Kootenay National Park

The park offers more than 125 miles of hiking trails.

Discover the beautiful landscape of Kootenay.

Enjoy amazing hikes in this spectacular park.

Kootenay National Park protects 543 square miles of Rocky Mountain wilderness in the southeastern corner of British Columbia.

The park is open year-round and all major travel routes are maintained throughout the year, although temporary closures may occur due to adverse weather conditions.

Along with Yoho, Banff and Jasper national parks and Mount Robson, Mount Assiniboine and Hamber Provincial parks, Kootenay forms part of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization's Rocky Mountain Parks World Heritage Site, one of the world's largest protected wilderness areas.

The park offers over 125 miles of hiking trails with everything from short walks to full day hikes and overnight treks.

There are short interpretive trails, with trailside exhibits, at the Continental Divide (Fireweed Trail), Marble Canyon, the Paint Pots, Olive Lake and Redstreak Campground (Valley View Trail).

Elk, white-tailed deer, mule deer, mountain goats, bighorn sheep, black bear, moose, coyotes and wolves all reside within the park.

Non-motorized watercraft are permitted on all lakes and rivers in the park. The Vermilion and Kootenay rivers present hazards, so only experienced paddlers should attempt them. Route descriptions are available at the information centers.

The Kootenay Parkway (Hwy. 93) provides excellent scenery and terrain for the touring cyclist. The highway shoulders are paved, and services such as picnicking and camping are spaced along the length of the parkway.

Mountain biking is not permitted on any of the hiking trails in the park. Off-highway cycling is permitted only on the East and West Kootenay fire roads.

During winter, fire roads and some trails are suitable for cross-country skiing and snowshoeing. The trails are not groomed.

The Dolly Varden picnic area is the only designated winter camping area in the park. It opens after Redstreak and McLeod Meadows campgrounds close in September.

Dolly Varden is located 22 miles north of the West Gate entrance. Facilities include pump out toilets, a closed-in kitchen shelter, wood stoves, firewood, picnic tables and well water with pump. There is no charge for winter camping in the park.