u/LaPulpas

Hi everyone,

My partner and I will be spending about two weeks in the Canadian Rockies this July, starting and ending in Calgary. We're currently planning our itinerary and would love to get recommendations from people who know the area well.

We're both experienced hikers and are happy with 20–30 km day hikes (or even a bit more if they're really worth it), including elevation gain (well, no choice there). We're much more interested in spectacular alpine scenery, ridges, glaciers, and quieter areas than in short tourist walks or crowded viewpoints.

At the moment, we're considering to pass by the classical parks such as: Kananaskis, Banff / Lake Louise, Yoho, Kootenay, Icefields Parkway, and Jasper.

We're also very interested in Mount Assiniboine Provincial Park, although we're unsure about the logistics without bringing backpacking equipment from Europe. If anyone has experience with long day hikes into the Assiniboine area (or renting backpacking gear for an overnight trip), we'd really appreciate your advice. I've come across information regarding a lodge, but it seems fully booked, and unfortunately out of our price range (500CAD/pers/night).

A few questions:

Is that possible to reach the Mt. Assiniboine area in a long day hike ? For instance from sunshine village towards Assiniboine pass ?

What are day hikes in the Rockies that you think are truly worth the effort?

Are there any "hidden gems" that first-time visitors often miss?

How easy is it to find drinking water on longer hikes? Do you usually filter water from streams or carry everything from the trailhead?

Which offline maps or GPS apps do locals typically use? In France we usually have very well documented trails with GR and so on so I don't look into that that much..

Any hikes that you think are overrated and not worth the crowds?

We're happy to drive a few extra hours if it means experiencing more remote and spectacular landscapes. For instance we also considered the national park south east Calgary where one can walk within very dry scenery, but maybe not the best idea in summer ?

Hi everyone,

We rented a van in Calgary from July 17 to July 30 to explore the Rockies, and we’re only just starting to plan our trip. Yes, we know… it’s coming up soon 😅

While doing some research, we realized that wild camping isn’t allowed. We also checked the Parks Canada website and saw that almost all campsites are already fully booked.

Do you have any advice? Do campsites sometimes accept vans without a reservation or last-minute arrivals?

Thanks so much in advance for your help! 🙏🙏🙏