The Most Beautiful Mountain Lakes on Earth

Lakes in the mountains tend to feel quieter and more dramatic than the ones you find at lower elevations. Snow-covered peaks reflect on the surface, the water is often unbelievably clear. The surrounding scenery can look almost unreal on a calm day.

Some of these lakes sit thousands of feet above sea level, fed by glaciers or snowmelt. Others formed long ago when ancient ice carved deep basins into the landscape. So, here are some of the most beautiful mountain lakes around the world.

Lake Louise

In the heart of the Banff National Park, Lake Louise is one of the most famous alpine lakes in North America. And honestly… It’s easy to see why.

The water has a bright turquoise color that almost looks edited in photos, but it’s completely natural. That color comes from tiny particles of rock, often called glacial flour. These particles wash into the lake from nearby glaciers and reflect sunlight in a way that gives the water its distinctive shade.

Behind the lake rises Mount Victoria, whose glaciers slowly feed the lake below. On calm mornings, the reflection of the surrounding peaks can be so clear that the water looks almost like glass.

Lake Bled

Few mountain lakes look quite as storybook-like as Lake Bled. The lake sits at the edge of the Julian Alps, surrounded by forests and rolling hills. In the middle of the lake there’s a small island with a church sitting on top of it. This already makes the view feel a little unusual.

Above the lake, perched on a steep cliff, is Bled Castle, which has been overlooking the water for more than a thousand years. Traditional wooden boats called pletna ferries take visitors out to the island. There, a staircase leads up to the church.

Moraine Lake

Also located in Banff National Park, Moraine Lake might actually be even more dramatic than Lake Louise. The lake sits at an elevation of about 6,200 feet, surrounded by a group of sharp peaks known as the Valley of the Ten Peaks.

Like many glacial lakes, Moraine Lake gets its intense blue color from fine rock particles suspended in the water. When sunlight hits the lake during the summer months, the color can become incredibly vivid. The view from the rocky shoreline overlooking the lake is one of the most famous viewpoints in the Canadian Rockies.

Oeschinen Lake

Hidden high in the Bernese Alps, Oeschinen Lake is one of Switzerland’s most impressive alpine lakes. The lake sits at around 5,200 feet above sea level, surrounded by steep cliffs and waterfalls. These waterfalls cascade down from the mountains above.

Because of the way the valley is shaped, the water often appears in different shades of blue and green depending on the light and the time of year. In the summer, people hike around the lake or rent small rowboats. In the winter, the entire area transforms into a snowy alpine landscape.

Laguna 69

High in the Cordillera Blanca, Laguna 69 sits at an altitude of about 15,000 feet. Reaching the lake requires a long hike through high-altitude terrain, but the view at the end is worth the effort.

The water is an intense turquoise color, framed by snow-covered peaks and glaciers that feed the lake with meltwater. Waterfalls often spill down the surrounding cliffs, adding to the feeling that the entire landscape was carved directly out of ice. Because of the elevation, the air up there feels thin and incredibly clear. This only makes the colors of the lake stand out even more.