This is a Mount Rushmore national park. Incredible scenery. Great wildlife and plant life…read more Friendly rangers. Not crowded. Worth a trip to check out.

It is 2023 and just like I promised from my 2022 review, I have returned for Round 2 at Glacier…read moreNational Park of Canada. This time, I was well prepared for a fantastic day of hiking and exploring. Lets get to it! Glacier NP is located off of TransCanada Highway 1...58 kilometers or 36 miles northwest of Golden, British Columbia. You need to have a Canada Parks Pass for admission. It's $10 per person per day or I purchased a yearly pass for $72 which includes entrances to Banff and Jasper Parks as well (this is definitely the best route to go). The nearest towns to Glacier NP are Golden and Revelstoke and I recommend you purchase sandwiches and snacks ahead of time at the grocery stores or otherwise you won't have food for your hikes. There's not many tourists visiting this park. It's very under the radar. There were some hikers on the trails but you mostly have nothing but time and space to appreciate the great outdoors. Many people think of Glacier NP in Montana in the United States (which is one of the best that the USA has to offer) as the one and only Glacier Park... But if you're leaving the Banff and Lake Louise area of the Canadian Rockies and heading west and south down to Vancouver, you'll run smack straight into this stunningly beautiful park. Here's the primary differences between the USA Park and here in British Columbia... - This Canadian Park is a hiking park. That's all that is offered. If you want to get out and see the sights of nature, you have to earn it by hiking. It's not like driving the famous "Going to the Sun Road" in Montana where there'll be multiple stops along the way to capture magnificent overlooks of some of the most glorious sceneries in America. So...here at Glacier NP of Canada, it's like a blue collar, no frills park. There's a Visitor Center that's open 9am - 5pm daily and it's here where I met with a ranger and they suggested day hikes to get the best experience out of the park. The first hike is GREAT GLACIER TRAIL - it's certainly one of the more popular hikes because of the scenery at the end of the trail. You'll be afforded 2 different terrific perspectives of snowcapped peaks and mountains in one grand setting. Great Glacier Trail is 4.6 kilometers or 2.85 miles each way with moderately strenuous elevation. It begins about 4 kilometers down the road from the Rogers Visitor Center. Be on the lookout for the Illecillewaet Parking Lot (yes I swear I spelled that correctly) and then you'll discover the trailhead. Also good about this Great Glacier Trail is that the next hike I was taking for the afternoon to MARION LAKE started from the same vicinity. MARION LAKE - 2.1 kilometers or 1.3 miles each way but it's all uphill with constant switchbacks. I'd classify it as pretty strenuous and is part of the bigger - Abbott Ridge Trail. When arriving at the lake, I thought my eyes had deceived me, lol. But it had to be one of the most pristine, symmetrical lakes I have witnessed anywhere. And an added bonus is situated just 1/4 of a mile walk past Marion Lake, you'll discover a rewarding lookout capturing the rugged mountains and TransCanada Highway 1 together in the distance. It's like one of these penultimate instances at Glacier NP that takes your breathe away. In total, navigating along 2 day hikes, being immersed in nature and having no worries is the reason I returned to Glacier NP of Canada. That indescribable feeling of pushing yourself to conquer difficult hiking trails cannot be duplicated. The end results are worth it. It's what keeps my candle burning brightly. Finally, 47 kilometers or 29 miles southwest of here sits Mount Revelstoke National Park. It's just as fun as Glacier NP and together you get to check 2 Canadian National Parks off your To-Do List.

This is a top notch national park. Not huge, but plenty of trails to walk on. Very friendly…read morerangers. Limited interpretive content. Great scenery, especially plant life. Not as crowded as other national parks in area. A place worth checking out.

Mount Revelstoke National Park of Canada! I believe hiking to Miller and Eva Lakes are the two…read moreprimary focal points for experiencing this beautiful, yet under the radar park. To arrive at them, you must drive the Meadows in the Sky road about 26 kilometers or 16 miles up to the summit area parking lot. After you exit your car... - Hike 5.5 kilometers or 3.5 miles to reach Miller Lake. - Then hike another 8/10th's of a kilometer or 1/2 mile to get to Eva Lake. Either way, the two lakes pair perfectly together. You can't go to one and not visit the other, lol. Along the way on the trail, it's not really elevated. You mostly descend down a dirt pathway into an alpine bowl of trees and shrubberies within the forest. It's a pleasant setting among nature. And it wasn't hot or cold along the way when I hiked in late June. The conditions were perfect. Miller Lake and Eva Lake are both similar in that they offer some of the most untouched, undisturbed surroundings you can encounter, anywhere! The reflections in the waters are pristine, symmetrical, masterpiece works of art!! Here were some of the differences between the two lakes... According to what I noticed, you can't walk around Miller Lake. There's a giant boulder you can stand upon and get 360 views. Basically, there's not much maneuverability to capture that ideal photo moment. Whereas at Eva Lake, you walk around the entire lake as it's bigger and offers more of a playful area in nature to enjoy the scenic sights. Eva Lake is more open in terms of landscape. There are panoramic vista point views of the mountains in the background as you stroll the perimeter of the lake. So...Eva Lake gives you the best of both worlds. Miller Lake sort of sits in an enclosed lower bowl tier and when I stopped by, the sun was partially hidden by the forest growth and hindered some sensational picture instances. At Eva Lake, there were benches afforded to hikers to sit down on. Also, visitors were swimming in Eva Lake as well. In total, with hiking to and from the lakes and spending brief time at each of them and with driving back down Revelstoke Mountain, the entire experience took 7 hours. Btw, back at the trailhead for Miller and Eva Lakes, you have Fire Lookout House which is a unique landmark worthy of exploring for a little. Fire House Lookout appeared to be a popular destination among visitors. Right next to Fire Lookout House is Heather Lake...another charming lake with some green coloring to it and perfect reflections of alpine trees glistening off the waters. Both Fire Lookout and Heather Lake are within the heart of Mount Revelstoke activity so you're not really going out of your way to see more sights after the moderately difficult Miller and Eva Lakes Trail. Lastly, for those with a real sense of adventure, next to Miller and Eva Lakes is a continuous pathway for 4 more kilometers or 2.5 miles to Jade Lakes, but I skipped it so I don't know how it appeared. If I had an assumption, I'd say Jade Lakes would be worthwhile as well. Just thinking off my head at this moment, Jade Lakes may have snow covering on the trail year round. This is my impromptu thought, but I'd inquire with park rangers before trekking to Jade Lakes and setting off for the day. Mount Revelstoke National Park! No one has talked about it, but if you're a parks fan and lover of nature...I would certainly suggest paying a visit here and you'll be rewarded with quality time spent in the great outdoors.

Driving to the summit at Mount Revelstoke National Park was just okay. The road to get to the top…read moreis called Meadows in the Sky Parkway. And before entering, you must display a National Parks Pass of Canada or purchase one at the guardhouse. I bought my yearly Canadian Parks Pass back in Banff National Park for $72 - Canadian or $55 - US. And this allowed me access to all the major parks throughout Canada for an entire year! Make sure when driving this Meadows in the Sky Road, you have a Mount Revelstoke Park pamphlet guide as it'll direct you and talk about the roadside stops you can make along the 26-kilometer or 16-mile drive to the peak. My only issue with the journey to the top were that the stops along the way were really mediocre. There were maybe 12 of them and they partly offered perspectives of the Revelstoke landscape. But, with the growth of trees over time, branches and general forest expansion, a lot of overlooks were completely hindered or not picturesque at all. My favorite stop was #3, called - Nels Nelson Ski Jump Viewpoint. Here you're afforded the best sights of the downtown Revelstoke area. Plus, there's a set of replica ski's or like a statue/mannequin where you can live out your inner skiing dreams portraying speeding down the edge of a ramp and lifting off high in the air. You just approach the edge of the observation platform and fit yourself into the statue of the skier, as if you're a human puzzle piece, lol. It's a weird, yet playful chance to better understand what Revelstoke slopes are like during winters. Besides the Nels Nelson Ski Jump Lookout, the other stops to the summit were below average. In fact, I'd rather not mention any of them. But the park pamphlet guide will navigate you to the end of the road. Ultimately, the star activity at Mount Revelstoke is hiking! So, when you arrive at the top, then it'll be time to put your hiking shoes on and start enjoying nature. And the park brochure is still useful and will describe trails you may be interested in. I recommend this pathway (what I did at the summit)... - Fire Lookout to...Heather Lake to...Miller Lake to...Eva Lake. This route goes in order and will take the remainder of the day to complete. Overall, just driving Meadows in the Sky Parkway and casually taking your time is still a pleasant way to appreciate going to the top of a mountain. I would just suggest tempering your expectations for the roadside stops. That's where I had overly ambitious thinking. This drive will not offer "Going to the Sun Road" type moments, lol. In a separate review of Mount Revelstoke National Park, I will highlight trails at the summit in more detail and offer insight into what to expect on day hikes. Lastly, I'd say you can use 1 full day to explore Mount Revelstoke. Though if you include hiking within your itinerary, you could easily break up the adventure into 2 days so not to feel rushed, but you will have to drive this Meadows in the Sky Parkway 2x, which could feel repetitive. Either way though, if you want to uncover the best aspects of Mount Revelstoke National Park of Canada, then you must embark upon this Meadows in the Sky Parkway.

Great little hike. Nice interpretive section and great lookouts. Somewhat steep sections but…read moremoderately easy and well marked.

Short 2 KM hike to Albas Falls. Stunning scenery. There are 5 falls total. Bridges are not always…read moresturdy. Be extremely careful when hiking in this area.

My Selkirk Mountain Experience was a unique way to explore Canadian wilderness in a mountain…read moreparadise. Reudi and Nicoline Belinger have created a remote, amazing chalet that they are willing to share with their fortunate guests. This family owned and operated rustic retreat offers hiking in the summer and intense skiing opportunities in the winter. The staff is am amazing group of warm and friendly people who make the experience extra special. The food was ample and carefully prepared for guests. If you are looking for a unique mountain experience, I highly recommend this trip.

This is the nicest places to stay in Bugaboo Provincial Park…read more Also known as "The Bugaboos". Climbers love crowd-isolating jargon, so you'll often hear it shortened all the way down to "The Bugs", or, worse "DA BUGZ!" It's a great place to wait out the notoriously fickle weather in the area. It's run by the delightfully-friendly Alpine Club of Canada. (it's cheaper if you're a member, and if you plan on staying here for more than 5 days, the membership practically pays for itself) It's got: Power (WUT?!) Sleeping pads Running water (they say you probably shouldn't drink it straight up, but we did, #YOLO) Pots and pans Tables Lots of climbing books to study Posters of Conrad Kain doing his famous pose Burners for cooking It does not have: Plumbing (outhouse only, sorry) Bedding (other than the squishy pads) Food for sale (although people hiking out might give you some if you're nice...) You need to bring: Sleeping bag Food Adult beverages (whisky for light weight, beer for a strong back) Climbing gear Clothes Some people choose to camp rather than stay in the hut. There are a couple of reasons they generally do this: - They are cheap - They came last minute and the hut was booked - They desperately want to have "dirtbag credentials" because they slept in a tiny, humid nylon box rather than a large, dry wooden one - They want to be much closer to the climbing routes The last point is the one I empathize most with. By staying at the hut, you are adding another 1,000 ft of gain to the beginning and end of every climbing day. Is it worth it? If the weather is iffy, I'd say: "definitely".

We pulled over here to eat our lunch. It was a nice area. With a lot of picnic areas to eat. My…read morehusband and I did the board walk hikes. It is a nice boardwalk and perfect for those with mobility issues. Plenty of free parking. Overall a good stop.

Amazing, just amazing. Super-accessible, just off parking lot. Gets you right next to the Falls…read morewhich are wonderful ... and loud! We were there in early October and the Columbia River salmon were spawning. The best. And only 15 minutes from downtown Revelstoke.

Begbie Falls Recreation Site is located along Highway 23, and is 12 kilometers or 7.5 miles south…read moreof Revelstoke, British Columbia. I believe the primary attraction is hiking to Begbie Falls. But before talking about the waterfall, I must warn about the dirt/gravel road it takes to arrive here... After making a left hand turn off Highway 23, it's a 2 kilometer drive on a very bumpy and rugged road. For anyone with a compact/midsize car (or without 4x4 vehicle), I'd suggest slowly riding the break to focus on avoiding big potholes and possibly damaging your tires. I didn't head caution and learned that lesson the hard way a few days later. Once at the end of the road, there's a sign stating..."Begbie Falls Recreation Site, British Columbia". But...the trailhead for the actual falls is along an unmarked pathway opposite from the actual sign. This confused me as I began hiking and not making progress, I turned around and had to restart. Things can be tricky as there are multiple options of starting points. The hike to the falls is about 1 mile each way with the trail descending almost 800 feet lower into the lower bowl of the forest. I'd rate it as moderately easy. Begbie Falls is a 40 foot waterfall divided into two separate waterfalls rushing down next to each other. You'd think that two waterfalls within one setting can be photogenic, but unfortunately that wasn't the case. The viewpoint was okay. The branches and natural forest growth over time partially obstructed views of the falls. I was trying to discover an elevated observation point to better look down upon the falls, but never found anything. Also, I did look for a clearance to get around past the viewpoint area, but it just wasn't possible. So overall, the pictures weren't as special as I had anticipated them to be. I stopped by around 6:30pm over the summertime and the dense forest obstructed a lot of the day's remaining sunlight casting Begbie Falls from a dark perspective. I believe visiting in the middle of the day would provide more quality moments among nature. After grabbing a few photos of the falls, I was motivated to return to the trailhead and start driving back over that dreaded rough dirt road. Lol, it was sort of the only thing left on my mind at that point. Fast forward months later and researching this Begbie Falls Recreation Site, there is more offered here than just hiking to the waterfall... It's a campground as well. Here are some details... - $15 per night (Canadian) - 26 sites - Vault toilets only - Open seasonally May 1 - Sep 30 Finally, if you're looking for longer hiking activities, Mount Begbie Summit (10 miles - difficult), Hemlock Grove Look (4.5 miles - moderate), can be better challenges, according to alltrails.com. Overall, Begbie Falls is good for recreational day use and or simply seeing the waterfall for a brief hour or two. For those folks looking to explore more waterfalls around the area, Sutherland Falls and Moses Falls can be better visits.