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KOOTENAY NATIONAL PARK , lying across the Continental Divide from Banff in British Columbia, is the least known of the four contiguous parks of the Rockies, and the easiest to miss out - many people prefer to follow the Trans-Canada through Yoho rather than commit themselves to the less enthralling westward journey on Hwy 3 imposed by Kootenay. The park's scenery, however, is as impressive as that of its neighbours - it draws three million visitors a year - and if you're not determined to head west you could drive a neat loop from Banff through Kootenay on Hwy 93 to Radium Hot Springs (the only town in this area), north on Hwy 95, and back on the Trans-Canada through Yoho to Lake Louise and Banff. You could drive this in a day and still have time for a few short walks and a dip in Radium's hot springs to boot. In many ways the park's mountains seem closer at hand and more spectacular than on the Icefields Parkway, partly because the road climbs higher over the Continental Divide, and partly because the park's origins guaranteed it an intimate link with the highway. In 1910 Randolph Bruce, a local businessman, persuaded the Canadian government and Canadian Pacific to push a road from Banff through the Rockies to connect the prairies with western seaports (prompted by the hope of promoting a fruit-growing industry in the Columbia Valley). Previously the area had been the reserve of the Kootenai or Ktunaxa natives ( Kootenay is a native word meaning "people from beyond the hills") and had been explored by David Thompson, but otherwise it was an all but inviolate mountain fastness. The project began in 1911 and produced 22km of road before the money ran out. To wangle more cash British Columbia was forced to cede 8km of land on each side of the highway to the government and, in 1920, 1406 square kilometres of land were established as a national park. Kootenay lends itself to admiration from a car, bus or bike, mainly because it's little more than a sixteen-kilometre-wide ribbon of land running either side of Hwy 93 for around 100km (the highway here is known as the Kootenay or Banff-Windermere Parkway ). All its numerous easy short walks start immediately off the highway, though the scenery, of course, doesn't simply stop at the park boundary. Options for day-hike s are more limited, though the best of the longer walks are as good as anything in the Rockies and can be extended into outstanding two-day (or more) backpacking options. If you want no more than a stroll from a car or bike follow the Marble Canyon and Paint Pots trails: for something longer but not too long go for the Stanley Glacier walk; if you're after the best day-hike the choice is the Kindersley Pass Trail , though it's a close-run thing with the Floe Lake Trail to Floe Lake and its possible continuation northwest over the Numa Pass and down Numa Creek back to the highway. If you have time do both of these two day-hikes - if you do, you'll have done two of the top ten or so walks in the Rockies. If you have more time, the Rockwall Trail (Floe Lake-Numa Pass-Rockwell Pass-Helmet Falls) is widely considered among the Rockies' top three or four backpacking routes.
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