Parks Canada App

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1-Tour will start automatically

Tour will start automatically

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2-Welcome and Coming up: Visitor Centre

Welcome and coming up: Visitor Centre

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Stop-Information Centre

There’s so much more than a restroom here! Come in and listen to the voices of Ktunaxa (pronounced “too-nah-ha) storytellers, trace your journey on a 3D map, see animals up close with our taxidermy displays, get recommendations of where to eat, and visit the gift shop for a souvenir of your trip.

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4-Directions to park gate

Directions to the park gate

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5-Coming up: Sinclair Canyon

Coming up: Sinclair Canyon

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Stop-Sinclair Canyon

Think it’s tight now? Imagine squeezing between cliff and creek in a Model T. This narrow canyon was carved by water, then widened in 1913 when the road was pushed through. A strip of land on either side of the road became a new national park in 1920.Take a walk through this spectacular gateway to Kootenay National Park and view the canyon close-up.

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7-Coming up: Radium Hot Springs

Coming up: Radium Hot Springs

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Stop-Radium Hot Springs

Did you ever wonder where the natural mineral water comes from and how it got so hot? Let’s follow a water drop on its journey from the sky, deep underground and back up into the hot springs.Rain drops fall from the clouds and gravity pulls the water down through cracks in the earth continuing several kilometres deep. It is so far down that magma (hot liquefied rock) from the mantle starts to heat up the water. Heat pressurizes the water molecules causing them to expand and become steam. The pressure builds up, and needing somewhere to go, the steam escapes up the break in the rocks along the Redwall Fault. It condenses back into water as it rises. The hot water picks up minerals along the way, like sulphate, calcium, bicarbonate, silica and magnesium. This odourless mineral water is now perfect for a relaxing soak.

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9-Model T adventure

Model T adventure

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10-Sit back and relax

Sit back and relax

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11-King of the castle

King of the castle

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12-Coming up: Kootenay Valley Viewpoint

Coming up: Kootenay Valley Viewpoint

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Stop - Kootenay Valley Viewpoint

Want a view? This is one of our best. Enjoy!Look on the first interpretive panel for the photo of the grizzly bear on the wall at this viewpoint. Here’s the story behind the photo…That is bear #167, an adult female nicknamed French Fry after it was fed french fries from a vehicle. The driver was charged in court and Parks Canada staff had to work hard using hazing techniques such as noise makers and rubber bullets, to teach the bear to stay away from the highway. Although hazing was successful in this case, it isn’t always, and bears sometimes have to be destroyed after being fed by humans.Chances of seeing a bear nearby are good during the springtime when foods flourish in the valley. If you see a roadside bear, consider not stopping so the bear remains wary of humans, especially on busy highways where there is an increased risk to motorists. If you do stop, maintain a distance of more than 100 meters, take a quick photo from inside your vehicle and move along.

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14-Huffing and puffing

Huffing and puffing

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15-Fish tales

Fish tales

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16-Coming up: Dog Lake Trailhead

Coming up: Dog Lake Trailhead

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Stop - Dog Lake Trailhead

No view? No animals? Why have we stopped here? There is more here than meets the eye. Did you know this valley bottom provides some of the best habitat for animals in the park? Signs of wildlife are all around you – in the forest and the meadow beyond. Head down the trail for a closer look.

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18-Wolf chew toy

Wolf chew toy

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19-Wildlife hotspot

Wildlife hotspot

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20-Coming up: Dolly Varden Picnic Site

Coming up: Dolly Varden Picnic Site

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Stop - Dolly Varden Picnic Site

How did the wolf cross the road? Find out by following its tracks!Before 2005, vehicles killed 60 animals per year along this stretch of highway. This dropped to just 3 animals per year after underpasses and fencing were installed. Take a walk through the exhibit to find out how wildlife crossings work.

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22-Wildlife jumpouts

Wildlife jumpouts

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23-Underpass success

Underpass success

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24-Eye on wildlife

Eye on wildlife

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25-Lightning alley

Lightning alley

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26-Chasing lightning

Chasing lightning

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27-Coming up: Simpson River Trailhead

Coming up: Simpson River Trailhead

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Stop - Simpson River Trailhead

Did you notice the change? It is very open here, not a dense forest.Through the years, multiple wildfires have overlapped in this area. This has created a unique opportunity for an open meadow, rich in nutrients, to form. We enjoy the pretty flowers, and the wildlife enjoy the variety of foods as the fire-adapted landscape regenerates. Head down the trail to learn more, and compare it to other less-frequently burned areas as you continue your drive.To find out when and where fires burned here, click the map link below.

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29-Steering the flame

Steering the flame

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30-Caterpillar invasion

Caterpillar invasion

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31-Canyon rescue

Canyon rescue

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32-Coming up: Marble Canyon

Coming up: Marble Canyon

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Stop - Marble Canyon

Seven bridges, one waterfall, many dramatic views. Marble Canyon is a study of contrasts and the sculpting power of water. But we have to confess that it’s not really marble. It’s actually dolomite, a type of limestone. Sorry, Michelangelo!

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34-Fossil finds

Fossil finds

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35-Coming up: Continental Divide

Coming up: Continental Divide

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Stop - Continental Divide

If a bear peed here, which way would it flow– towards the Atlantic or the Pacific? This is the Great Divide: rain drops falling on one side drain east; on the other side they drain west. It is also the provincial boundary. If you plant your feet on either side of the white survey marker you will have one foot in B.C. and one foot in Alberta.

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37-Leaving the Park

Leaving the park

Comment card

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