This Little-Known Mountainous National Park With Turquoise Lakes Rivals Banff

The border between Alberta and British Columbia is jam-packed with some of the world's best natural beauty and draws millions every year to its numerous parks. This region of the Canadian Rocky Mountains contains iconic destinations like Banff, Jasper, and Yoho, but there are more, lesser-known national parks here to be discovered.

A less than 3-hour drive from Calgary, Kootenay National Park is a wonderland of glacial lakes, scenic trails, and abundant wildlife. Learn more about this underrated Canadian park, from its top tourist attractions to the diverse flora and fauna that call it home.

The Geography of Kootenay National Park

Kootenay National Park is located in southeastern British Columbia, forming part of the Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks UNESCO World Heritage Site, which consists of 7 different parks in total. The park covers an area of 1,406 square kilometers and features a rugged topography, including snowcapped mountain ranges, canyons, valleys, and forestlands.

It is bounded to the east by Banff National Park and to the north by Yoho National Park, creating a continuous expanse of protected wilderness. The park’s landscape is shaped by the western side of the Rockies, with nearby peaks such as Mount Assiniboine, a prominent feature at its southern boundary.

The Kootenay River, from which the park takes its name, winds through the middle of the park, cutting through the Vermilion River Valley and Sinclair Canyon. Glacial activity has sculpted much of this terrain, leaving behind features such as the Radium Hot Springs, the Paint Pots, and the Marble Canyon, all spots you can visit today.

Flora and Fauna

Within its different ecosystems, Kootenay National Park supports a wide variety of life. At its lower altitudes, montane forests dominate, featuring woodlands consisting mainly of lodgepole pines, Douglas firs, and trembling aspens.

Higher elevations transition into subalpine zones with Engelmann spruce and subalpine fir trees, while the alpine tundra areas host fields of hardy wildflowers (many of which bloom brilliantly at various times throughout the summer) and grasses adapted to the harsh conditions.

The park is home to a selection of wildlife, both big and small. Large mammals such as elk, moose, mountain goats, and black bears are commonly spotted alongside more elusive predatory species like grizzly bears and mountain lions.

Bighorn sheep, in particular, are mainstays in and around the town of Radium Hot Springs but can also be spotted throughout the Kootenays.

Smaller animals, including marmots, pikas, and a variety of squirrels, thrive in the park’s rocky landscapes. Bird species like golden eagles, Clark's nutcrackers, and great horned owls inhabit the region, too, while rivers and streams support fish such as bull trout and mountain whitefish.

The Best Sights and Activities in Kootenay

Here is a selection of some of the favorite things to see and do in Kootenay National Park during your next visit. See how many you can add to your itinerary.

Relax in a Hot Spring

The town of Radium Hot Springs, which holds the park's main visitor center, is aptly named for the famous natural hot spring located nearby. The Radium hot springs are run by Parks Canada, and a very nice, modern facility has been built around it for visitors to enjoy. For a small fee, you can take a dip in the warm, mineral-rich pool, while the rocky canyon walls surrounding you make for excellent scenery as you sit back and relax.

A short drive south beyond the borders of the park will land you at the Fairmont Hot Springs, which is attached to a resort with many options for accommodations, from cabins to regular hotel rooms. Here, you will also find a man-made pool that is fed by the nearby natural springs, but those in the know can also embark on a short hike to the base of the Fairmont Hotspring Waterfall, where you can hop into the naturally formed mineral pool as warm water pours down onto you.

Go for a Hike

This park features an extensive network of trails for hikers of all abilities, many of which provide the best scenic viewpoints in the region.

For an easier walk with paved paths and railings, the Marble Canyon Trail will take you past stunning limestone formations and rushing waterfalls on the Kootenay River. The nearby Paint Pots Trail leads to vibrant ochre-colored mineral pools, a fascinating geological and cultural site.

More experienced hikers can tackle the Stanley Glacier Trail, which provides you with views of towering cliffs, glaciers, and alpine meadows, an ideal one for the summer season.

For a truly long hike away from the crowds, try Floe Lake, a challenging route that ends at a deeply blue glacial lake surrounded by jagged mountain peaks.

There are dozens of other notable trails within this expansive park. Just be sure to bring your bear spray and lots of water wherever you go!

See the Continental Divide

The continental divide, where water either goes east or west, can be found right in Kootenay National Park. This important geographic destination is marked by the side of Highway 93 just west of the junction at the Trans Canada Highway.

Close by is the Fireweed Loops trail, an easy 2-kilometer walk that will take you through a landscape that was once hit by a massive wildfire in 1968, displaying how a forest recovers after such an event.

Ski or Snowshoe in the Backcountry

With winter coming in fast, you should seriously consider a trip to Kootenay National Park if cross-country skiing or snowshoeing is of interest. With several popular backcountry trails, like Chickadee Valley and the network of South Nipaka Cross-Country Ski Trails, you can experience this park with a layer of powdery snow overlaid on top of it.

Better yet, the colder months of the year draw far fewer visitors, meaning you may get a trail all to yourself.

Check online or with the visitor center in regard to which trails have parking lots and functioning bathrooms at their trailheads if that is important to you.

Explore the Town of Radium Hot Springs

As mentioned, this is the main town within Kootenay National Park and is the home of the park's visitor center, which contains a small museum and helpful park staff that can provide info about the area and can sell you park passes, hiking supplies, and souvenirs at the gift shop.

This small town also contains a healthy selection of hotels, along with other useful amenities like restaurants, grocery stores, outfitters, and other businesses to aid you on your travels.

Main Street is where you will find most of these locales, and it makes for a nice short walk. Be sure to stop by Radium Brewing for a cold one on the patio or Horsethief Creek Pub & Eatery for some tasty food and live music.

A short hike up Shrimp Mountain, located just north of town, will give you an amazing view of downtown Radium Hot Springs and the surrounding mountainous landscape.

How to Get to Kootenay National Park

If you are coming from Calgary, arriving at Kootenay National Park is fairly straightforward. Head directly west on the Trans Canada Highway (Highway 1) until you reach Castle Junction, then head south of the Banff-Windermere Highway (Highway 93) and you will shortly find yourself within the park's borders. The trip will take you around two hours and just under 3 hours to get to Radium Hot Springs.

If you're heading out from Vancouver, you can follow Highway 1 east until you reach the town of Golden, then head south along Highway 95 until you hit the borders of Kootenay. The trip will take you about nine hours to reach Radium Hot Springs.

Driving in from the United States? The Eastport-Kingsgate (in Washington) and the Roosville (in Idaho) border crossings are both just about a 2.5-hour drive directly south of the park.