Caroline and Jerry's Travel Log: Canadian National Parks (Part 3)

This post is for the last few days in Canada.

After driving back from Jasper NP on the Icefields Parkway, we hung a right back on the Trans Canada Highway just before Lake Louise. Our last sights will be Glacier National Park of Canada and Mt. Revelstoke National Park.

Up until that right turn, we were in Alberta. In about 3 miles on the Highway, we were in British Columbia and in Yoho National Park. We didn't plan to stop in that Park, so we just drove past it to Glacier. However, we saw a sign for a Takakkaw waterfall a few miles off the Highway. Well worth the side trip - photos below.

We were disappointed with Glacier. When we first planned our trip, it appeared there were many glaciers in the Park. There are, however, you really can't see them unless you are willing to take some long and strenuous hikes. There is only one road through the Park, the Trans Canada Highway, so it's not like you could drive down some side roads for scenery. Plus, the speed limit on the highway was 55, so it was even hard to gawk. So, we just drive through it to get to our last stop: Mt. Revelstoke NP.

As far as scenery goes, this Park at first, was not any better. Only about a 1/3 of the Trans Canadian Highway was within the Park. There is a good size icefield about 5 miles off the road, but not even any hiking trails to to it. However, at the western corner of the Park was the town of Revelstoke and a road called Meadows in the Sky Parkway.

The Parkway starts just outside of town. It's only 5 miles as the crow flies, but, since the road is along mountain sides, it's a 16 mile drive. In that 5 miles, you gain 1 mile in altitude. It was the perfect destination to end our trip.

There will be one more post: normally I put both flora and fauna in with the 'scenery' posts, but since there were so many other 'scenery' photos, I decided to do a separate post for them.

Takakkaw Falls - 1,260' tall. It gets it's water from a good size lake just beyond the top, which in turn is feed by a glacier on Mt. Daly about 3 miles away.

Close-up

Wapta Mountain (9,114') from the trail to the falls

Thought our trip through the Park would be dreary the whole way

At first we could not figure out what this 'tunnel' was for since it is on the outside of the mountain. But, every time we saw one it was preceded by an avalanche sign. They build these to keep avalanches from blocking the highway.

Weather is looking better

The road from here to the end of the Meadow in the Sky Parkway was pretty much fogged in, so there was not much to photograph

The start of the Trail

An alpine meadow

Part of the Columbia Mountain Range in the backgroud

More of the Columbia Mountain Range with a valley socked in with clouds

Just liked it !!

Another view with the Columbia River

Fire tower built in 1933

The fire tower is not very big

Town of Revelstoke from the Meadow to the Sky Parkway (it cleared up just as we got to the top)

We saw this as we came into the Park, but decided to check it out on the way back out. We wanted to make sure we had enough time at the Meadow to the Sky Trail.