Practicalities
The only practicable access to Kootenay is on Hwy 93, a good road that leaves the Trans-Canada at Castle Junction (in Banff National Park), traverses Kootenay from north to south, and joins Hwy 95 at Radium Hot Springs at the southern entrance. Radium offers the only practical accommodation options, bar a trio of park-run campsites and handful of rooms at Vermilion Crossing, a summer-only huddle of shop, cabins and petrol station midway through the park. The two daily Greyhound buses east and west on the southern British Columbia route between Cranbrook, Banff and Calgary stop at Vermilion Crossing and Radium. Park permits are required for entry unless you already have a valid permit from Banff, Jasper or Kootenay: $5 per person per day, or $35 for an annual pass valid for eleven parks in western Canada: group passes for two to ten people cost $10 . If you come from the east you'll hit the Marble Canyon campsite about 15km from Castle Junction, where occasionally in summer there's a simple information kiosk (mid-June to early Sept Mon & Fri-Sun 8.30am-8pm, Tues-Thurs 8.30am-4.30pm; no phone); coming the other way, the main park visitor centre is at the corner of Main Street East and Redstreak Road at 7556 Main St in the town of Radium Hot Springs (daily: July & Aug 9am-9pm; Sept-June 9.30am-5.30pm; tel 347-9505, www.parkscanada.pch.gc.ca/kootenay ). Main Street East is a turn south off Hwy 93 close to its junction with Hwy 95. The park entrance, however, is on Hwy 93 itself farther east close to the Radium Hot Springs Pools . The centre provides a free Backcountry Guide to Kootenay National Park , all you need walk-wise if you're not planning anything too ambitious. Kootenay, like the other major Rockies parks, has a "Friends" organization (tel 347-6525), which helps run guided walks and other activities: walks should be booked at the visitor centre. In Kootenay, there are three good walks: Stanley Glacier (July & Aug Tues 10am; 5hr; 10km; meet at Stanley Glacier trailhead on Hwy 93); and two walks in Sinclair Canyon - "Walk of the Two Lions" (July Fri 10am; 2hr) and "Into the Secret Canyon" (Aug Fri 10am; 1hr 30min; meet for both walks at the front entrance of the Radium Hot Springs Pools). Park staff are also usually on hand at the park's only two roadside serviced campsites : the 98-site McLeod Meadows , 25km north of Radium ($13; mid-May to mid-Sept; no showers), and the 61-site Marble Canyon , near the Information Centre ($13; mid-June to early Sept; no showers). If you want more comforts (including hot showers) and easier access use the big 242-site Redstreak campsite, Kootenay's major park campsite. It's located 3km north of Radium Hot Springs ($17-22; May-Sept; tel 347-9567); the turn-off for the site is Redstreak Road: to reach it, carry on along Main Street East from the park visitor centre until Main Street becomes Redstreak Road. If you're staying at the campsite, incidentally, note that the Redstreak Campground Trail (2.2km) takes you from the northwest corner of the site to the Radium Hot Springs Pools. The Valleyview Trail (1.4km) takes you from the campsite entrance into Radium village, avoiding Redstreak Road. A dozen or more backcountry sites with pit toilets and firewood are scattered within easy backpacking range of the highway, for which you need a permit from the infocentres ($6). The small seven-site Dolly Varden park campsite just north of McLeod Meadows opens for winter camping (Sept-May; flush toilets only; free). The only indoor accommodation in the heart of the park is ten rustic cottages of the Kootenay Park Lodge at Vermilion Crossing (tel 762-9196, www.kootenayparklodge.com ; $80-100; May-Sept). You'll need to book these well in advance; similarly the twelve cabins at Mount Assiniboine Lodge (tel 344-2639; $125-175; Feb-April & late June to mid-Oct; reservations obligatory; two-night minimum stay). Located at 2195m within the Assiniboine Provincial Park, this lodge is accessible only by helicopter, skiing or hiking trail. The other listed hotels within the park borders are so close to Radium as to make little difference .
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