Canadian Rockies summer 2020
Hi all Thinking ahead about a 2-3 week trip through the Canadian Rockies. We are interested in serious hiking as well as the usual sights. We might throw in a backpack of up to three nights if the ...
Forum Discussion
First of all, plan on three weeks. This is a huge area with lots to see. With travel time, you'll still realize you left a lot undone.
If you want a pretty comprehensive trail guide to the Canadian Rockies parks, check out "Canadian Rockies Trail Guide" by Patton and Robinson. Covers not just the usual front country trails, but lots of info on backpacking routes and options. Our go-to book when visiting.
For backpacking, popular places like Egypt Lakes and O'Hara Lake often sell out quickly. If you don't want to carry a tent, you can try to get a backcountry cabin (Alpine Club of Canada)
Even popular places like Lake Louise are still worth the hastle with the crowds. Moraine Lake is even prettier and parking more difficult, but the hike up the valley above the lake is spectacular (Colorado native speaking here, and this is more amazing than anyplace here in CO!). Hike all the way to Wenkchemna Pass for views into Yoho NP.
Cory Pass - Mount Edith loop. Great spires of rock visible from the summit.
Healy Pass above Sunshine Meadows ski area - from the pass, you can look up and down the range for ovee 40 miles (70 km). Great wildflowers too.
North out of Jasper is Mt. Robson Prov. Park. We did a long day hike around the backside to Berg Lake (we cheated and rode the first 7.2 km on muontain bikes). If you backpack in, there are a number of day hikes out from this area. If you want to save some time and energy, you might consider a helicopter dropoff. Again, reservations for all this is required. You are planning far enough in advance to get things lined up properly.
We did enjoy having our mountain bikes with us. We could park and ride into Banff townsite to explore and rode right out of town on some trails. We rode from our campsite at Wapiti CG south of Jasper, toward town and then along the Athabasca River trail to Sixth bridge, where we locked our bikes and hike up and back along the Maligne Canyon Trails. There are quite a few nice (non technical) trails right around Jasper that were quite fun. And at Mt. Robson, it saved us a lot of time to ride right from our campsite and up the Berg Lake trail as far as permitted. Really nice on the return when we were tired and could go downhill on our bikes.
You should post more info on what you are looking for in a campsite. Hookups, location, quiet? Easier to give you ideas that way.
If you want a pretty comprehensive trail guide to the Canadian Rockies parks, check out "Canadian Rockies Trail Guide" by Patton and Robinson. Covers not just the usual front country trails, but lots of info on backpacking routes and options. Our go-to book when visiting.
For backpacking, popular places like Egypt Lakes and O'Hara Lake often sell out quickly. If you don't want to carry a tent, you can try to get a backcountry cabin (Alpine Club of Canada)
Even popular places like Lake Louise are still worth the hastle with the crowds. Moraine Lake is even prettier and parking more difficult, but the hike up the valley above the lake is spectacular (Colorado native speaking here, and this is more amazing than anyplace here in CO!). Hike all the way to Wenkchemna Pass for views into Yoho NP.
Cory Pass - Mount Edith loop. Great spires of rock visible from the summit.
Healy Pass above Sunshine Meadows ski area - from the pass, you can look up and down the range for ovee 40 miles (70 km). Great wildflowers too.
North out of Jasper is Mt. Robson Prov. Park. We did a long day hike around the backside to Berg Lake (we cheated and rode the first 7.2 km on muontain bikes). If you backpack in, there are a number of day hikes out from this area. If you want to save some time and energy, you might consider a helicopter dropoff. Again, reservations for all this is required. You are planning far enough in advance to get things lined up properly.
We did enjoy having our mountain bikes with us. We could park and ride into Banff townsite to explore and rode right out of town on some trails. We rode from our campsite at Wapiti CG south of Jasper, toward town and then along the Athabasca River trail to Sixth bridge, where we locked our bikes and hike up and back along the Maligne Canyon Trails. There are quite a few nice (non technical) trails right around Jasper that were quite fun. And at Mt. Robson, it saved us a lot of time to ride right from our campsite and up the Berg Lake trail as far as permitted. Really nice on the return when we were tired and could go downhill on our bikes.
You should post more info on what you are looking for in a campsite. Hookups, location, quiet? Easier to give you ideas that way.
