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Take a day trip through the Kootenay
National Park. Here are some great spots to stop. Finish it up
with a dip in the Radium Hot Springs. We also have a circle tour
that you might enjoy - start at Radium, visit Banff, Lake Louise,
Golden and back to Radium for that late night dip in the Hot Springs.
The
Kootenay Parkway
Starting
at Radium Hot Springs in the south or the Banff/Kootenay National
Park boundary in the north, a drive along the scenic 94 km Kootenay
Parkway (Hwy 93 South) is the best way to see a sampling the whole
park in one day. Allow time for stops at points of interest, picnic
sites and short trails.
Sinclair
Canyon/Redwall Fault
A
drive through the narrow gorge of Sinclair Canyon and beneath
the towering iron-rich cliffs of the Redwall Fault offers a dramatic,
and colourful, park entrance. The Redwall Fault is the source
of the hot water at the nearby Radium Hot Springs Pools. Watch
for bighorn sheep in this area.
Olive
Lake
Nestled
at the summit of Sinclair Pass (1486 m) this little green lake
with clear, shallow water is a great stop for a picnic and a stroll.
The 15 minute wheelchair-accessible interpretive trail and boardwalk
takes you to a bubbling spring (the source of the lake) and fish-viewing
decks.
Kootenay
Valley Viewpoint
Stop
here for a panoramic view of the Kootenay River Valley and peaks
of the Mitchell and Vermilion mountain ranges. Interpretive displays
identify mountain peaks and explain why the trees across the valley
have turned red. Please do not feed the chipmunks here.
Simpson
Monument
This
National Historic Sites and Monuments Board plaque commemorates
the journey of Sir George Simpson, Governor of the Hudson’s
Bay Company, through the Rockies in 1841. He arrived at this point,
at the confluence of the Simpson and Vermilion rivers, via Simpson
Pass, in (today’s) Banff National Park.
The
Paint Pots
A
1.5 km trail (wheelchair-accessible to the ochre beds) leads to
this point of unique geological and historical interest. Cold,
iron-rich mineral springs bubble up through small pools and stain
the earth a deep ochre colour. Interpretive displays describe
the Aboriginal significance and early 20th century mining history
of this unusual area.
Marble
Canyon
Blue
glacial meltwater, grey limestone walls, and green cliff-dwelling
plants make this one of the most colourful canyons in the mountain
parks. A 0.8 km interpretive trail criss-crosses the narrow gorge
over footbridges and ends at a pounding waterfall where Tokumm
Creek plummets into the canyon.
Continental
Divide
This
point, at the summit of Vermilion Pass (1651m), marks the dividing
line between Pacific and Atlantic watersheds. Interpretive displays
explain the history of the pass and the large forest fire that
swept through this area in 1968. The Fireweed Trail is a 0.8 km
interpretive loop through the burn.
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Burgess
Shale
- Time:
10 hrs
- Distance:
20 kms (12 mi)
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Elevation Gain – 760 m (2,500 ft)
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1 hr 40 min drive from Chalet Europe
Cost:
$58.85 per person, $26.75 per child (under 12) (includes
GST and a one-year subscription to the Foundation newsletter,
Marrella.)
Friday,
Saturday, Sunday, Monday
8:00 AM MDT
Meet at the Yoho Brothers' Trading Post
(Field/Trans Canada Hwy intersection).
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High
in the Canadian Rocky Mountains is a fossil find of epic
proportions, The Burgess Shale - believed to be "the
world’s most significant fossil discovery"!
Discovered
in 1909 in Yoho National Park by Charles D. Walcott, the
Burgess Shale provides a glimpse of what life was like before
we can remember.
Just
imagine…
5-eyed Opabinia, with an elephant-like trunk with fierceclaw
at its end.. or,
strange Dinomischus, looking more like a flower than an
animal… or,
Anomalocaris, the largest of these ancient animals, and
terror of the Cambrian seas… or,
beautiful Marrella, the “lace crab”, and most
common fossil in the Walcott quarry… or,
modest Pikaia, looking like a worm, but in fact a primitive
chordate, and our oldest known ancestor!
The
Burgess Shale fossils are special because of their great
age, and their exquisite preservation.
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Mt.
Stephen Fossil Beds
- Time:
6 hrs
- Distance:
6 kms (3.6 mi)
-
Elevation Gain – 780 m (2,560 ft)
-
1 hr 40 min drive from Chalet Europe
Cost:
$26.75 per person, $16.05 per child (under 12) (includes
GST and a one-year subscription to the Foundation newsletter,
Marrella.)
Saturday,
Sunday
10:00 AM MDT
Meet at the Yoho Brothers' Trading Post
(Field/Trans Canada Hwy intersection).
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The
Mt. Stephen trilibite beds were discovered in 1886, after
railway workers reported finding 'stone bugs' in the area.
Learn about the life habits of trilobites and current research
on why they occur here in such abundance.
This
is a great hike for inquisitive children, who love to examine
the relative large, easily recognized fossils.
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Slocan
Forestry Operations Tours
General
Information:
Tours last approximately 6-7 hours consisting of both the
mill & forestry operations.
Preferred minimum age is 6. All children under 12 years of age
must be accompanied by adults.
Outdoor footwear / clothing is required.
Lunch, refreshments and transportation are provided.
There is no charge to go on the tours.
Dates:
Tours
commence July 24th, August 7th and August 21st.
Time:
Start
time is 9:00 AM at the Radium Hot Springs Information Center.
Tours will return to the Info Center by 4:00 PM
Reservations:
Reservations
are required due to limited space available.
Reservations may be made by phoning the Radium Info Center at
250.347.9331 or fax at 250.347.9127
Maximum 40 people (including staff).
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