Kootenay National Park 
Kootenay National Park
Access
The Banff-Windermere Parkway (Highway 93) runs through Kootenay National Park. It is at least a 3-hour drive.
Kootenay National Park ("kootemik" is Indian for "places of hot water") is in the Rocky Mountains, in south-east British Columbia. It adjoins the more famous Banff National Park and Yoho National Park, and takes in the magnificent western flank of the Canadian Rockies.
Access
The Banff-Windermere Parkway (Highway 93) runs through Kootenay National Park. It is at least a 3-hour drive.
Kootenay National Park ("kootemik" is Indian for "places of hot water") is in the Rocky Mountains, in south-east British Columbia. It adjoins the more famous Banff National Park and Yoho National Park, and takes in the magnificent western flank of the Canadian Rockies.
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Must-see attractions nearby:
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Banff-Windermere Highway, 105 km (65 mi.) long, runs south from the TransCanada Highway at Castle Junction, 28 km (17 mi.) north-west of Banff, down to Radium Hot Springs, passing through spectacular mountain scenery west of the continental divide and following the valleys of the Vermilion and Kootenay rivers. These two valleys form the core of Kootenay National Park. There are plenty of parking places along the way so that visitors can explore the virtually untouched hinterland.
Geology
The main mountain range in Kootenay National Park reaches heights of over 3,000 m (9846 ft), and is predominantly closely packed layers of stratification. The younger sedimentary layers of the western ranges show much more folding and erosion, and such typical features as rugged rocky ridges and sawtooth peaks, snow and ice-covered massifs, cirques, glaciers, hanging valleys and narrow gorges cut deep into marbled limestone, make the drive through the Kootenay National Park quite a unique experience. With any luck, it will be possible to see moose, Wapiti and mountain goat as well.
Unlike the towering mountains of the north, the less rugged uplands in the south of the park get less snow and rain, and have a milder climate that enables many of different creatures to spend the winter in the lower Kootenay valley.
History
Archaeological evidence shows that for thousands of years the valleys and passes of what is now Kootenay National Park served as important trade routes for the Indians. The rock drawings at Radium Hot Springs are an indication of how significant a place this was for the Indians of the Plains as well as those of the mountains.
In the 19th c. the Hudson's Bay Company explorers followed the old Indian trails into the Kootenay area in search of furs and a suitable route to get to the Columbia River and the Pacific. They were followed by settlers, prospectors and mountaineers. Resourceful entrepreneurs soon discovered the value of the hot springs, and Radium Hot Springs got its first spa hotel in 1911. The area was declared a national park in 1920 when the province of British Columbia transferred the land to the Canadian government. The Banff-Windermere Parkway, the first major highway through the central Rockies, was built without delay and subsequently much improved in the 1950s. It now has plenty of parking places and lookout points where visitors can stop to admire the magnificent scenery.
Geology
The main mountain range in Kootenay National Park reaches heights of over 3,000 m (9846 ft), and is predominantly closely packed layers of stratification. The younger sedimentary layers of the western ranges show much more folding and erosion, and such typical features as rugged rocky ridges and sawtooth peaks, snow and ice-covered massifs, cirques, glaciers, hanging valleys and narrow gorges cut deep into marbled limestone, make the drive through the Kootenay National Park quite a unique experience. With any luck, it will be possible to see moose, Wapiti and mountain goat as well.
Unlike the towering mountains of the north, the less rugged uplands in the south of the park get less snow and rain, and have a milder climate that enables many of different creatures to spend the winter in the lower Kootenay valley.
History
Archaeological evidence shows that for thousands of years the valleys and passes of what is now Kootenay National Park served as important trade routes for the Indians. The rock drawings at Radium Hot Springs are an indication of how significant a place this was for the Indians of the Plains as well as those of the mountains.
In the 19th c. the Hudson's Bay Company explorers followed the old Indian trails into the Kootenay area in search of furs and a suitable route to get to the Columbia River and the Pacific. They were followed by settlers, prospectors and mountaineers. Resourceful entrepreneurs soon discovered the value of the hot springs, and Radium Hot Springs got its first spa hotel in 1911. The area was declared a national park in 1920 when the province of British Columbia transferred the land to the Canadian government. The Banff-Windermere Parkway, the first major highway through the central Rockies, was built without delay and subsequently much improved in the 1950s. It now has plenty of parking places and lookout points where visitors can stop to admire the magnificent scenery.
Kootenay National Park
Box 220
Radium Hot Springs, BC V0A1M0
Canada
Box 220
Radium Hot Springs, BC V0A1M0
Canada
Phone 1 (250) 347-9505
Fax 1 (250) 347-9980
Related Attractions
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Kootenay Crossing, Canada
The Banff / Windermere Highway Exhibit at Kootenay Crossing is worth seeing, particularly for its account of how this part of the Rockies was opened up by the highway, and how the national park was set up.
Further south from Kootenay Crossing, the highway passes by Crooks Meadow, Dolly Varden, and McLeod Meadow, all pretty resorts where campsites should be booked in advance.
There is a wonderful view from Kootenay Viewpoint over the Kootenay River valley to the Mitchell and Stanford mountain ranges.
Further south from Kootenay Crossing, the highway passes by Crooks Meadow, Dolly Varden, and McLeod Meadow, all pretty resorts where campsites should be booked in advance.
There is a wonderful view from Kootenay Viewpoint over the Kootenay River valley to the Mitchell and Stanford mountain ranges.
Mount Whymper
Mount Whymper (2844 m (9334 ft)) to the west of Vermilion Pass also has its glacier. It is named after the conqueror of the Matterhorn, who also climbed many of Canada's mountains.
Many people come to Mount Whymper to climb it although it requires some skill and is not for the average hiker. The east side of Mount Whymper has unfortunately been effected by forest fire and suffered serious damage.
Many people come to Mount Whymper to climb it although it requires some skill and is not for the average hiker. The east side of Mount Whymper has unfortunately been effected by forest fire and suffered serious damage.
Redwall Fault
Redwall Fault is the site of mineral springs with a high iron content.
This is also the water source of the Radium Hot Springs Pools.
This is also the water source of the Radium Hot Springs Pools.
Kootenay National Park
Box 220
Radium Hot Springs, BC V0A1M0
Canada
Box 220
Radium Hot Springs, BC V0A1M0
Canada
Phone 1 (250) 347-9505
Fax 1 (250) 347-9980
Sinclair Pass, Canada
About 120 km /75 m from the Kootenay Valley the Banff/Windermere Highway crosses Sinclair Pass (1486 m / 4877 ft) to get into the lovely high-mountain valley of fast-running Sinclair Creek. After the Iron Gates Tunnel steep limestone and dolomite walls, colored red by iron oxide form a kind of gateway. In spring and in August big-horn sheep congregate here.
The Sinclair Pass area is also known for it's hiking and mountain biking trails that are popular in the summer with outdoor enthusiasts.
The Sinclair Pass area is also known for it's hiking and mountain biking trails that are popular in the summer with outdoor enthusiasts.
Stanley Glacier
The scenery around Vermilion Pass is reminiscent of the Swiss Alps: the famous Stanley Glacier, on the slopes of Stanley Peak (3155 m (10,355 ft)) to the south, can be reached by a lovely if rather strenuous hike in one day through the Stanley Creek hanging valley.
The Stanley Glacier hike is a fairly low elevation hike, meaning it is open earlier in the season. From the trail there are great views of Stanley Peak, Storm Mountain, Mount Whympe, and Boom Mountain.
The Stanley Glacier hike is a fairly low elevation hike, meaning it is open earlier in the season. From the trail there are great views of Stanley Peak, Storm Mountain, Mount Whympe, and Boom Mountain.
Vermillion Pass, Canada
The Vermillion Pass (summit 1651 m /5382 ft), only 38 km / 24 mi north-west of Banff, is where the Parkway crosses the Continental Divide, and where Alberta meets British Columbia and Banff National Park meets the Kootenay National Park.
In 1968 a forest fire, started by lightning, raged for four days in the Vermillion Pass area and devastated 2440 ha (6029 acres); the results are still clearly visible.
Nonetheless, the green hills and snow capped mountains make this area stunning.
In 1968 a forest fire, started by lightning, raged for four days in the Vermillion Pass area and devastated 2440 ha (6029 acres); the results are still clearly visible.
Nonetheless, the green hills and snow capped mountains make this area stunning.
