ESSENTIALS - Canadian Rockies: Including Banff and Jasper National Parks - page 538

personal effects, 50 cigars and 200 cigarettes, 200 grams (seven ounces) of tobacco, 1.14
liters (1.2 quarts) of spirits or wine, food for personal use, and gas (normal tank capacity).
Pets from the United States can generally be brought into Canada, with certain caveats.
Dogs and cats must be more than three months old and have a rabies certificate showing
date of vaccination. Birds can be brought in only if they have not been mixing with other
birds, and parrots need an export permit because they're on the endangered species list.
Handguns, automatic and semiautomatic weapons, and sawn-off rifles and shotguns are
not allowed into Canada. Visitors with firearms must declare them at the border; restricted
weapons will be held by customs and can be picked up on exit from the country. Those not
declared will be seized, and charges may be brought. It is illegal to possess any firearm in
a national park unless it is dismantled or carried in an enclosed case. Up to 5,000 rounds
of ammunition may be imported but should be declared on entry.
On reentering the United States, if you've been in Canada more than 48 hours, you can
bring back up to US$400 worth of household and personal items, excluding alcohol and
tobacco, duty free. If you've been in Canada fewer than 48 hours, you may bring in only
up to US$200 worth of such items duty free.
For further information on all customs regulations, contact Canada Border Services
Agency (204/983-3500 or 800/461-9799, www.cbsa.gc.ca ) .
Recreation
The Canadian Rockies are a four-season playground, their great outdoors offering
something for everyone. Hiking grabs first place in the popularity stakes; many thousands
of kilometers of trails crisscross the entire region. But you can also enjoy canoeing and
kayaking, mountain climbing, golfing, horseback riding, photography, skiing and snow-
boarding, scuba diving, and everything in between. An overview of available outdoor-re-
creation opportunities is provided in the following sections, and you'll find more detail in
the individual travel chapters.
National Park Passes
Unless you're passing directly through, passes are required for entry into all five national
parks covered in this topic. Monies collected from these passes go directly to Parks Canada
for park maintenance and improvements.