Kootenay National Park seasonal visit-planning guide for British Columbia

A UNESCO World Heritage site protecting the Canadian Rockies' dramatic mountain landscapes, volcanic hot springs, and exceptional fossil beds

Kootenay National Park

Kootenay National Park occupies a narrow corridor along the Kootenay and Vermilion River valleys in the Canadian Rockies, with its characteristic long, thin shape determined by the original Banff-Windermere Highway agreement that created the park. The park encompasses parts of both the older Purcell Mountains in the southwest and the younger Rocky Mountains in the east, with the Continental Divide forming the boundary between Kootenay and Banff National Parks. Despite its relatively modest size compared to neighbouring parks, Kootenay contains remarkable diversity in its landscapes, ranging from the Southern Rocky Mountain Trench at its western edge through the Kootenay Ranges to the high peaks and cirques of the Park Ranges. The park is centred around Highway 93, which provides access to most of the major attractions, making many features wheelchair accessible. The park's creation in 1920 marked a significant expansion of Canada's national park system into British Columbia and established a model for federal-provincial cooperation in park establishment. Today, the park welcomes approximately 574,000 visitors annually, drawn to its combination of scenic driving, hot springs relaxation, backcountry hiking, and wildlife viewing opportunities within one of the world's most spectacular mountain landscapes.