BACKGROUND - Canadian Rockies: Including Banff and Jasper National Parks - page 494

PARKS AND TOURISM
The Land
The Rocky Mountains rise from the dense forests of central Mexico and run north through
the U.S. states of New Mexico, Colorado, Wyoming, and Montana. Continuing north
across the 49th parallel (the U.S.-Canada border), the range forms a natural border between
the Canadian provinces of British Columbia and Alberta. Mountainous British Columbia
is Canada's westernmost province, extending to the Pacific Ocean, while Alberta, to the
east, is mostly prairie. The provincial boundary is the Continental Divide, an imaginary
line that runs along the Rockies' highest peaks. Although it is a subjective matter, perhaps
most would agree that this particular stretch of the Rocky Mountains—the Canadian Rock-
ies—is the most spectacular segment. North of British Columbia and Alberta, the Rockies
descend to their northern terminus in the boreal forests of northern Canada.
The Canadian Rockies are relatively low compared to other well-known mountain
ranges of the world; the highest peak, Mount Robson, tops out at 3,954 meters (12,970
feet). Running parallel to the mountains along their eastern edge is a series of long, rolling
ridges known as the foothills. To the west is the Rocky Mountain Trench, a long, wide val-
ley that in turn is bordered to the west by various subranges of the Columbia Mountains.