We had an amazing time visiting sites in Kootenay National Park while staying in Radium Hot Springs…read morefor a week. The is such a picturesque part of British Colombia, Canada. Our first stop was Olive Lake. A gorgeous green-blue body of water. A short trail from the parking lot. Our next stop was Paint Pots. Such a cool experience. We've never seen anything like it before. The colorful, iron-rich pools were so cool to see up close. The boardwalk to the paint pots was picturesque too. There are many stops and viewpoints along highway 93. Be sure to stop at the ranger station to get your park pass ($14/day) and map of all stops along the route. Most stops have restrooms available as well. Overall a must while visiting British Colombia, Canada. We thoroughly enjoyed exploring this area and would highly recommend.

Rumor had it that Kootenay National Park was, perhaps, the most underrated of the National Parks in…read morethe area. I'm all for supporting the underdogs (& avoiding the crowds). Compared to Banff, Kootenay was empty & there are plenty of bodies of Gatorade-like waters. We enjoyed the wide open spaces and the non-touristy vibe of the park. On our Stanley Glacier Hike, we only saw 3 other sets of people... no shoulder bumping or shuttles needed here. We opted for the annual family/group pass, a great value if you're spending a week or so in any combination of the parks &/or may come back. (& we will come back... already planning it)

This is the nicest places to stay in Bugaboo Provincial Park…read more Also known as "The Bugaboos". Climbers love crowd-isolating jargon, so you'll often hear it shortened all the way down to "The Bugs", or, worse "DA BUGZ!" It's a great place to wait out the notoriously fickle weather in the area. It's run by the delightfully-friendly Alpine Club of Canada. (it's cheaper if you're a member, and if you plan on staying here for more than 5 days, the membership practically pays for itself) It's got: Power (WUT?!) Sleeping pads Running water (they say you probably shouldn't drink it straight up, but we did, #YOLO) Pots and pans Tables Lots of climbing books to study Posters of Conrad Kain doing his famous pose Burners for cooking It does not have: Plumbing (outhouse only, sorry) Bedding (other than the squishy pads) Food for sale (although people hiking out might give you some if you're nice...) You need to bring: Sleeping bag Food Adult beverages (whisky for light weight, beer for a strong back) Climbing gear Clothes Some people choose to camp rather than stay in the hut. There are a couple of reasons they generally do this: - They are cheap - They came last minute and the hut was booked - They desperately want to have "dirtbag credentials" because they slept in a tiny, humid nylon box rather than a large, dry wooden one - They want to be much closer to the climbing routes The last point is the one I empathize most with. By staying at the hut, you are adding another 1,000 ft of gain to the beginning and end of every climbing day. Is it worth it? If the weather is iffy, I'd say: "definitely".

Beautiful and exhilarating, the Canadian Rockies in general, and The Three Sisters in particular…read more When asked, a local tour guide said their individual names are Faith, Hope and Charity. Very nice. The second tour guide disagreed, saying their names are Big Sister, Middle Sister and Little Sister. I found this was repeated on Wikipedia ... and is there any higher authority? Why, yes, the lady at the Canadian Tourist Information Kiosk, who said the locals, the real people who live here, refer to the Three Sisters as Beebee, Ceecee and Deedee. So, what's in a name? The Three Sisters, by any name, are Beautiful and Exhilarating. Five-Stars.

As gorgeous as they are iconic - The Three Sisters stand guard over, no that's not right... The…read moreThree Sisters are all about fun, not protection. They're an icon for a town that exists for outdoor recreation and natural beauty. While The greatest cities in the world are know for and defined by their skylines, none of them even come close to Canmore's. Whether you'd prefer to enjoy them while camping, hiking, biking, or enjoying a glass of wine with a fine meal, Faith, Charity and Hope will make your experience all that much better.

Short (3-4 miles) but steep trail that leads up into Bugaboos Provincial Park…read more It's mainly used by climbers to access to the Conrad Kain Hut. However, the views are so stunning at the end that I'd recommend it to anyone in the area! You'll even get to climb on some steel "ladders" that have been permanently embedded in rock for the harder sections. Just be sure to wrap your car in chicken wire. Apparently porcupines will eat you out of a reliable car.

After spending time at Lake Louise, our shuttle took us over to Moraine Lake. Seeing both of these…read morebeautiful lakes in person was awesome. Moraine Lake is only open during the summer season and requires a park shuttle to reach. It can get really crowed here. Moraine Lake is at an elevation of 6,181 ft and is situated in the Valley of Ten Peaks. There is an info sign in the front that shows you where the ten peaks are. Moraine Lake has a beautiful torquiest blue color to it. The color comes from the sunlight bouncing off the rock sediment in the lake and the surrounding glaciers. The water comes from the snow that melts in the glaciers. Moraine Lake has no dam and has not been altered by humans. The views of the lake are incredible. Because of the crowds, I hiked up to a higher point on top of a rock pile to get a better view. It was cloudy when I was here and it added to the beauty of the photos that I took. I really enjoyed my brief time at Moraine Lake and hope to come back and explore it a little more next time.

Really great views! About 30min outside of Lake Louise. Go 5-10min up the rockpile hike for the…read morebest views (watch your footing!) or down to the launch dock to put your feet in the water. Really nice gift shop and plenty of washrooms.

Johnston Canyon may be a bit of a hike but it truly is magical. The trails are accessible for most…read morehikers and lead you to the canyon, over bridges with rushing turquoise water underneath. The Upper Falls is worth the extra kms of trail and the sounds of the powerful falls enraptures you. I love that it's challenging enough to feel like an accomplishment but still manageable for a casual day trip. It's busy during peak summer, but the views are worth it.

Just stopped here while on a tour with Vancouver Journey. We only hiked to the lower falls and in…read morethe snow/ice it takes about an hour to walk there and back. ~350 ft of elevation gain per my Apple Watch. Beautiful icy sights in late March. Definitely wear crampons! Wish we had more time to see the upper falls.

Gorgeous waterfall! A must-see for this national park. Plenty of parking available. Restrooms…read moreavailable as well. The path up to the falls is paved. You can see the waterfall very well from the bridge, but we walked all the way up. It was pretty crowded at the base of the falls. There are plenty of areas off the path to take photos with less people in them. The glacier-fed water is beautiful! A milky-blue color. That with the mountains and trees, the colors are so vivid. We also saw a mountain goat on the hillside and a rainbow in the mist. Highly recommend!

Takakkaw falls is worth the stop when visiting Yoho National Park! It's just under a mile hike to…read moreget up close to these powerful falls. I didn't go all the way up since there was a lot of spray from the water and it was quite cold. I also think the best view is before the end. There was a beautiful rainbow near the bottom of the falls. It was busy but since people come and go quickly, we had no issue getting a parking spot.

Absolutely gorgeous falls! A must-see while visiting the town of Banff. The parking lot is decent…read moresize, and well maintained. You can see the falls from the area right across the parking lot. If you want a view from above, you can take the stairs trail up to the top. Such beautiful scenery and the sound of the waterfall is therapeutic. There are places to sit and eat and enjoy the waterfall at the base and riverbank. Such an awesome viewpoint. Would highly recommend!

Great parking space. It got chilly and windy but the falls was so far the widest though shortest…read moreI've seen. The sound of the falls just couldn't be beat regardless! Great stop!

There is nothing more beautiful than visiting a glacial lake in the middle of Banff National Park…read more This lake was one of our first stops for viewing and hiking. Lake Minnewanka is 142 meters deep (465 feet) and 21 kilometers (13 miles) long. It is the closest lake to the town of Banff and it is the largest lake in the park. The color of the lake is so striking with jewel tones of emerald, it is so clear and clean. The beautiful color comes from the glacial meltwater. Minnewanka means "Water of the Spirits" and there is a legend that when the Stoney people would travel in the neighborhood of the lake, they could hear voices of the resident spirits. The lake offers plenty of recreation opportunities such as picnicking, hiking, taking a cruise, renting a canoe or kayak, rent a motorboat, or fishing for lake trout and mountain whitefish, and relaxing lakeside. Swimming is not recommended as the water is pretty frigid. The most unique thing about this lake is the town of Minnewanka Landing. In the early 1800's, it was once a thriving resort town. When the lake was dammed in 1941 to provide power to Banff and Calgary the water rose and now all that's left is a ghost town underwater. We decided to take a trail and hike. We were there in September and we were cautiously aware that bear season was approaching. We did not hike too far just about five miles around the lake's perimeter and returned as we had no bear spray. The scenery with the surrounding mountains was absolutely stunning and gorgeous. I believe the trail was the Stewart Canyon - Aylmer Pass Junction. On our way out, we got to see a couple of big horn sheep roadside. So cute! So much to see here and a great way to start our trip in Banff National Park. Love CANADA!!

I know Moraine Lake and Lake Louise get all the glory, but I actually really liked Lake Minnewanka…read more It was less crowded and there were more things to do. They had boat cruises and you could rent a canoe, kayak, or motorized boat. Also, it was convenient and fast to take the Roam Transit 6 bus here. Also, it seems like all the wedding photoshoots were here since it's less crowded and you don't have to hike very far to get really great pictures. My tip - just follow the wedding photographers, they know the best spots to get good shots. The pier was just nice to hang out and take pictures as well.