Kootenay National Park in British Columbia, Canada, was established in 1920 and attracts visitors for its canyons, camping sites, and hot springs. It is a World Heritage Site and has several picnic areas, hiking trails, and guide companies offering interpretive experiences.
Kootenay National Park is located in British Columbia, Canada near the Rocky Mountains. It was established in 1920 and named Kootenay Dominion Park after the nearby Kootenay River. This park attracts the largest number of visitors between June and September each year, although it is technically open all year round. Tourists visit the site for its canyons, camping sites and hot springs.
People have lived in the park area for at least 10,000 years. Evidence suggests that Aboriginal people traveled through the area each season and used the site for its hot springs. Scholars believe that the first European to visit the region was Sir George Simpson, who arrived in the area in 1841. In 1984, Kootenay National Park, along with several other Canadian national parks, was designated a World Heritage Site by the UNESCO. The title is only given to sites that have special, spiritual or physical significance.
Kootenay National Park is small, only 10 miles (16 km) wide with a highway running through it. Campgrounds are open during the summer months, and camping in the park is a main attraction. People also visit Radium Hot Springs, the largest hot spring pool in the country, which also includes a bath and spa; Olive Lake, a small park for picnics and birdwatching; and Floe Lake, accessible only via a hiking trail. Backpackers can hike the Valley of the Ten Peaks.
Redstreak Campground is the largest campground in the park and is a first-come, first-served area. Camper and primitive pitches are available; of the total 242 sites, 88 have electricity and the other 154 are primitive. All campers can use common toilets, showers and play areas.
The park has several picnic areas that also attract travelers to the area, and many are wheelchair accessible. Several sites also provide fresh drinking water and kitchen areas. Some of the more popular picnic areas include Dolly Varden, Numa Falls, Marble Canyon and Olive Lake.
Park visitors can also hire guides, and several guide companies offer tourists an interpretive experience while hiking, snowshoeing, skiing, and mountaineering. Visitors are advised to hire only guides accredited by the Interpretive Guides Association or the Association of Canadian Mountain Guides for safety reasons. Guides can show visitors the various flora and fauna within the park, including whitebark pines; mountain pine beetles, badgers, lynx, bighorn sheep and wolves reside in the area. Non-native plants in the park include klamath grass, tall buttercup, toadflax, Canada thistle, and tansy, all of which park employees are working to eliminate.
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