Day Trip to Kootenay National Park

 

SUMMER ROAD TRIP, DAY 31

We took our first hot spring soak of the trip and hiked around undetonated explosives! Today consisted of a scenic drive through the often neglected yet beautiful Kootenay National Park. We dodged bad weather in Banff National Park by heading west into the Canadian Province of British Columbia.

Kootenay National Park (9)

Side Trip from Banff National Park

 

Day Trip to Kootenay National Park

We adventured into the sixth national park of the trip, Kootenay National Park. It forms one of the four contiguous mountain parks in the Canadian Rockies, connected to Banff, Jasper and Yoho National Parks. We technically visited a seventh since we drove a loop from Kootenay around through Yoho, but we only drove through so I’m not sure if I’m counting that one yet.

Day 31 Kootenay Map

Kootenay is located in the southeastern section of British Columbia Canada and forms a World Heritage Site. The width of the park is only five miles on each side of the highway so many of the hikes and sights are relatively short treks.Kootenay National Park (7)

Kootenay National Park

We stopped at all the overlooks, hiked the Paint Pots trail and took a dip in the Radium Hot Springs. We skipped the popular Banff Upper Springs this week since it was super busy. Everyone must have had the same idea to embrace the chilly and rainy weather by jumping in the hot springs. Radium’s hot pool is larger than Banff and was a lot less hectic so we spent a few hours soaking our weary legs. It was awesome!

Side Trip from Banff National Park

Kootenay National Park

Kootenay National Park (10)

Kootenay National Park (11)

Paint Pots Kootenay National Park

Paint Pots Kootenay National Park

Side Trip from Banff National Park

Paint Pots Kootenay National Park

Kootenay National Park (19)

 

Paint Pots Kootenay National Park

Kootenay National Park (4)

Radium Hot Springs

Radium Hot Springs

After our soak in the hot springs, we headed north to the town of Golden where we stopped at the Wolf’s Den for dinner and drinks. We were so hungry we forgot to take pictures of our food, but it was a delicious meal. We appreciated the patio where we listened to live music and enjoyed a few of the local beers on tap.

Wolf's Den Golden, BC

We managed to avoid inclement weather in Banff and had a great day exploring a new area. Score! If you get a chance while visiting Banff National Park, I would recommend taking the day drive through both parks.

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And so our epic 80 day summer road trip continues – 13 U.S. states, 2 Canadian provinces and 13 national parks. For the upcoming months, I will be sharing with you our highlights, lowlights, adventures, favorite spots, best tips and our thoughts on three months of road tripping and living in a pop up.  I’ll try to answer any and all of your questions too!  You can also follow our journey via Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.

Miles Driven: 243, Total Road Trip Miles Driven: 5,478, Average Gas Price per Gallon: $3.39

Canadian Province: British Columbia

If you would like to see our full itinerary, start at the beginning here. And Start at Day One here.

 
Next: The Incredible Jasper National Park

Thanks for following along! How many national parks have you visited? Do you have a favorite?

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Angela E. is a travel writer from the Chicagoland area who has visited all 50 states in the US and has traveled extensively around the world. She is passionate about exploring the great outdoors and hiking in particular. Her love for nature has taken her to some of the most beautiful locations on the planet. She has written extensively about her travels on her own website, Dang Travelers, and has been published in collaboration with other travel websites and multiple visitor bureaus around the country.

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