ESSENTIALS - Canadian Rockies: Including Banff and Jasper National Parks - page 539

A National Parks Day Pass is adult $9.80, senior $8.30, child $4.90, to a maximum of
$20 per vehicle. It is interchangeable among parks and is valid until 4pm the day follow-
ing its purchase. An annual Discovery Pass, good for entry into all of Canada's national
parks and national historic sites for one year from the date of purchase, is adult $67.70,
senior $57.90, child $33.30, to a maximum of $136.40 per vehicle. Both types of pass can
be purchased at park gates (at the entrance to Banff, Kootenay, Jasper, and Waterton Lakes
National Parks), at the tollbooths at either end of the Icefields Parkway, at all park in-
formation centers, and at campground fee stations. For more information, check the Parks
Canada website ( www.pc.gc.ca ) .
HIKING
The Canadian Rockies are a hiker's paradise. Hiking is free, and the mountains offer
some of the world's most spectacular scenery. With exceptions made for the most popular
overnight hikes, all trails detailed in this topic are day hikes. Anyone of moderate fitness
could complete them in the time allotted. Strong hikers will need less time, and if you
stop for lunch, it will take you a little longer. Remember, all distances and times are one-
way, so allow yourself time at the destination and time to return to the trailhead. Basic
trail descriptions are available through local information centers, but anyone planning on
focusing their trip around hiking should pick up a copy of the Canadian Rockies Trail
Guide, authored by Brian Patton and Bart Robinson; the publisher is Summerthought
( www.summerthought.com ).
Banff National Park holds the greatest variety of trails. Here you can find anything
from short interpretive trails with little elevation gain to strenuous slogs up high alpine
passes. Trailheads for some of the best hikes are accessible on foot from the town of Banff.
Those farther north begin at higher elevations, from which access to the tree line is less
arduous. The trails in Jasper National Park are oriented more toward the experienced
backpacker, offering plentiful routes for long backcountry trips.
Waterton Lakes National Park is small but has a complex trail system geared espe-
cially for the day hiker. Many of the hikes in Yoho National Park entail significant eleva-
tion gain, but they reward your extra effort with spectacular mountain panoramas rivaling
those of the more famous parks across the divide. Many less-visited parts of the mountains
hold unexpected gems. Examples include Grassi Lakes, near Canmore; Rawson Lake,
Kananaskis Country; Fish Lake, Top of the World Provincial Park; and Grande Mountain,
near Grande Cache.