OTHER PARKS OF THE CANADIAN ROCKIES

The previous chapters have covered the better-known parks of the Canadian Rockies, but many other areas of special appeal are protected as provincial and wilderness parks. These parks give visitors the chance to enjoy the natural beauty and wildlife of the mountains away from the crowds associated with the national parks. They have no fancy hotels, golf courses, or shopping malls, and in some cases not even roads.

Seven provincial parks lie on the British Columbia side of the mountains. Mount Robson Provincial Park, west of Jasper National Park, protects the highest peak in the Canadian Rockies. The Berg Lake Trail, which climbs to a high alpine lake at the base of Mount Robson, is the most popular overnight hike in all of the mountains. Mount Assiniboine Provincial Park has no roads—access is on foot or by flying in by helicopter. The other provincial parks—Akamina–Kishinena, Elk Lakes, Height of the Rockies, Top of the World, and Whiteswan Lake—all have their own appeal and are well worth the effort required to reach them. On the Alberta side of the mountains, three designated wilderness areas—White Goat, Siffleur, and Willmore—offer even more solitude.