BANFF NATIONAL PARK - Canadian Rockies: Including Banff and Jasper National Parks - page 150

TransCanada Highway. Don't be perturbed by the name, though; the bugs here are no
worse than anywhere else. The 32 sites are nestled in the forest, with a tumbling creek
separating the campground from a hostel of the same name. Each site has a picnic table
and fire ring, while other amenities include pump water, pit toilets, and a kitchen shelter
with an old-fashioned woodstove. If you're camping at Mosquito Creek and want a break
from the usual camp fare, consider traveling 17 kilometers (10.6 miles) up the highway to
the convivial dining room at Num-ti-jah Lodge (403/522-2167, www.sntj.ca ) to feast on
Canadian-inspired cuisine in a historic dining room.
Waterfowl Lake Campground (late June-mid-Sept., $27 per site) is 33 kilometers
(20 miles) north along the Icefields Parkway from Mosquito Creek. It features 116 sites
between Upper and Lower Waterfowl Lakes, with a few sites in view of the lower lake.
Facilities include pump water, flush toilets, and kitchen shelters with wood-burning stoves.
Rise early to watch the first rays of sun hit Mount Chephren from the shoreline of the lower
lake, then plan on hiking the four-kilometer (2.5-mile) trail to Chephren Lake—you'll be
first on the trail and back in time for a late breakfast.
Continuing toward Jasper, the Icefields Parkway passes The Crossing, a good place to
gas up and buy last-minute groceries before reaching Rampart Creek Campground (late
June-early Sept., $23 per site), 31 kilometers (19 miles) beyond Waterfowl Lake and 88
kilometers (55 miles) from Lake Louise. With just 50 sites, this campground fills early.
Facilities include kitchen shelters, pit toilets, and pump water.
Nearby Parks
MM 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 in-
accessible 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 Kana-
naskis Country and the Sunshine Village winter resort in Banff National Park.