Kootenay National Park

Set in the Rocky Mountains of southeastern British Columbia, Kootenay National Park is a 1,406 sq km/543 sq mi land of startling contrasts.  A land where towering summits and hanging glaciers meet narrow chasms, broad forested valleys and colour-splashed mineral pools. Kootenay National Park is an area of incredible scenery and abundant wildlife.

The best way to experience the park is to travel the 98 km long Kootenay Parkway (Hwy 93 south) which cuts through the park from north to south.   Every twist and turn of the parkway reveals something interesting to explore.   Visitors travelling along the Kootenay Parkway will discover an ever-changing panorama and  an immense variety of plant life.  You'll find everything from alpine tundra in the upper reaches, to stands of Douglas Fir and prickly pear cactus at lower altitudes in the south.

The drive also offers opportunities for viewing rocky mountain bighorn sheep, mountain goats, elk, mule and whitetail deer.  And for those who enjoy a good hike, there's a choice of more than 200 km of hiking trails, both casual and challenging, that originate from the parkway.

There are a number of breathtaking attractions that stem from the parkway.  A self-guided nature trail leads across the Vermilion River, past iron-rich clay banks, up along Ochre Creek and on to the cold mineral springs known as the Paint Pots.  At the Paint Pots, the iron in the water has seeped into the clay of the region giving it a vivid orange colour.

Long before the land was settled by the 'white-man', First Nations people from both sides of the Great Divide gathered the clay for decoration and trade, and considered the area to be sacred.  At Marble Canyon, a steep, but fascinating self-guided nature trail crosses a narrow gorge eroded by the waters of Tokumm Creek.

Probably the most famous Kootenay attraction, is the Radium Hot Springs at the southern end of the park.  These natural mineral springs are heated deep in the earth's crust and are the perfect remedy for travel weary bones.  The hot springs are set against a gorgeous rock outcrop - the most natural of settings of all the hot pools in the National Parks. 

What to See and Do:

Winter:  Cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, parkway sightseeing and wildlife watching - elk, moose, bighorn sheep, coyotes, wolves, owls, showshoe hares. Hot springs swimming and soaking.

Spring:  Late-season ski touring and snowshoeing, parkway walks at low elevations.  Wildlife viewing - black and grizzly bears, elk, deer, moose, bighorn sheep, mountain goats, coyotes, wolves, owls, snowshoe hares, ground squirrels, migratory birds including bald and golden eagles, songbirds, ducks and hawks.

Summer:  Hiking, backpacking, parkway sightseeing and animal watching (same as above, including marmots) swimming, picknicking, whitewater paddling, cycling.

Fall:  Late season hiking and backpacking until early October, parkway sightseeing and animal watching (same as wildlife viewing in Spring - elk and bighorn sheep in rut.  Also, Kokanee salmon spawn in Kootenay and Vermilion Rivers where bald eagles come to prey on them.)

Park Services and Facilities:  Picnic or day-use facilities, hiking trails, swimming facilities, fishing, concession, gift/souvenir shop.

Campgrounds: 

Redstreak Campground (242 sites), open early-May to late-September, 19 walk-in tent sites, 50 power/water/sewer sites, 38 sites with electricity, 135 unserviced sites, shower, fee, no reservations.  McLeod Meadows (98 sites), open mid-May to mid-September, unserviced, fee.  Marble Canyon (66 sites), open mid-June to early-September, unserviced, fee.

Kootenay National Park
Box 40
Radium Hot Springs, BC
VOA 1MO
PH: 250 347-9615, Operator 129
FX: 250 347-9980
Email:   kootenay.reception@pc.gc.ca
Website:   ParksCanada.gc.ca/Kootenay