Kootenay National Park

From glacier-clad peaks along the Continental Divide to semi-arid grasslands of the Rocky Mountain Trench, where cactus grows, Kootenay National Park is noted for its diversity of landscapes, ecology and climate. Natural features characteristic of the Rocky Mountains include sedimentary rocks and thrust-faulted mountains, landscapes sculptured by glaciers and water, and plants and animals typical of alpine, subalpine and montane ecological zones.

For thousands of years, the area which is now Kootenay National Park was part of the traditional lands identified by the Ktunaxa (Kootenay) and Kinbasket (Shuswap) First Nations people. Archaeological evidence suggests the mountains were used primarily as seasonal hunting grounds.

The 94 km Banff-Windermere Highway (93 South) takes you through the park along the Vermilion and Kootenay rivers and through the narrow gorge of Sinclair Canyon to the famous Radium Hot Springs. Take the time to stop along the way discover some of Kootenay's quiet, colourful secrets...such as the vibrant new forests growing up in the wake of the forest fires at Vermilion Pass and Mount Shanks, the blue glacial waters and white dolomite walls of Marble Canyon, the rust-coloured mineral pools and ochre beds of the Paint Pots, the shaggy white mountain goats (the park's wildlife symbol) on the crags and slopes of Mount Wardle, the panoramic overlook at Kootenay Valley Viewpoint, the little green gem of Olive Lake nestled in Sinclair Pass, and the iron rich cliffs of the Redwall Fault - an impressive park entrance for visitors from the south.

Park highlights include:

• Marble Canyon
• Paint Pots
• Olive Lake
• Redwall Fault
• Radium Hotsprings