Important Information for Your Trip

National Park Pass​

To make any stops or visits in a National Park, you will need to purchase a National Parks Pass:

• Canmore is not located within a National Park and therefore does not require a National Park Pass

• Banff National Park includes the popular sites of the Town of Banff, Sunshine Village ski resort, Lake Louise and Moraine Lake, Norquay ski resort, Johnstone Canyon, the Icefields Parkway (up to the Columbia Icefields), and the Lake Minnewanka Area. 

• Yoho National Park includes Emerald Lake, the town of Field, Takkakkaw Falls, and the Natural Bridge.

• Jasper National Park includes the town of Jasper and surrounding area including Maligne Canyon, Maligne Lake, Miette Hot Springs, and the Marmot Basin ski resort as well as the Icefields Parkway (past the Columbia Icefields).

• Kootenay National Park includes Marble Canyon and any stops along Highway 93 South. The town of Radium does not require a park pass, but if you visit the Radium Hot Springs facility you will need to have a pass.

• Waterton National Park requires a park pass.

• While the towns of Revelstoke and Golden do not require a National Park pass to stay in, you will need a pass if you visit the nearby Glacier National Park or Mount Revelstoke National Park.

• ​If you are only driving through the Kootenay, Banff, Yoho, or Jasper National Parks, and are not stopping, you do not need a pass. If you make any stops for activities, rest stops, or photos, you will need a pass.

• For a full list of National Parks in the area and helpful information for visiting Canada's National Parks, visit here.

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Purchase a National Park Pass

You can purchase passes online before you come - Annual Passes or Day Passes. You can also purchase passes in person at the airport when you arrive, at Parks Canada visitor centres, or National Park gates. Your park pass must stay with your vehicle at all times. If you are taking a bus or tour or cycling into a park, you will likely not be asked to present a park pass. Technically all visitors should be contributing to the conservation of the park in exchange for visiting, but only vehicles will be checked for a valid pass at this time.

 

NOTE> Airbnbs will often offer their guests a National Park pass to use during their time in the area. Please note that this is not allowed as passes are not transferable. Each visitor to the park should be contributing to park conservation by paying the pass fee for their use and enjoyment of the park.

 

Provincial Park Pass

If you visit the Provincial Park of Kananaskis (south of Canmore), you will require a different pass – the Kananaskis Conservation Pass. Kananaskis is NOT included in the National Park pass. Places that require the Kananaskis Conservation Pass are the Grassi Lakes hike and Nordic Centre in the town of Canmore, the Spray Lakes, Barrier Lake, and Upper and Lower Kananaskis Lake areas, Troll Falls hike, all campgrounds in the Canmore/Kananaskis area except for the Wapiti campground in the town of Canmore. Consult the map on the website to see if you need a Kananaskis Conservation Pass. Fun fact – there are 18 free days a year where no pass is required in Kananaskis: the first Wednesday of every month plus 6 additional days. This pass only requires your license plate to be entered in the system; you do not need to print or display anything in your vehicle.

 

See the website for more details and/or to purchase your pass - Kananaskis Conservation Pass

 

Wildlife​

Please do not approach or feed any wildlife.

It is understandable that everyone wants to see

a bear, wolf, elk, moose, rocky mountain sheep, or

mountain goat during their visit to the

mountains. It is fun and memorable to see wildlife

native to the area you are visiting!  But please

be aware that there can be sad consequences

when people get too close to wildlife – it habituates

the animal to humans and then they will not

have any issues coming close to people. This

could result in aggressive behaviour towards

humans (after all, they are still wild animals at the

end of the day!).  And if that happens, then the

animal will be put down. We have already lost

so many bears, and their population is dwindling

at a rapid rate. We are in their home, and we need to give them space and respect them. Even being close to an animal in a car trying to take a picture is too close and can have consequences. Please consider whether a photo is worth the risk to yourself and the animal.

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