Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
For further park information, contact the park superintendent (P.O. Box 220, Radium
Hot Springs, BC V0A 1M0, 250/347-9615) or check the Parks Canada website
(
www.pc.gc.ca
)
. For park road conditions, call 403/762-1450.
Kootenay National Park is not served by public transportation, nor do any of the Banff
tour companies include the park on their itineraries. The vast majority of visitors arrive
by vehicle. Visitors can either base themselves in the village of Radium Hot Springs, 132
kilometers (82 miles) southwest of the town of Banff, or make the journey from Banff it-
self.
The small service center of Radium Hot Springs (pop. 900) sits at the southwest entrance
to Kootenay National Park, 103 kilometers (64 miles) southwest of Castle Mountain Junc-
tion (Banff National Park). Its setting is spectacular; most of the town lies on benchlands
above the Columbia River, from which the panoramic views take in the Canadian Rockies
to the east and the Purcell Mountains to the west. As well as providing accommodations
and other services for park visitors and highway travelers, Radium is a destination in itself
for many travelers. The town is just three kilometers (two miles) from the hot springs for
which it is named and boasts a wildlife-rich wetland on its back doorstep, two excellent
golf courses, and many other recreational opportunities.
Columbia River Wetland
Radium sits in the Rocky Mountain Trench, which has been carved over millions of years
by the Columbia River. From its headwaters south of Radium, the Columbia flows north-
ward through a 180-kilometer-long (110-mile-long) wetland to Golden, continuing north
for a similar distance before reversing course and flowing south into the United States. The
wetland nearby Radium holds international significance, not only for its size (26,000 hec-
tares/64,250 acres), but also for the sheer concentration of wildlife it supports. More than
100 species of birds live among the sedges, grasses, dogwoods, and black cottonwoods
surrounding the convoluted banks of the Columbia. Of special interest are blue herons in
large numbers and ospreys in one of the world's highest concentrations.
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