Mt Revelstoke National Park

Introducing Mt Revelstoke National Park

Grand in beauty if not in size (only 260 sq km), this national park just northeast of its namesake town is a vision of peaks and valleys – many all-but-untrod.

From the 2223m summit of Mt Revelstoke, the views of the mountains and the Columbia River valley are excellent. To ascend here, take the 26km Meadows in the Sky Parkway, 1.5km east of Revelstoke off the Trans-Canada Hwy. Open after the thaw (usually June to September), this paved road winds through lush cedar forests and alpine meadows and ends at Balsam Lake, within 2km of the peak. From here walk to the top or take the free shuttle, which runs from 10am to 4pm daily.

Easily accessible, Skunk Cabbage Trail, 28km east of Revelstoke on Hwy 1, is a 1.2km boardwalk along the Illecillewaet River. Another 4km east, the Giant Cedars Boardwalk winds a 500m course around a grove of huge old-growth cedars.

There are several good hiking trails from the summit. You can camp only in designated backcountry campsites, and you must have a $10 Wilderness Pass camping permit (in addition to your park pass), which, along with lots of useful information, is available from Parks Canada in Revelstoke or from the Rogers Pass Centre inside Glacier National Park. Admission to both Mt Revelstoke and Glacier national parks (the two are administered jointly) is adult/child $7/3.50 per day.

Last updated: Feb 17, 2009