The Regions

BANFF NATIONAL PARK

Banff. The crown jewel in Canada’s national park system and home to the world’s most photographed lakes. But what is this park that was originally established as a tourist attraction really like? Lake Louise, Moraine Lake, and the Icefields Parkway are just some of the park’s awe-inspiring highlights, while the town of Banff is the commercial hub. Visiting each of these spots is definitely part of the Banff experience, but the park extends well beyond the reach of the regular tour bus crowd. Biking along the shoreline of Lake Minnewanka, exploring Larch Valley when fall colors are at their height, canoeing across Bow Lake, and hiking in to backcountry Skoki Lodge may not be as well known, but each activity allows a glimpse of the park you won’t see in the tourist brochures. The grandeur of accommodations such as the Fairmont Banff Springs and Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise never fails to impress. Or go low budget in one of the hostels or spend the night under the stars in one of the many campgrounds.

CANMORE

Canmore is the largest population center in the Canadian Rockies, but don’t let that put you off including it in your itinerary. In a little over three decades, it has transformed itself from a coal-mining town without a coal mine to a hotbed of recreational pursuits with an Aspen-esque property market. The town’s three golf courses, including SilverTip, rated the hardest course in mainland North America, draw rave reviews. The surrounding mountains are legendary among the climbing fraternity. Hiking trails lead to crystal-clear lakes and mountain peaks. But Canmore should factor into your vacation plans for more practical purposes, such as the range of excellent restaurants and a choice of well-priced family-friendly accommodations.

KANANASKIS COUNTRY

Pronounced exactly as it reads, this recreational playground lies adjacent to Banff National Park and is handy for Calgarians who flock west to revel in a diverse range of activities or simply to do nothing at all. This area was set aside by the oil-rich Albertan government as a four-season recreational playground. If you’re looking for wildlife, you’ll find it here. Along with scenery that rivals the national parks, the facilities are top-notch—wonderful golfing, world-class skiing, 1,300 kilometers (800 miles) of hiking trails, paved biking trails, 30 lakes stocked with fish, accommodations that even George W. Bush approved of when he stopped by in 2002, and over 2,000 campsites in 31 campgrounds. The catch? There’s not one—even entry is free.

KOOTENAY NATIONAL PARK AND VICINITY

Kootenay may not have the famous resort towns of Banff and Jasper, but what it has it does well: vast areas of wilderness, abundant wildlife, and a network of hiking trails that are suited to all levels of fitness. Shaped like a lightning bolt, the park is bisected by Highway 93, which provides access to natural attractions like Marble Canyon and the Paint Pots, as well as phenomena such as Radium Hot Springs, which have been tweaked for human enjoyment. Most visitors stick to the shorter hiking trails, leaving the backcountry the haunt of experienced backpackers who revel in solitude. Visitors looking for creature comforts can travel beyond the park to the towns of Radium Hot Springs and Invermere, or stay with a mountain theme and soak up the luxuries of Panorama Mountain Village.

YOHO NATIONAL PARK AND VICINITY

Thousands of people pass through Yoho, one of the jewels of Canada’s national park system, daily, most traveling along the TransCanada Highway on their way to somewhere else. If only they knew what they were missing. Instead of rushing through, detour to Emerald Lake or up the Yoho Valley. Lake O’Hara is not accessible by public road, but this is a good thing. It makes one of the most scenic regions in all of the Canadian Rockies even more special. The nearby town of Golden isn’t within the park, but it hangs its hat on being a recreational paradise for outdoor enthusiasts. Even if you’re not into mountain biking or white-water rafting, it’s worth a visit to town simply to ride the gondola at Kicking Horse Mountain Resort.

JASPER NATIONAL PARK

Beyond a simple sign at Sunwapta Pass that lets you know you’ve left Banff National Park and entered Jasper is a natural attraction that will leave you breathless—Columbia Icefield, the largest and most accessible glacier field in the Canadian Rockies. Those not content with just looking can jump aboard a big-wheeled Ice Explorer and get up close and personal with the ancient ice flow. Continuing north, the Icefields Parkway eventually reaches the town of Jasper, a smaller, quieter version of Banff that offers a good range of accommodations and other services. Take a walk down Maligne Canyon, a boat tour on Maligne Lake, and hike the trails below Mt. Edith Cavell and you’ll be following in the footsteps of millions before you. Walk the hallowed fairways of Jasper Park Lodge Golf Course and you’ll have a different story to tell back at the country club. The many summer-only bungalow camps scattered around town are an authentic way to enjoy an overnight stay.

WATERTON LAKES NATIONAL PARK

The old cliché that good things come in small packages couldn’t be a truer description of Waterton Lakes National Park, separated only by an international border from Glacier National Park in Montana. It’s the southernmost of the national parks covered in this guidebook and also takes the longest to reach from the gateway cities. But visitors are rewarded in many ways. The scenery is dramatic, ranging from prairie to glaciated peaks and from bird-rich wetlands to high alpine lakes. If you’re looking for wildlife, Waterton Lakes will exceed your expectations. Mule deer and bighorn sheep are common within the townsite and both black and grizzly bears are often sighted along park highways. The one place you’re guaranteed a sighting is the buffalo paddock, which holds a herd of plains bison.