Categories: Travel

This BC park with world-renowned lakes, peaks, & meadows sits on the continental divide

Photo via Shutterstock

Attention, backpackers and backcountry adventurers! Consider Mount Assiniboine Park a great alternative to Banff if you want to stick with a beautiful destination in British Columbia that’s no less world-renowned. A part of the Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks UNESCO World Heritage Site, this provincial park is home to breathtaking lakes glaciers, mountain peaks, and alpine meadows – basically all the ingredients of a picturesque, thrilling adventure.

According to BC Parks, Mount Assiniboine itself sits on the continental divide near the southeast corner of the park, with no services or facilities in most areas. The park is accessible via a 27-kilometre hike from Sunshine Village to Magog Lake, passing through Quartzridge, Citadel Pass, Golden Valley and Valley of the Rocks.

All in all, the hike takes an estimated eight hours to complete, with an elevation change of 488 metres.

The access road to Sunshine Village is 10 km west of Banff on Highway 1 in Banff National Park. Public vehicle traffic is permitted to Bourgeau parking lot only, a distance of 9 km.

From this point, visitors may hike 6 km to Sunshine Village. From Sunshine Village the trail leads to Magog Lake via Quartzridge, Citadel Pass, Golden Valley and Valley of the Rocks (a distance of 27 km, with an estimated hiking time of 8 hours, an elevation change of 488 metres

Prefer to fly in? From February 16th to April 2nd (and from June 21st to September 30th), visitors can opt to arrive via helicopter, with fares starting at $215 per person one-way.

Photo via BC Parks

Popular activities

During the warmer months, the park is popular for camping, day hiking, horseback riding, fishing, and mountain climbing. Come wintertime, ski touring is added to the list!

Visitors can also check out a new suspension bridge installed 200 metres upstream from the original bridge across the Simpson River. From here, hikers can access the Surprise Creek Cabin and Rock Lake Campground.

A new bridge has been installed 200m upstream from the original bridge across the Simpson River to support access to the Surprize Creek Cabin and Rock Lake Campground.

Cabins & camping info

Those who want to camp at Magog Lake, Og Lake and Porcupine campgrounds must register for a backcountry permit online beyond October 1st, according to BC Parks. While registration is available two weeks in advance of your departure date, it’s recommended to register as close as possible to your intended arrival date due to changing park conditions!

Note that the R.C. Hind Hut, Police Meadows Cabin, and Surprise Creek Cabin operate year-round, while the remaining
Naiset Huts operate from February 18th to March 31st during the winter months.

So there you have it, explorers! If you’re looking for a backcountry wilderness adventure to add to your bucket list, consider this your sign to add Mount Assiniboine!