A new front country campground is coming to the base of Mount Revelstoke. Parks Canada is planning to  have it opened for the 2019 visitor season. The new campground – situated near the beginning of the Meadows in the Sky Parkway – will offer stunning views of the scenery. But the campground will also be advantageous because front country camping allows you to camp near your car in a car, a pop-up trailer, or an RV. You’ll also be near a road, unlike back country camping.

Parks Canada is utilizing Mount Revelstoke’s former staff residential area for the campground. This provides the benefit of already having roads and parking areas.

This will be the first front country campground in Mount Revelstoke National Park. The plan is to create approximately 50 campsites for tents, trailers, campers, and motorhomes. Not only will this provide space for more campers, but it also will provide an option for campers who don’t want the inconvenience of back country camping. We excited that this campground will give more people the opportunity to experience the grandeur of the Canadian mountain parks.

We’re pleased to announce the winner of our November/December Trivia Quiz: Cindy Burkholder. She correctly answered the following multiple choice question:

What three natural hazards plague the railway grade east of Field?

• snow avalanches, moose, earthquakes
• ice avalanches, snow avalanches, debris flows
• snow avalanches, nitroglycerine, debris flows

The correct answer is ice avalanches, snow avalanches, debris flows.

Everyone who correctly answers each trivia contest is entered in a random draw to win a copy of Graeme Pole’s book The Spiral Tunnels and the Big Hill. It’s a fascinating way to learn the history of Canada’s railroads, particularly about the second-steepest mainline railway track ever operated in North America.

Thank you to everyone who participated. All of the contestants submitted the correct answer for the November/December Trivia Quiz!

We now have a new multiple choice question on our site for January’s quiz. Click here to view it and to enter the quiz!

Switch man at the #1 safety switch, late 1880s

January 12, 2017 is when the Parks Canada’s reservation system opens for campgrounds and guided hikes.

To learn more, check out our National Mountain Parks Campground Directory at http://dig.cmipublishing.ca/i/675223/54. Here we list all the campgrounds, rates, toll-free phone numbers and much more, PLUS detailed maps so you can see exactly where each campground is located.

For a  unique and comfortable camping experience, the oTENTiks at Redstreak campground are where it’s at for camping!

Enjoy the comfort of the oTENTiks at Redstreak campground © Parks Canada

These cabin-like structures include beds for six and are perfect for family escapes on chilly mountain nights. For more info:

www.pc.gc.ca/kootenay

Remember, entry is free to Canada’s National Parks in 2017, so campground sites are expected to book up very quickly this year! Save yourself time get and your free Discovery Pass online, or stop at any Parks Canada gate or visitor centre to get a free daily entry pass.

With the hectic pace of the holiday season, planning a post-holiday trip sounds too tiring. Thankfully, Golden Tourism has published a great pre-planned itinerary for a 7-Day Snow Lovers Paradise: http://dig.cmipublishing.ca/i/760749-golden-travel-planner/6

And if you go in January, why not attend the Golden Retreat January 19-22 for a mix of Cross-Country Skiing and Yoga! (Register soon since space is filling up quickly.)

There’s one week left to enter our railroad trivia contest! Answer a multiple choice question for a chance to win a copy of The Spiral Tunnels and the Big Hill on the Canadian Pacific Railway. The monthly quiz is a fun way to test your trivia knowledge, but Graeme Pole’s book is where the real treasure chest of information lies. It includes historic photos, maps, diagrams, and fascinating tales about the second-steepest mainline railway track ever operated in North America.

Click here to enter!

Locomotive 5810 leads an eastbound freight train departing Field, 1940s

There’s something to enjoy about Yoho National Park during every season of the year. And the free admission in 2017 in honour of Canada’s 150th birthday makes multiples adventures even more enticing! We’ve published a guide for enjoying Yoho National Park throughout the year. Explore the outdoors, go camping, take a classic hike, and visit a historic site. You can view all the details here.

Whether you’re interested in fossils, tea houses, or cross-country skiing, you’re sure to find an activity to enjoy. Since park admission is free in 2017, it’s also the perfect time to try something new. You might just find your new favourite activity!

Twin Falls Tea House is located in the Yoho Valley and can be reached via an 8 kms hike © Parks Canada

Nordic skis and snowshoes can be rented at Emerald Sports and Gift Photo: Kicking Horse Ski Club

You can find classic experiences in countless guidebooks, but the true secrets of the national parks are only found by talking to quirky locals or staff. Kootenay National Park contacted a Parks Canada Resource manager and a retired resource conservation manager to give us some inspiration for your next visit to Kootenay National Park. And since park admission is free in 2017 for Canada’s national mountain parks, it’s never too early to start planning for a variety of visits next year!

Click here to read “A local’s guide to Kootenay National Park.” You’ll learn about the locals’ favourite activities and the best kept secrets of the park. There are also ideas for the history buff, for road side attractions and scenic drives, and for a unique camping experience.

The article also provides the date for when Parks Canada’s reservation system opens for campgrounds and guided hikes. You’ll want to get your reservations in early since the free park admission and special programming in honour of Canada’s 150th birthday might make 2017 the busiest year at the parks yet!

Congratulations to the winner of our September/October Railroad Trivia Quiz – Alexandra Fish!

In September and October we asked the following question:

True or false? Construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway began at Yale, British Columbia in 1880. 

The answer is True! Everyone who correctly answered was entered into a drawing to win Graeme Pole’s book The Spiral Tunnels and the Big Hill. It brings history to life through exciting stories about the second-steepest mainline railway track ever operated in North America. Maps, diagrams, and many archival photos also add to the wealth of fascinating historical information.

Alexandra sent us the following note after we told her that she was the prize winner:

Why that’s fantastic news! I can’t wait to read more about the Canadian Rockies – my boyfriend and I try to go out whenever we have the time and money to check out new places.

Thank you to all the contestants who entered our last Trivia Quiz. Click here to enter the November contest!

If you want to curl up with an exciting novel or are looking for a gift to give, then look no farther than Greame Pole’s book Siren Call. This book chronicles a fictitious emergency medical team in Banff National Park. If you’ve read our Experience the Mountain Parks guides, then you may already be familiar with Graeme. He is one of our regular contributors and the sponsor of our Railroad Trivia Contest.

The following note of praise below is a great summary of the effect this book will have on you:

“Through reading Siren Call, I have a deepened appreciation and respect for EMTs and paramedics, and profoundly so – I won’t see an ambulance now without hearkening back to this book. Graeme Pole has written a compelling story, as intimate and raw and vigorous as the working life of a rural paramedic.” – Fabienne Calvert Filteau, author of Second Growth

You can currently purchase the story in an ebook format here, and a print edition will also be available in early November.

Glacier National Park had a record number of visitors this summer, and the visitation increase is no anomaly. Last year the park had 2.36 million visitors, which was a record breaking number, and the attendance was even higher this year. This July had the park’s highest ever attendance, with August having the second highest attendance ever. (Read this article from the Flathead Beacon for more info on this year’s record tourist season and how the park services and infrastructure are being prepared for next year.)

It’s not just Glacier National Park that’s been busy – we’ve noted record attendance in the mountain national parks in Western Canada this year, too. And with 20017 being the 150th birthday of Canada as  a nation, the parks will probably be even busier next year! That’s because Parks Canada is waiving park entrance fees in 2017 to celebrate the Canada’s 150th birthday.

Watch for the 2017 edition of Experience the Mountain Parks to learn about hidden gems and places to avoid the masses. With the possibility of another year of record-breaking activity in the parks, you won’t want to miss those tips. Many of the parks in Canada have year-round services with lots to see and do, so there’s no need to wait until next summer for your next visit to a park!

Balu Pass-Glacier National Park. Photo by Sean Allen.