Unless you’re passing directly through, passes are required for entry into all five national parks covered in this book. Monies collected from these passes go directly to Parks Canada for park maintenance and improvements.

A National Parks Day Pass is adult $9.80, senior $8.30, child $4.90, to a maximum of $20 per vehicle. It is interchangeable among parks and is valid until 4 p.m. the day following its purchase. An annual National Parks of Canada Pass, good for entry into all of Canada’s national parks for one year from the date of purchase, is adult $53, senior $45, child $27, to a maximum of $107 per vehicle. The Discovery Package is an annual pass that includes entry to the national parks, as well as hundreds of National Historic Sites across the country. It costs adult $85, senior $73, child $42, to a maximum of $166 per vehicle.

All three types of pass can be purchased at park gates (at the entrance to Banff, Kootenay, and Waterton Lakes National Parks), at the tollbooths at either end of the Icefields Parkway, at all park information centers, and at campground fee stations. For more information, check the Parks Canada website (www.pc.gc.ca).