National Parks of Canada

Welcome to my page of information on the Canadian national parks. This information has been gathered in a couple of trips during the mid 1990s.

My biases -- While I am trying to be objective, I may not like to do the same things you do. So you can accurately evaluate this report, be aware of my personal biases in recreation and filter the report appropriately for your own tastes: I like and seek: Lack of crowds, wildlife, scenerey, strenuous day hiking, tent camping. I like but rarely do: back country trips, canoeing, swimming, biking on roads, sailing. I dislike and seek to avoid: Crowds, RV's, tours, biking on trails, motor boats, night-life, man-made attractions (helicopters, theaters, tourist traps, etc.)

Canada is another country!!

The first thing to note about Canada is that it is a different country, not another state. They have different currency ($1Canadian=$0.70 US in July 95), but more importantly different customs and laws. Crossing the border is easy and painless for US and Canadian citizens not carrying alcohol, tobacco, or weapons. Canada is firmly metric, with distances in KM, temparature in Celcius, and gas priced per litre. (Yes, they also spell many words differently, like the British.). Gas is much more expensive, even accounting for all the unit and currency conversions. Food in general is familiar, but the Canadian parks get a high proportion of euoropean and asian visitors, and you are likely to find more continental and Japanese food than simple steaks and burgers. Canada is bi-lingual, though in the western provinces, you will see French only on official signs and food lables (though you will hear a lot more French spoken than anywhere else I visited outside of France). Most road signs are in international icon language, which can sometimes be very confusing (gee what does a picture of a garbage truck running into a giant piece of movie film mean?) Speed limits in KM/hour sound high but they aren't and Canada has speed traps and expensive fines (but not nearly as bad for speeding as for littering!)

Comparison to US Parks:

The Canadian parks have been developed differently. Many include entire towns with substantial private development, in contrast with US parks which generally have limited facilities in the park. The Canadian parks as a result have many more options for in-park lodging, dining, and enterainment, but the park towns are circusses in season (like ski resort towns in march or like Jackson or West Yellowstone Wyoming in the summer). Roads in Canadian parks seem generally in much better shape, and the parks tend to have more and better camping facilities. They have also done considerable trail development. Stream crossings on most trails are bridged, and boardwalks or catwalks bypass wet areas on popular trails. Canadian parks do not in general provide maps and newsletters like the US parks, but instead you can buy guides in visitor centers and gift shops). Admission is via individual park passes (good for 3-7 days), an annual pass for the major mountain parks ($50) or all parks ($60). Provincial parks generally do not charge admission.

Getting there and Getting around:

You can drive to western Canada, but if you live east of the Mississippi, you are much better off flying to Calgary, Vancouver, Seattle, or Spokane, and rent a car. Make sure you get unlimited mileage if you can, as distances are huge. (Calgary to Vancouver is about 800 miles.) Our experience has been that Air Canada offers significantly more room per seat and nicer amenities in coach (free movies, better food) than the major US carriers at about the same price. If you visit the coast, you will need to take ferries to reach Vancouver Island, or cross numerous bays. A single agency (BC Ferries) operates all of these ferries. The popular crossings are inexpensive and have frequent schedules (once every 1-2 hours), and do not take reservations. Instead you arrive at the ferry terminal, pay, get in the appropriate line, and can then abandon your vehicle until 10 minutes before scheduled departure. Many ferry terminal towns have restaurants and shops within walking distance of the ferry lines. Ferries from Vancouver are overloaded outgoing on Friday evening and incoming on Sunday afternoon and evening, but otherwise you should have little trouble getting on the first available boat.

Mountain roads are generally very good in Canada, though they have practically no freeways comparable to our interstates, even in cities. As a consequence driving through urban areas can be painfully slow.

Canadian highways go by both numbers and names in the west. They have special signs for each indicative of the name. The major ones you are likely to encounter are:

1 -- Transcanada highway -- busiest and best route with most traffic and speed limits.
7 -- Yellowhead highway -- Actually several different segments running mostly north and south in British Columbia.
3 -- Crowsnest highway -- route from Vancouver to south of Calgary along the US border. Very mountainous and scenic, but rarely straight.
99 -- Sea to Sky highway -- runs from Vancouver to Whistler (and past Whistler over the mountains to join 1 at Cache creek. A spectacular coast road and mountain highway. All but 5 miles of flat area past Whistler are paved, but the mountain section is very twisty and slow. Don't try it with a camper or trailer.

Weather:

Unpredictable is the only word. Generally colder and wetter than in the US parks. We encountered bright sun, heat, cold, rain, and snow all on the same day. Always be prepared to get wet on your hikes.

Wildlife:

Elk, Rocky Mountain Sheep, mountain goats, and Bears are common. Bison and Moose are also supposed to be there but we never saw any. "tame" elk are common enough in Banff and Jasper that flower beds need to be encased in chicken wire to protect them. Sheep will stick their heads in your car if you encourage them at all in several locations. Bears are less friendly, but bear sightings are not uncommon. Bear encounters on trails are also fairly common, so be alert and aware of what to do.

Comments on specific Parks

Banff park (Alberta) (1995)

-- This is the most visited park and one of the largest. It is also traversed by a major highway and thus very accessible. Most lodging is in the town of Banff, which as noted above is a circus. It does have the most options and most things are in walking distance. There are many smaller lodges at other areas, but note that the lodges in popular tourist areas (like Lake Louise) will get thousands of tourbus visitors. Here are some areas we visited:

Banff -- aside from the town they have a tramway (scenic only, doesn't really access any good hiking territory), 2 ski areas, 2 hot springs, and several short nature trails.)
Johnson Canyon -- a great nature walk/trail, with many segments on catwalks over the water in a narrow canyon, visiting two waterfalls. The trail beyond the upper falls to the inkpot springs is unremarkable, but does access alpine meadows near the springs. This trail is VERY busy, so hike first thing in the AM.
Boom Lake -- A wide trail with a modest grade that reaches a nice alpine lake with high cliffs on the opposite shore. The trail is almost entirely in the woods with little to see on the way.
Bow Glacier Falls -- A very spectacular spot with few crowds. The trail skirts a beautiful lake, crosses gravel stream bed, and ends in a large gravel basin below the falls. A good place to get a sense of the scale of the country.
Lake Louise -- one of the most visited and photographed places on earth. Don't expect to be alone here. It's pretty but wasn't what we were looking for.
Morraine lake -- Also pretty and less visited than Louise.

Yoho Park

In British Columbia, adjoining Banff and Jasper. Similar scenery to Banff, but less developed and less crowded. Few lodging options in the park. The eastern edge adjoining the continental divide is glaciers and high mountains. There is supposed to be a spectacular lodge and limited access area at Lake Ohara. Visiters must either walk in or take an infrequently operating shuttle, and can only take the shuttle with reservations. We did not get a chance to visit. The spiral tunnels of the railway (cut to allow the railway to descend at a reasonable grade) are a much promoted sight but not all that visible from the roads.

Kootenay Park

In British Columbia, adjoining Yoho and Banff. This is probably the least visited and crowded and has few facilities in the park. The town of Radium adjoins the west end of the park and has extensive facilities and access to the park's hot springs.

Glacier Park

In British Columbia, east of Yoho. Canada's Glacier park is not connected with or near the US Glacier park. It is a smallish park enclosing a high mountain group with glaciers and waterfalls. Again it is mostly hiking territory.

Jasper Park -- In Alberta, north of Banff.

The second most visited park, and destination of many tours. Other than spectacular hiking, the unique features here are easy access to Athabasca Glacier and the Columbia Icefield, and boat tours of Maligne Lake, a very long and narrow alpine lake. The town of Jasper is where most lodging and food are, and like Banff is busy. Jasper is more residential and less resorty than Banff. There are also more lodges near Jasper but not in it, either on the river or on the small lakes in the area. We found these delightful. Here are some places we visited:

Pyramid lake (near Jasper) -- a nice small lake with one lodge and rental boats and canoes as well as public picnic areas and beaches.
Athabasca Glacier -- A zoo. A tour company will take you onto the ice in special busses, and has a huge base operation. If you prefer walking, you can park near the glacier (difficult, it's a small lot), and walk up to and out on it. It was amazing to us that they allow people to wander over the glacier which has some deep crevasses and snow bridges. It is quite an experience. If you do it, stay on solid ice (not snow, which is slipprier and can hide a crevasse), and watch your children.
Sunwapta and Athabasca falls. Both interesting stops on the road though unspectacular. Also common tour destinations.
Angel glacier -- This requires a significant drive from the main highway and while lots of people come here it is less busy than the areas above. Trails go up to the base of the glacier (the main glacier hangs on a rock wall above a small lake, and a smaller glacier sits at the bottom. Another trail climbs the moraines opposite the glacier to fantastic views and wildflowers. (The opening scene from the sound of music could have been shot here). Again this gets busier the later in the day you wait.
Maligne Canyon -- This is a slot canyon, very narrow and deep. The main tourist area is at the top, but you can hike from two other parking lots below the main area for more solitude on most of your hike. (Note -- we saw bear cubs here).
Medicine Lake -- an interesting lake that dissappears late in the season due to underground drainage.
Maligne lake -- this is a long narrow lake with a lodge and boat tours at the head. Many trails branch off from the end of the road here. The Opal Hills trail we took is VERY steep, but the top has good views and meadows of flowers.

Waterton Park

(Alberta, adjacent to the US border and Glacier park). Waterton and the US Glacier Park are together an international peace park, though they are separately developed and administered. Wateron is developed like other Canadian parks, with a town at the head of Waterton lake with lots of facilities. Many backcountry trails cross the border between the parks, and the boat trips on Waterton lake access some of the more remote country in Glacier park. Scenery and wildlife are similar to Glacier park in the US. In addition to the town of Waterton, roads access a high glacial lake beyond (with limited boat rentals for the hearty paddler), and a deep canyon cut through the mountains. The road between Glacier and Watertown is good but long, and the border crossing has more limited hours than some, so be sure you allow enough time if visiting one of the parks as a day trip from the other.