't publish the date. Its policy says only that unreserved seats become standard reservations "once the random draw process is complete".

Schnerp's data fills that gap. Leftover seats appeared at 8:00am MT on May 1 in both 2025 and 2026. In 2024, when applications ran later (March 11 to 31), they appeared on May 16. From then on, you can book a seat in real time up until 3:30pm the day before your trip.

If you lost the 2027 draw, I would be on the reservation site at 8am MT on May 1, 2027. Treat that as a pattern from two seasons, not a promise from Parks Canada.

When do cancelled Lake O'Hara bus seats come back?

Cancelled Lake O'Hara bus seats came back all summer in 2026, and the best day to look was three days before the trip. Between May 1 and October 4, 2026, Schnerp saw a sold-out Lake O'Hara departure come back with seats 633 times. Those were the 8:30am and 10:30am inbound buses Schnerp users were watching, so the count covers watched departures, not every seat that came back.

Here's how far ahead of the bus date those seats came back:

Three days out was the single busiest day. That matches the refund rule: cancel at least three days before your bus date and you get a full refund, less fees. Cancel later and you get half the bus fare back, less fees. My read is that people with plans in doubt make the call on the last full-refund day.

The returned seats didn't last. More than half were gone again within a minute, 84% within two minutes, and every one of the 633 was gone within an hour. They came back at every hour of the day, too. About a third arrived between 8am and noon MT, and 51 appeared between midnight and 6am. The 8:30am bus came back more often than the 10:30am bus, 384 times against 249.

So the practical answer is to watch hardest in the week before your date, and to have something alert you. You won't catch a two-minute seat by refreshing the page at lunch. Schnerp watches the Lake O'Hara bus on the Parks Canada Reservation Service and alerts you when the departure you want has seats again. Parks Canada offers its own Notify me alerts only for frontcountry camping and overnight accommodations, a list that doesn't include the bus. Our guide to Canadian campsite cancellation alerts compares the official options.

How much does the Lake O'Hara bus cost, and what if you cancel?

The Lake O'Hara bus costs $25.50 per person for the round trip, according to Parks Canada's Yoho fee schedule. Each reservation also carries a non-refundable reservation fee: $3.50 online or $5.50 by phone. Changing or cancelling costs another $3.50 online or $5.50 by phone. The bus fare doesn't include your national park entry pass, which you need separately.

Cancellation rules for the bus follow Parks Canada's day-use policy:

• At least 3 days before your bus date: full refund, less the reservation fee and the cancellation fee.
• Less than 3 days before: 50% of the bus fare back, less the same fees.
• No-show: you forfeit what you paid.

A change made three or more days ahead costs only the change fee. A later change carries over just half of your bus fare.

You can't resell a reservation. Parks Canada says a resold reservation is void. The reservation holder can change the name on it for free before arrival, though, so a friend can take your seat if you can't go.

What time does the Lake O'Hara bus run?

The Lake O'Hara bus ran from June 19 to October 4 in 2026, with two buses in and five buses out each day. It leaves from the Lake O'Hara parking lot, 12 km west of Lake Louise, Alberta, or 13 km east of Field, B.C.

The road to the lake is 11 km. Pets aren't allowed on the bus.

Can you get to Lake O'Hara without the bus?

You can walk to Lake O'Hara without a bus reservation, on the 11 km access road. Parks Canada describes it as a 22 km round trip and asks walkers to carry food, water and bear spray. Cycling the road is prohibited. Leashed dogs can walk the road even though they can't ride the bus.

Overnight visitors get to the lake differently:

• Campers. The Lake O'Hara campground has 30 sites, and a campground reservation adds the round-trip bus fare to your booking. In 2026, all campground reservations opened on February 10 at 8am MT, separately from the bus draw. You can stay up to three nights.
• Elizabeth Parker Hut. The Alpine Club of Canada books the hut, and you can book your bus seat at the same time. The club says its summer allocation typically opens in December.
• Lake O'Hara Lodge. Lodge guests book their stay with the lodge.

For how the campground's opening day goes, see our opening-day booking tips.

When will the 2027 Lake O'Hara bus lottery open?

Parks Canada hasn't announced the 2027 Lake O'Hara bus lottery dates as of October 5, 2026. The last three draws all took applications in March. They ran March 11 to 31 in 2024, March 3 to 24 in 2025, and March 2 to 23 in 2026. In early December 2025, Parks Canada's Lake O'Hara page said 2026 details would be available in January. By February 12, 2026, the March dates were up.

So I'd expect the 2027 dates to appear in January or early February, for a draw in March. That's an inference from the last three years, not an announcement. Planning Lake Louise on the same trip? The Moraine Lake and Lake Louise shuttle guide covers that system, which works differently. Our Parks Canada cancellation guide covers the wider refund rules.

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