T HE G R E A T D IV ID AMISKWI E BACKCOUNTRY GUIDE PASS Mt Gordon

BACKCOUNTRY CAMPGROUNDS Mt Des Poilus YOHO Food BALFOUR PASS Number Location # sites Privy storage

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1 McArthur Creek 10 X X GLACIER DES POILUSYoho Peak Mt Balfour 3 Yoho Lake 8 X X

4 Laughing Falls 8 X X 5 Isolated Peak LAUGHING 5 Twin Falls 8 X X TWIN 3. Mt McArthur FALLS FALLS 8 WAPUTIK 6.5 6 Little Yoho 10 X X Y ICEFIELD o Amiskwi Peak 5.0 2.1 h o

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r I 6 3.9 C PAS 2.9 4.2 DALY Mt Niles E Ic GLACIER Yoho Valley Road F Jasper I eline E ETINOK T only open L IW AK D late June - October 1 S O K 5.7 AKKAW FALLS t P to EMERALD A C GLACIER R r K ee 2.1 W k A Y 3 8 . YOHO PASS 4 Mt Carnarvon EMERALD Mt Bosworth 93 BASIN Wapta Paget Peak 4.8 Mountain SHERBROOK SS HAMILTON LAKE SE PA

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r PASS MT. i 3.6 s L E G E N D HUNTER 1.6 d LOOK k o ee o Cr OUT o G Trans- Highway 1 do oo H Chancellor Peak Trail Left-hand 2.0 Mt Biking Permitted turns on the Trans-Canada WAPTA F Mt Goodsir Information Highway are 2.3 I c permitted at signed e

ALL Warden Office intersections only. R i S v e Frontcountry Campground r

Backcountry Campground 1 Hut 0 2 4 6 8 10 Whiskey Jack Hostel KM

Backcountry Lodge

Distances are approximate. This is not a Bus (reservation only) Ic e R topographical map and is not suitable for iv River, Creek, Lake e r route-finding. Topographical maps can be T ra purchased at the Field Visitor Centre. Glacier il Be 18 ave .8 Mountain Peak rf oo t Alpine Zone R iv e Great Divide r C Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada Park Boundary Catalogue No: R63-277/2004E Aussi disponible en français ISBN: 0-662-37093-7 ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ Dig a shallow hole with a stick or heel of your boot. ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ OHO National Park protects a landscape have a Wilderness Pass. There is no charge for children Cover the hole with soil or rocks afterwards. Pack out unique to the rugged west slopes of the central 16 years of age and under. You can purchase a Wilderness Y used toilet paper or burn it if the fire hazard is not . This guide provides basic Pass from Parks Canada visitor centres or Parks Canada’s information for backcountry visitors. For more extreme. office in Calgary. An annual Wilderness Pass, valid for one • Do not wash yourself or your dishes in streams and information or advice please contact the park. year from the date of purchase, is also available. lakes – carry the water to your campsite and wash Random camping is permitted in Amiskwi, Otterhead, Ice there. Minimize use of soap; even biodegradable soaps Your stewardship is vital to maintain the integrity and River, and Porcupine valleys. Camps must be set up at are pollutants. Strain out the last bits of food waste and beauty of this special wild place. Please practice minimum least 3 km from the highway, 100 metres from water, and pack them out. Dispose of grey water on land, well impact and observe these key regulations: 50 metres from the trail. There is a three-day maximum away from water sources and campsites. • Pack out all garbage including food waste, diapers, stay for one spot. Climbers on routes that cannot be tampons and sanitary napkins. Restricted Access completed in one day require a Wilderness Pass to • Do not feed or approach wildlife — this harms their Access to the fossil beds on Mt. Stephen and Walcott’s Quarry bivouac. health, alters their natural behaviour, and may expose on Mt. Field is restricted to protect the fossils. Guided hikes to Reservations you to danger. these areas are offered during the summer. Alpinists who are A percentage of backcountry campsites can be reserved • Keep your pet on leash at all times. climbing Mt. Stephen or travelling through Duchesnay or three months in advance of your first day of stay. A non- • Rocks, fossils, horns, antlers, wildflowers, mushrooms, Dennis Passes must obtain a permit to pass by the refundable fee applies.Contact the Field Visitor Centre. nests and all other natural or historical objects in a restricted area. Group size can be no greater than ten people, including national park are protected by law. Leave them in their To protect an important wildlife movement corridor and guides and leaders. natural setting for others to discover and enjoy. increase security for grizzly bears, the McArthur Creek Lake O’Hara Campground • Angling requires a National Park Fishing Permit. Valley from McArthur Pass to the Ottertail Valley is closed Parks Canada operates a 30 site backcountry campground at Plan ahead from May 1 to August 15 annually. After August 15, the Lake O’Hara from June 19 to September 30. Reservations are • Read this guide, other pertinent park brochures or web valley is open to limited human use; a permit is required to required and accepted three months in advance by phone pages, and guide books. hike this umaintained route. only. For visitors who haven’t been able to make a • Obtain a topographical map. Horses reservation, five first-come, first-serve sites have been set • Contact a Parks Canada information centre for current Horses can be used in the Amiskwi, Ottertail, Otterhead aside for assignment 24 hours in advance. Contact the Field information and to obtain permits. A current trail report and Ice River valleys, and on the horse trail at Emerald Visitor Centre for details. is posted on the Yoho National Park web site. Lake. Check ahead at the park information centre for Campfires • Be aware of park regulations that affect you. current information and regulations. Campfires are not permitted in Yoho’s backcountry. Campers Manage Risk Mountain Biking must use portable stoves. • Know your physical limits. Safety is your personal In Yoho National Park, former fireroads have been Wildlife Safety responsibility. Be prepared for possible hazards and converted to trails. These are the trails in the park where To reduce your campsite’s attractiveness to bears and always exercise caution. biking is permitted. Please ride with care, bike bear- other wildlife, all food, garbage, toiletries and cooking • Ensure that you have adequate food, water, clothing aware, and give right of way to hikers and horse parties. equipment must be suspended from the food storage and equipment for your trip. Consider your need for • Great Divide route (to Great Divide)...... 3 km cables provided at designated campgrounds. Prepare these important basics: first-aid kit, map and compass, (to Lake Louise)...... 10.5 km meals away from your tent. flashlight, bear spray, fire starter, knife, sunglasses, • Ross Lake trail (to Lake Louise)...... 8.3 km whistle and a biviouac shelter. • Tally-ho trail ...... 3 km Directory • If you are planning an activity that you feel is • Amiskwi trail (to Otto Creek)...... 18.8 km • Yoho National Park: Box 99, Field, B.C. V0A 1G0 hazardous, you may choose to complete a Voluntary • Kicking Horse trail ...... 4.5 km 250.343.6100 (Mountain Time Zone) Safety Registration. If you do register out, you must • Otterhead trail (to Tocher Ridge junction)...... 9.8 km www.parkscanada.gc.ca/yoho by law, register your return. Registration will ensure the • Ottertail Valley trail (to warden cabin)...... 15.1 km • Field Visitor Centre: 250.343.6783 initiation of a search if you are overdue. Backcountry • Ice River trail (to Lower Ice River warden cabin) 17.5 km E: [email protected] travellers should be prepared for at least one day more Backcountry Accommodation • Lake O’Hara Reservations: 250.343.6433 than their planned trip. Inform friends or family of your • The operates cabins at Lake • Parks Canada: Calgary, Alberta: 403.292.4401, itinerary. O’Hara (Elizabeth Parker Hut), Abbott Pass (Abbott 1.800.748.7275 • Read the brochure: Bears and People: a guide to Pass Hut), Little Yoho Valley (Stanley Mitchell Hut), and • Yoho Warden Office: 250.343.6142 safety and conservation on the trail. the southwest corner of Mt. Daly (Scott Duncan Hut). • Friends of Yoho National Park: 250.343.6393 drinking water • Boil or filter . • Twin Falls Chalet (seasonal): 403.228.7079 www.friendsofyoho.ca Mountain weather is unpredictable. Be prepared for rain • • Lake O’Hara Lodge: May-October/February-April: • Alpine Club of Canada: 403.678.3200 or snow at any time, particularly at higher elevations. 250.343.6418; Other months: 403.678.4110 www.alpineclubofcanada.ca Freezing temperatures are not uncommon above • Hostelling International operates Whiskey Jack Hostel • Hostelling International: toll-free 1.866.762.4122 1500 metres, even in summer. near (mid-June to mid-September). • Guided Hikes: 1.800.343.3006 www.burgess-shale.bc.ca Respect the environment Backcountry Camping • To dispose of human waste where no facilities are • Environment Canada weather: 403.762.2088 provided, select a spot at least 70 m (seven bus Wilderness Pass http://weatheroffice.ec.gc.ca lengths) away from trails, campsites and water sources. Anyone planning an overnight trip into the backcountry • Leave No Trace: www.LNT.org by foot, mountain bike or horse, at any time of year, must

IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY, CALL 911

T r a i l D e s c r i p t i o n s Cell phone range is limited in the mountains. ○○○○○○○○○○○○○ ○○○○○○ S H O R T W A L K S (1 to 2 hours) Emerald Basin. After a short, steep section the trail levels. It Yoho Valley by taking the Celeste Lake trail, or follow the Wapta Falls elevation loss 30 m ...... 2.3 km trail, each way ends in a natural amphitheatre of hanging glaciers and trail signs to the Little Yoho Valley. The 2 km gravel road skirts Leanchoil marsh. From the end of avalanche paths. Wapta Highline elevation gain 660 m

the road follow the level trail to where the Sherbrooke Lake elevation gain 165 m ..... 6.2 km return ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ to Field ...... 18.5 km one way drops 30 m. *Note: The trailhead is not marked on the TCH From the Wapta Lake picnic shelter, the trail climbs to Emerald Lake ...... 19 km one way for westbound traffic as there is no left turn lane here. moderately to a lake surrounded by steep slopes. Start as for the Iceline, but take the fork to Yoho Lake and Continue 3 km to the west entrance of the park, turn and Great Divide elevation gain minimal ...... 6 km return Yoho Pass. In Yoho Pass, take the left fork along the flank come back. Bike or walk to the Great Divide on the original road of Wapta Mountain to Burgess Pass, then down switchbacks

Emerald Lake minor elevation gain and loss ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ through . (no longer open to vehicles) to Emerald Lake or the town of Field...... 5.2 km circuit Ross Lake elevation gain 100 m ...... 3.2 km one way Yoho Valley Trailhead, one way to: A self-guided nature trail, this scenic hike is accessible for Watch for the Ross Lake junction at 1.9 km on the Great Divide Laughing Falls elevation gain 60 m ...... 3.9 km wheelchairs and strollers from the parking area to the route. Turn right for a gentle climb to a tiny rockbound lake. Twin Falls elevation gain 300 m to chalet ...... 7.9 km bridge at the back of the lake (4.6 km return). Paget Lookout elevation gain 520 m ...... 7 km return Yoho Glacier Moraine elevation gain 250 m ...... 8.4 km Hamilton Falls minor elevation gain ...... 1.6 km return Follow the trail to Sherbrooke Lake for 1.4 km. Take the Laughing Falls is passed en route to Twin Falls. Strong The trail starts at the entrance to Emerald Lake parking right hand fork at the junction for Paget Lookout. parties can continue to the top of Twin Falls and over the area. Whaleback trail for incredible views. Ask at the Field Visitor F U L L D A Y H I K E S (5 to 8 hours) Centennial Trail minor elevation gain and loss Centre if the bridge is in before you take this route. Returning ...... 2.5 km circuit The main trailheads for day hikes and backcountry camping to Takakkaw Falls via the Whaleback/Laughing Falls is a Begins at the bridge by Kicking Horse Campground on the are located at Emerald Lake, Takakkaw Falls Campground 20.1 km circuit. Yoho Valley Road. and Whiskey Jack Hostel. Many trails connect, giving numer- Little Yoho Valley elevation gain 520 m 9.3 km one way Walk-in-the-Past elevation gain 90 m ...... 4 km return ous options for start and finish points, and circuit hikes. Follow the Yoho Valley trail to Laughing Falls, turn north at From the trailer circle in Kicking Horse Campground, cross Hamilton Lake elevation gain 850 m ...... 11 km return the junction and ascend the switchbacks. the Yoho Valley Road and follow the trail to an abandoned, From the entrance at Emerald Lake parking area, follow the Lake O'Hara elevation gain 400 m ...... 11 km one way narrow-gauge locomotive used to build the Spiral Tunnels. trail past Hamilton Falls on a steady climb to a classic alpine A quota limits the number of visitors using the bus service Point Lace Falls and Angel’s Staircase ..... 4.4 km return lake. into Lake O’Hara; there are no restrictions on the number Starts at Takakkaw Falls campground. minor elevation gain Yoho Pass elevation gain 530 m ...... 12 km one way of people who wish to hike the 11 km access road (bikes Follow the Emerald Lake trail around the lake to the Yoho not permitted). Reservations are required to take the bus to H A L F - D A Y H I K E S (3 to 4 hours) Pass junction. The trail traverses a gravel outwash plain, Lake O’Hara for day use and camping. The bus operates Mt. Hunter Lookout elevation gain 400m .. 7.2 km return climbs through the pass to Yoho Lake and descends to from June 19 - September 30. You may reserve up to three to Upper Lookout ...... 12 km return Whiskey Jack Hostel near Takakkaw Falls. calendar months in advance of your visit, by telephone Park at the *Wapta Falls turn-off on the Trans-Canada Emerald Triangle elevation gain 880 m .. 19.7 km circuit only. Highway, and carefully cross the highway. The trail climbs Follow the Yoho Pass trail to Yoho Pass, then travel south Ottertail Valley: to McArthur Creek Campground steadily through montane forest to two former fire lookouts. along the Wapta Highline trail to Burgess Pass. Descend the elevation gain 285 m ...... 14.9 km one way Hoodoos elevation gain 455 m ...... 3.2 km return switchbacks to Emerald Lake and your starting point. to Ottertail Falls ...... 17.7 km one way A steep, dry trail to capped pillars of glacial debris starts at the Iceline elevation gain 695 m to Goodsir Pass elevation gain 1015 m creek, between loops F and T in Hoodoo Creek Campground. via Little Yoho ...... 20.8 km circuit ...... 23.9 km one way You can view the Hoodoos from the upper and lower trails. via Celeste Lake ...... 17.5 km circuit Trailhead located on the Trans-Canada Highway 8.4 km Emerald Basin elevation gain 225 m ...... 9.2 km return The trail starts at Whiskey Jack Hostel and climbs through a west of Field. Links with The Rockwall in Kootenay National Walk to the far end of Emerald Lake for the turn-off to large avalanche path onto a bench. Hikers descend to the Park.