Mount Assiniboine Provincial Park

Named for one of the Canadian Rockies’ most spectacular peaks, this 39,050-hectare (96,500-acre), roughly triangular park lies northeast of Radium Hot Springs, sandwiched between Kootenay National Park to the west and Banff National Park to the east. It’s inaccessible by road; access is on foot or by helicopter. A haven for experienced hikers, the park offers alpine meadows, lakes, glaciers, and many peaks higher than 3,050 meters (10,000 feet) to explore. The park’s highest peak, 3,618-meter (11,870-foot) Mount Assiniboine (seventh-highest in the Canadian Rockies), is known as the Matterhorn of the Rockies for its resemblance to that famous Swiss landmark. The striking peak can be seen from many points well outside the boundaries of the park, including Buller Pond in Kananaskis Country and Sunshine Village winter resort in Banff National Park.

The peak is named for the Assiniboine people, who ventured into this section of the Canadian Rockies many thousands of years before European exploration. The name Assiniboine means “stone boilers”—a reference to these people’s preferred cooking method. The mountain was sighted and named by a geological survey team in 1885, but the first ascent wasn’t made until 1901.

Lake Magog is the destination of most park visitors. Here you’ll find the park’s only facilities and the trailheads for several interesting and varied day hikes. One of the most popular walks is along the Sunburst Valley/Nub Ridge trail. From Lake Magog, small Sunburst Lake is reached in about 20 minutes, then the trail continues northwest a short distance to Cerulean Lake. From this lake’s outlet, the trail descends slowly along the Mitchell River to a junction four km (2.5 miles) from Lake Magog. Take the right fork, which climbs through a dense subalpine forest to Elizabeth Lake, nestled in the southern shadow of Nub Peak. From this point, instead of descending back to Cerulean Lake, take the Nub Ridge trail, which climbs steadily for one km (.6 mile) to a magnificent viewpoint high above Lake Magog. From the viewpoint, it’s just less than four km (2.5 miles), downhill all the way, to the valley floor. The total length of this outing is 11 km (6.8 miles), and as elevation gained is only just over 400 meters (1,310 feet), the trail can comfortably be completed in four hours.

Approaching the Park on Foot

Three trails provide access to Lake Magog, the park’s largest body of water. The most popular comes in from the northeast, starting at Sunshine Village winter resort in Banff National Park and leading 29 km (18 miles) via Citadel Pass to the lake. Not only is this trail spectacular, but the high elevation of the trailhead (2,100 meters/6,890 feet) makes for a relatively easy approach. Another approach is from the east, in Spray Valley Provincial Park (Kananaskis Country). The trailhead is at the southern end of Spray Lake; take the Mount Shark staging area turnoff 40 km (25 miles) south of Canmore. By the time the trail has climbed the Bryant Creek drainage to 2,165-meter (7,100-foot) Assiniboine Pass, all elevation gain (450 meters/1,480 feet) has been made. At 27 km (16.8 miles), this is the shortest approach, but its elevation gain is greater than the other two trails. The longest and least-used access is from Highway 93 at Simpson River in Kootenay National Park. This trail climbs the Simpson River and Surprise Creek drainages and crosses 2,270-meter (7,450-foot) Ferro Pass to the lake for a total length of 32 km (20 miles).

The Easy Way In

If these long approaches put visiting the park out of your reach, there’s one more option: you can fly in by helicopter from the Mount Shark Helipad, at the southern end of Spray Valley Provincial Park, 40 km (25 miles) southwest of Canmore. Flights depart at 11:30 a.m. Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday and cost $128.40 per person each way, including an 18-kilogram (40-pound) per-person baggage limit. Although Alpine Helicopters operates the flights, all bookings must be made through the Mount Assiniboine Lodge (call 403/678-2883 Mon.–Fri. 8 a.m.–2 p.m.; www.assiniboinelodge.com).

If you’re planning on hiking into the park, Alpine Helicopters will fly your gear in for $1.50 per pound. This same company, which also operates from a base in Canmore, charges $185 per person for a 30-minute flightseeing trip over the park. For more information, call Alpine Helicopters (403/678-4802, www.alpinehelicopter.com).