The North American Rocky Mountains stretch nearly 3,000 miles from the northernmost tip of Western Canada's British Columbia province to New Mexico in the southwestern United States. The Canada Rockies feature five national parks, with four of them--Banff, Jasper, Kootenay and Yoho--interlocking to form the Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks World Heritage site. The fifth park, Waterton Lake, lies near the U.S. border close to Glacier National Park in Montana. The Rockies also encompass three large British Columbia provincial parks, Hamber, Mount Assiniboine and Mount Robson, the highest peak in the Canadian rockies at 12,972 feet. Together, the parks feature stunning mountain habitats and landscapes with an abundance of wildlife, soaring peaks, rivers, canyons and glaciers, as well as glacial lakes and waterfalls.
Atlas Cruises and Tours offers an all-inclusive eight-day trip through Banff, Waterton Lakes and Jasper Parks in Canada and Glacier National Park in the U.S. The first leg of the tour features a two-night stay in scenic Waterton Lakes and a Jammer (a 1930s open-air car) ride through the Glacier. In Banff, travelers stay at the world-class Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel and see stunning Bow Falls and the Hoodoo rock formations. The trip also features a stop at the Columbia Icefields in Jasper and a ride down the Icefields Parkway, a mass of ice over a thousand feet thick. Other highlights include stops at the powerful Athabasca Falls and the Maligne Canyon. Throughout the trip, travelers will have ample opportunities to spot elk, moose, wolves, grizzlies and other wildlife.
Atlas Cruises & Tours
9091 North Military Trail, Suite 14
Palm Beach Gardens, Fl. 33410
800.942.3301
escortedcanadatours.com
White Mountain Adventures offers a seven-day Best of the Rockies Guided Walking Tour through the Canadian Rockies. This trip is geared towards fit walkers comfortable with daily treks of five to seven miles with elevation gains under 2,800 feet. The trip is led by a professional hiking/interpretive guide who knows the region well and hikes are selected for their scenery, variety of landscapes and terrains and easy accessibility. Treks include hikes to wildflower-filled meadows and the gorgeous Lake Louise in Banff, the Stanley Glacier Trail in Kootenay and either the Sentinel Pass or Iceline Trail in Banff. The trip includes accommodations at hotels and lodges, most meals, transportation and park entrance fees.
White Mountain Adventures
120a Eagle Crescent P O Box 4259
Banff, Alberta Canada T1L 1E6
800-408-0005
whitemountainadventures.com
Sun Dog Tours features a number of full day and half-day trips to attractions or adventures in Banff and Jasper National Parks during both the summer and winter seasons. Summer tours include a scenic half-day train trip, wildlife viewing trips, sightseeing and a boat cruise in the Maligne Valley, a ride on Jasper Tramway, a hiking trip Lake Louise and Moraine Lake, as well as adventures including helicopter tours of Mount Robson or the Columbia Icefields, water-water rafting on the Athabasca River and wildlife discovery trips. Winter tours include heli-snowshoeing around Mount Robson, canyon ice-walks beneath the frozen Maligne River and dog-sledding trips past snow-covered trees and frozen waterfalls. Trips are generally about six hours in length and include transportation and guide services.
Sun Dog Tours
Box 548
Jasper, AB, T0E 1E0
780-852-4056
sundogtours.com
