BANFF NATIONAL PARK - Canadian Rockies: Including Banff and Jasper National Parks - page 152

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 Heliport, at the southern end of Spray
Valley Provincial Park, 40 kilometers (25 miles) southwest of Canmore. Flights depart at
12:30pm Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday and cost $160 per person each way, including
an 18-kilogram (40-pound) per-person baggage limit. Although Alpine Helicopters oper-
ates the flights, all bookings must be made through Mount Assiniboine Lodge (call 403/
678-2883 8:30am-2:30pm Mon.-Fri., www.assiniboinelodge.com ) .
If you're planning on hiking into the park, Alpine Helicopters will fly your gear in for
$2.25 per pound (0.45 kilogram). This same company, which also operates from a base
in Canmore, charges $285 per person for a 30-minute flightseeing trip over the park. For
more information, contact Alpine Helicopters (403/678-4802, www.alpinehelicopter.com ) .
Accommodations
Getting to and staying at M Mount Assiniboine Lodge isn't cheap, but the number of re-
peat guests is testament to an experience that you will never forget. The mountain scenery
may take most of the kudos, but the lodge's congenial atmosphere makes the stay equally
memorable. Built in 1928 by the CPR, the delightfully rustic lodge is set in a lakeside
meadow below its distinctive namesake peak. The main building holds six double rooms
that share bathroom facilities and a dining area where hearty meals (included in the rates)
are served up communal-style. Scattered in the surrounding trees are six one-room cabins
that sleep 2-5 people. Each has running water and uses propane to heat and light the space.
Outhouses and showers are shared. The rate for lodge rooms is $260 per person, while cab-
in accommodations range $260-420. Children 12 and under are $120. You can reach the
lodge on foot or fly in with Alpine Helicopters from a heliport in Spray Valley Provincial
Park. The departure days are the same as for campers (Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday);
the only difference is that lodge guests pay a little less ($130 each way) and helicopter de-
partures begin at 11:30am Lodge guests flying in may bring 18 kilograms (40 pounds) of
gear, plus one pair of skis. If you decide to hike in (or out), the charge for luggage transfers
is $2.25 per pound (0.45 kilogram).
The operating season is mid-June to the first weekend of October, and then mid-
February to mid-April, for cross-country skiing. There is a minimum stay of two nights.
The lodge has no landline phone; for reservations or information call 403/678-2883
(8:30am-2:30pm Mon.-Fri.) or check the website ( www.assiniboinelodge.com ) .