Driving through Kootenay National Park in Winter: British Columbia, Canada
Kootenay National Park is one of the beautiful National Parks in Canada’s rocky mountains. While there’s definitely more things to do here in summertime, Kootenay National Park can be accessed in the winter. If you’re looking to take a scenic drive as a day trip from Banff during the winter, Kootenay National Park will give you some beautiful winter mountain views. Let’s explore Kootenay National Park in the winter!
Driving Kootenay National Park in Winter – Location
When you drive through Kootenay National Park, you’ll be driving Highway 93. If you’re coming from Banff, there is a lefthand turnoff along the Trans-Canada Highway (Highway 1) about halfway between Banff and Lake Louise. This highway will take you though Kootenay National Park and end in Radium Hot Springs.
Tips for Driving Kootenay National Park in winter
- Fill your gas tank before embarking on this journey – there are no gas stations available during winter until you reach Radium Hot Springs.
- Not only are there no gas stations, there are no restaurants or stores open in the winter. Pack a lunch!
- And there is no winter lodging along this stretch of road. As you can see, you’re on your own out here.
- Check weather and road conditions! We traveled on a sunny winter day, where there had been no recent snowstorms, and the road still had patches of snow and ice. You need to be comfortable driving in these conditions.
- While there is no snow tire requirement (as there is on the Icefields Parkway in winter), make sure your vehicle can handle this. We were traveling in a 4WD rental pickup truck (no snow tires) and did just fine, though there is no way we would’ve done this in a snowstorm.
- Most, but not all of the pullouts are plowed.
- If you’re doing any hiking, you’ll need ice cleats and/or snowshoes. We didn’t have any of that equipment, thus we just opted to drive through the park.
Driving Kootenay National Park in Winter
We drove through Kooteny National Park as a day trip from Banff – our final destination for the day was Radium Hot Springs, and then we turned around and drove back the same way we came. This is a very beautiful drive, with all of the snow covered trees and snow capped mountains – just gorgeous!
Along Highway 93 (also known as the Banff-Windermere Highway), you’ll drive over the Continental Divide, which is located right at the Alberta/British Columbia provincial line)
A few notable spots along the way where you can stop for photos are:
Numa Falls: We stopped here but couldn’t get any photos of the waterfall as the snow was just too deep and treacherous to walk down to the creek to get a view. Supposedly it can be seen in winter from the pullout on the road, but we didn’t have any luck.
Hector Gorge: A picturesque view of the Kootenay River running through the gorge.
Kootenay Valley Viewpoint: This was beautiful – my favorite place along the drive. I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many trees in my life.
Radium Hot Springs (the actual hot springs, not the town): You’ll pass by what looks like a community swimming pool complex – this is the famous Radium Hot Springs, and might be worth a stop. I’ve written about it here if you’d like more information)
Sinclair Canyon: You’ll know you’re nearing the end of the drive when Highway 93 takes you through an interesting canyon. After you exit Sinclair Canyon, you’ll be in the town of Radium Hot Springs, which will have gas and services (and bighorn sheep – lots of bighorn sheep!)
We spent some time exploring the town of Radium Hot Springs before heading back to Banff, with a spot at the Radium Hot Springs pools. Radium Hot Springs has lots of lodging options in winter, so if you want to stay the night here, you can.
Hiking options along Highway 93 in Kootenay National Park
Like I said, we weren’t able to do any hiking on this trip, as we didn’t have the proper equipment, but a few options for quick hikes that are accessible right from the Banff-Windermere Highway 93 are:
- Marble Canyon (2km)
- Paint Pots (2 km)
Driving through Kootenay National Park in Winter – Final Thoughts
I thought this was a beautiful day trip to take from Banff and I highly recommend it, even if you’re like us and all you’re doing is driving through. Just double-check on weather and road conditions (this drive could get very treacherous, very fast!). And bring a swimsuit and towel if you want to soak in the hot springs!
Have you ever been to Kootenay National Park? I’d love to hear your thoughts – especially if you visited in winter!
Like this post? Pin it to save for later!
One Comment