Canadian Rockies

Welcome to second special edition of the Backroad Mapbook for Canadian Rockies. This book focuses on the Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks system, an interconnected system of provincial and national parks covering more that 30,000 square kilometres–about the size of Belgium.

From the world famous Banff National Park to the much quieter and smaller Elk Lakes Provincial Park there is a lifetime of recreation to enjoy in this spectacular area. If you are a follower of the series, you will notice a different twist to the book. Rather than split up the book by various activities (fishing, paddling, trails, etc.), this book focuses on the individual parks in the area as well as Kananaskis Country and the Forestry Trunk Areas of Alberta that are found in the Rocky Mountain Foothills to the east. By focusing on each park we are able to provide more details than ever before. Of course we include our ever-popular maps as well as a few helpful inset maps to help guide the people to the places we write about.

The park system in the area has a long colourful history. Back in 1885, the government of the then Dominion of Canada drew a box around the Basin Hot Springs and Sulphur Mountain Cave in order to protect the springs from commercial development. Two years later, the borders were redrawn, taking in 673 square kilometres. It was named the Rocky Mountains National Park and it was Canada’s first national park. By the late 1880s people flocked to see this new and magical landscape, making the long trip by train.

Today people still flock to the Canadian Rockies by the millions. Over four million people a year visit Banff alone. And while new roads and railways have opened up new areas for these people to explore, it still remains true that only a small percentage of people take the time to explore these parks very far off the road. While short, popular trails can often resemble a line-up to see the latest Hollywood Blockbuster, once you get more than a couple kilometres away from the main roads, the crowds thin out. While it is unlikely that you will have any but the longest and most difficult trail to yourself in a place like Banff, the number of people you encounter will drop to a few groups a day.

This book is dedicated to those who want their Rocky Mountains a little more rugged. Who pass on the five-star luxury accommodations of the Fairmont in Lake Louise and spend the night in a tent or a trailer. Who chose to see the Bow River from water level in a canoe or raft, rather than from the confines of a car passing by along the Trans-Canada Highway. Who want to see the high mountain peaks by standing on top of them, not just by driving past them. Who are willing to live out of a pack on their back for days on end for the sheer joy of exploring this amazing area.

Unlike many of our books, the word backroad is almost misleading in this area of epic treks. There are few actual backroads to explore, but enough trails to keep you busy for several lifetimes. In addition to 3,000 km (1,800 miles) of hiking trails, you will find river after sparkling river to paddle, endless mountains to climb and a lifetime’s worth of lakes to fish. We hope this edition of the Backroad Mapbook Series helps guide you through this truly spectacular part of the country.