KOOTENAY 115° 114°W Map Key What Is Geotourism All About? NATIONAL According to National Geographic, geotourism “sustains or enhances Community PARK the geographical character of a place—its environment, culture, Museum aesthetics, heritage, and the well-being of its residents.” Geotravelers, To Natural or scenic area then, are people who like that idea, who enjoy authentic sense of Calgary place and care about maintaining it. They find that relaxing and Other point of interest E having fun gets better—provides a richer experience—when they get E Black Diamond Outdoor experience involved in the place and learn about what goes on there. BOB CREEK WILDLAND, AB ALBERTA PARKS Turner Geotravelers soak up local culture, hire local guides, buy local Valley World Heritage site C Radium l foods, protect the environment, and take pride in discovering and EHot Springs os Scenic route ed observing local customs. Travel-spending choices can help or hurt, so i n 22 National Wild and Scenic River geotravelers patronize establishments that care about conservation, BARING CREEK IN GLACIER NATIONAL PARK, MT CHUCKHANEY.COM wi nt er Urban area preservation, beautification, and benefits to local people. 543 Learn more at crownofthecontinent.natgeotourism.com. Columbia High River E 23 Protected Areas Wetlands Indian or First Nation reserve Geotraveler Tips: Buy Local 93 541 National forest or reserve High C w Patronize businesses that support the community and its conservation O Frank 40 oo KMt. Joffre N d Longview Lake National park and preservation efforts. Seek out local products, foods, services, and T E 11250 ft I E ELK N 3429 m E Longview Jerky Shop shops. When you support the people who support the place, they’ll N Other protected area T Invermere- A usually reward you with a richer, more memorable trip. L on-the-Lake D Administered by UNESCO, the World Heritage LAKES IV Volunteer ID 540 List recognizes the most significant cultural E ( and natural treasures on the planet. G A great way to get to know a place—and the people who work to R E A Albers Conic Equal-Area Projection protect it—is to lend a hand. Options abound: Repair hiking trails, pull T PROVINCIAL K D E Standard Parallels 47° and 50° Windermere IV Cayley invasive weeds, restore streamside habitat, catalog historical artifacts. 10719 ft Mt. Abruzzi ID Lake 3267 m E) SCALE 1:500,000 0 mi 10 Roll up your sleeves with the Bob Marshall Wilderness Foundation or KAYAKER ON BOWMAN LAKE WITH RAINBOW PEAK IN THE BACKGROUND, MT STEVEN GNAM PARK the Nature Conservancy of Canada. w Bob Creek Wildland 0 km 10 Bob Creek Wildland protects Whaleback MAP DATA DERIVED FROM: DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL Take a Hike Ridge and one of Alberta’s most important elk 2 RESOURCES CANADA; MIISTAKIS INSTITUTE FOR THE The region features thousands of miles of hiking, biking, and horse trails. ranges. At the southern limit of this backcoun- ROCKIES; MODIS/TERRA VEGETATION CONTINUOUS Local volunteers lead various nature groups on educational day hikes to Quiet Seasons FIELDS, NASA; NASA EARTH OBSERVATORY; NATURAL try preserve, which has no visitor facilities, the RESOURCES CANADA, CANADIAN FOREST SERVICE - watch birds, identify wildflowers, and explore public wildlands. Outings PACIFIC FORESTRY CENTRE; OAK RIDGE NATIONAL Oldman River breaks free of the mountains Nanton E Alpine wonders draw summer multitudes, but amateur natu- LABORATORY LANDSCAN 2004™/UT-BATTELLE, LLC; are free, but your donation will support conservation. ralists and wanderers may find sweeter serenity in the spring, through a narrow slot locals call “The Gap.” Canadian Grain Elevator SRTM DATA, INTERNATIONAL CENTRE FOR TROPICAL Discovery Centre AGRICULTURE (CIAT); UMD GLOBAL LAND COVER Visit First Nation and Tribal Lands fall, or winter. Marvel at giant larch trees as they golden in CLASSIFICATION, UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND On First Nation land or an American Indian reservation, you are a guest 533 Seeley Lake during the Alpine Artisans Tour of the Arts in Courcelette Peak K where people live and work. Taking photos and video can be a sensitive 9987 ft Mt. BurkeK8340 ft issue, so ask permission first. A great time to visit is during traditional October. On her day in May, take mother to spy harlequin 3044 m 2542 m L i t powwows. R t l ducks and ouzels diving into the froth of McDonald Creek. e C B Dirt Roads 532 O o The best party of the year, or at least the snowiest, would W w Many of the roads between towns and public recreational lands are not B O Y either be the Whitefish Winter Carnival in February or the paved. Take it slow, keep the dust down, and give the wildlife a brake. Elk T R A Don’t drive off road, and please respect private property. Fernie Griz Days Festival in March. Fort Macleod welcomes I q Lussier Hot Springs L Santa and his reindeer, alongside horse-drawn carriages, at From steamy hot to merely tepid, find your Chain Lakes Provincial Park Bears, Cougars, and Wolves Alberta’s largest Santa Claus parade. comfort level among the cascade of primi- Fishing and RV camping As a visitor, you’re sharing one of North America’s wildest places with Fording on the Cowboy Trail tive rock pools alongside the bubbling, frigid 9684 ft KMt. Lyall ROCKY W these majestic creatures. Hike in groups, make noise, and stay at least 2952 m i ECanal Flats l Lussier River, just inside Whiteswan Lake l E ten bus lengths away. Livingstone Falls o Stavely 116° White Provincial Park. w Lussier Hot Springs Whiteswan Step Away from Your Car q Lake P Travel options abound so you may better appreciate the scenery and o e Kimberley r meet others. Glacier National Park provides a free shuttle service across c Hike, cross-country ski, or ride your bike in the r Chimney Rock e u the Going-to-the-Sun Road. Drivers double as cultural guides on the i Bed & Breakfast p Kimberley Nature Park, one of Canada’s larg- s Blackfeet-run Sun Tours, or try the elegant convertible-top red buses. s r Marysville Falls & Eco Park i est municipal parks at 800 hectares (1,800 u n Amtrak provides passenger service along Glacier’s southern border. For L Follow a forested trail, cross a beautiful (and acres). Visit the Old Bauernhaus Restaurant, a O e 22 MOUNTAINS muscle-powered transport, pedal the unpaved Great Divide Mountain German farm building first registered in 1640 brand new) timber frame bridge and follow a H lovely boardwalk to a viewpoint overlooking Bike Route on both sides of the border. and moved to Canada in 1987. Plug a coin in L i O l the impressive, 30-metre (98-foot) Marysville ld l the country’s largest freestanding cuckoo clock s Lucasia Ranch Leave No Trace m Claresholm E Frontier Western Shop Ltd and enjoy boutiques, cafes, and Kimberley Falls. Opposite the trailhead is the Eco Park, a i Saddles, duds, and horse feed draw Take only photographs and leave only footprints. Travel on existing trails with picnic tables, flower gardens, and a E n BOB PRINCE OF WALES HOTEL, WATERTON LAKES NATIONAL PARK, AB 520 Farmers’ Market at the Downtown Platzl. Elkford TONYBYNUM.COM cowboys, working and wannabe 50°N sculpture of a westslope cutthroat trout. and camp on hard surfaces. Keep campfires small in established fire v 50°N pits. Pack out garbage if no trash receptacles are nearby. Let animals 93 w K eat natural foods rather than yours. 95 o Tornado Mountain K10167 ft i CREEK o SCOTT NIEDERMAYER WITH STANLEY CUP ATOP FISHER PEAK, BC 3099 m BLACK Thinking of Moving Here? t ALAN MAUDIE PHOTOGRAPHY e If you plan to relocate, live in town or close by. The fragmentation of n FOREST n a 43 y CREEK working farms and forests into rural subdivisions and small ranchettes Crown of the Premier Lake WILDLAND harms water quality, wildlife habitat, native plants, and traditional liveli- Provincial Park g HERITAGE hood. With global warming, the risk of dangerous forest fires has soared along the valley fringes and forested foothills. s RANGELAND Crossing the Border The Gap E 519 BRITISH C t Granum Enhance your adventure by exploring both countries. We value our cross- O Continent border visitors. Please check for current border crossing requirements. C ld O m N o a T RESERVE n Stop Aquatic Hitchhikers I n N a E Recreational activities such as boating, angling, waterfowl hunting, NORTH AMERICA’S N E COLUMBIA m n T 2 Maycroft d A l and diving can spread aquatic invasive species. Protect our waters by L E D O Wasa I V remembering to Clean, Drain, Dry recreational equipment every time. I D e ROCKY MOUNTAIN MAJESTY E 8 11 ( 95 G R 1& Waterton Lakes National Park he Crown of the Continent—spanning E 3 A M T Rugged, windswept mountains rise abruptly 25 River Valley D Sierra West Cabins a I corners of Alberta, British Columbia, V R r Sparwood E I out of gentle prairie grassland and a glaciated Wilderness Park D k Cominco Gardens . E 785 r ) E 113° C C series of Waterton lakes. Wild bouquets and r More than 45,000 colourful blossoms e Crowsnest and Montana—provides visitors with . s 9138 ft Fort Macleod 509 r bears spill across overlapping ecological zones on 5 manicured hectares (12 acres) 2785 m KMountain a 1! o t Fisher Peak and multihued rocks. Lethbridge E H Head-Smashed-in 73,000 square kilometres (28,000 square 1# EKimberley A vigorous hike to the spire of Fisher Peak offers Chinook Provincial Recreation Area d Buffalo Jump 810 Nikka Yuko l e n n T i Wide variety of year-round a stunning view of two provinces and three o Kimberley Nina's Hillside Garden World Heritage Site t Japanese Garden miles) of spellbinding scenery and a good ST.