Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
I love planning a camping getaway to Kananaskis Country, especially in summer, when the
crowds in Banff can be unbearable—but this is about planning
your
trip. If you're based
in Canmore, Banff, or even Calgary, you can easily visit the region in a day, spending
your time sightseeing and hiking along Highway 40, then looping back to the TransCanada
Highway via Spray Valley Provincial Park. But you should plan to stay longer than a
day. If you're camping, you'll be amazed at the number of options (2,300 auto-accessible
campsites in 31 campgrounds) and the lack of crowds compared to the national parks. Be
warned, though; Calgarians are well aware of this mountain wilderness, and every week-
end through summer the region is overrun by urbanites in SUVs and families in minivans.
Therefore, plan to arrive during the week, and you'll almost always be assured of a spot.
For creature comforts, book a two-night stay at one of the hotels in
Kananaskis Village,
and you'll have time to combine the very best hikes with a round of golf or an extended
bike ride.
Information centers are located at each of the main entrances to Kananaskis Country,
but the best way to do some pretrip planning is using the website provided by the Alberta
government (
www.albertaparks.ca
)
. Another good source of online information is
Friends
of Kananaskis Country
(
www.kananaskis.org
)
, a nonprofit organization that promotes
educational programs, is involved in a variety of hands-on projects, and promotes Kana-
naskis Country in partnership with the government.
Kananaskis Country holds two distinct ecosystems: the high peaks of the Continental
Divide to the west and the lower, rolling foothills to the east. The glacier-carved
Kananas-
kis Valley
separates the two. The Elbow and Sheep River Valleys rise in the west to the
front ranges, which formed around 85 million years ago and have eroded to half their ori-
ginal height. The Main Ranges, which form part of the Continental Divide, are composed
of older, erosion-resistant quartzite and limestone, giving them a more jagged appearance.
Kananaskis Country occupies a transition zone between foothills and mountains, and as a
result it harbors a wide variety of plant species. In the east, the relatively low-lying Sheep,
Elbow, and Sibbald Valleys are dominated by stands of
aspen,
interspersed with open
meadows. Climbing gradually to the west, you'll pass through the montane zone, with its
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