Avoid Banff National Park’s Crowds At One Of Canada’s Serene And Picturesque Alternatives

Banff National Park is magnificent with its vast ice fields, shifting glaciers and turquoise lakes. It is located in Alberta and is a budget-friendly Canadian destination popular with adventure seekers. With more than four million people visiting Canada’s oldest national park each year, the crowds can start to feel overwhelming. This is why you should head west. If you follow the Trans-Canada Highway to British Columbia, you will come across Mount Revelstoke National Park. The small national park has a scenic mountain walk, a historic ski jump, and wonderful hiking trails. Better yet, it attracts less than a fifth of tourists.

Mount Revelstoke National Park is located in the Selkirk Mountains in southeastern British Columbia. At the turn of the 20th century, when Revelstoke became a ski destination, local residents lobbied the government to build a road to the summit of Mount Revelstoke. They got their parkway as well as a 100-square-mile national park established in 1914. North America’s first ski jump followed a year later. Although Revelstoke Mountain Resort has become one of the best ski resorts in North America, Mount Revelstoke National Park has managed to remain a low-key destination.

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Walk up the Meadows in the Sky promenade

The highlight of Mount Revelstoke National Park is the Meadows in the Sky Parkway. The narrow, winding road climbs 16 miles to Mount Revelstoke. From the town of Revelstoke, it passes the historic Nels Nelsen ski jump, six designated viewpoints and numerous hiking trails. You’ll experience views of the Columbia River, Eagle Pass, and the Monashee Mountains along the way. The seasonal road opens in sections, depending on the snowmelt. The Balsam Lake parking area at the top of the road is usually accessible in mid-July.

Once the parkway is fully open, you will be able to access the Upper Summit Trail of Mount Revelstoke. The steep, three-kilometer round-trip trail climbs through subalpine forest. It passes through peaceful Heather Lake toward the historic Summit Fire Lookout. The structure, used from 1927 to 1988, is now a federal heritage building. You should stop for a moment to admire the panoramic view from the lookout, as it is an impressive sight. As a bonus, from June 20 to September 2, 2025, Parks Canada offers free entry to all of the country’s national parks.

Explore the Outdoor Town of Revelstoke

Once you head back down Meadows in the Sky Parkway, it’s time to explore Revelstoke. The small town, founded in the 1880s during the construction of the Canadian Pacific (CP) Railway, straddles the Columbia River, between the Monashee and Selkirk mountain ranges. It developed first with the mining and forestry industries, then with the construction of the Revelstoke hydroelectric dam and the ski industry. Revelstoke is now home to fewer than 9,000 year-round residents and is home to the world’s only inland temperate rainforest.

Revelstoke is an outdoor town. In addition to hiking, you can go mountain biking and mountain climbing during the summer. Revelstoke Lake, above the Revelstoke Hydroelectric Dam, is popular with kayakers, stand-up paddlers and swimmers.

The Illecillewaet, a glacier-fed river that joins the Columbia River at Revelstoke, is ideal for whitewater rafting, while farmers’ markets and restaurant and brewery patios will keep you outdoors for the rest of the day. Then, if you’re not completely exhausted, you can visit Glacier National Park, known as the Crown of the Continent, while you’re in the area. Take your time, because this part of Canada is absolutely breathtaking.

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