Mount Assiniboine Provincial Park
Please note that fires are prohibited within the core area of the park.
Current Trail Report [PDF 64KB] Please note: Trail reports updated regularly May-August as trails melt out.
Campground and Cabins Info Sheet [PDF 55KB]
Current Trail Report [PDF 64KB] Please note: Trail reports updated regularly May-August as trails melt out.
Campground and Cabins Info Sheet [PDF 55KB]
Know Before You Go
Visitor Safety
Persons visiting Mount Assiniboine Provincial Park are reminded that the park is a wilderness area, without supplies or equipment of any kind. All arrangements for supplies and transportation must be made beforehand.All park visitors should wear strong waterproofed, lug-soled boots and carry a daypack with raingear, extra warm clothing and food. Weather conditions can change suddenly in this area and lightning storms with hail and snow are common in summer. For overnight trips a sleeping bag, ground pad, waterproof tent or bivouac bag and lightweight stove are essential.
Only experienced climbers practiced in crevasse rescue and properly roped should venture onto snowfields and glaciers.
Winter visitors to the park should always ski with a partner. It is recommended that winter visitors be familiar with standards of avalanche safety.
About This Park
Mount Assiniboine Provincial Park is a magnificent place of shimmering lakes, glistening glaciers, sky scraping peaks and sun-dappled alpine meadows. World renowned Mount Assiniboine, at an elevation of 3,618 metres, is situated along the continental divide near the south east corner of the park and has defined mountain splendour in the Canadian Rockies for over 100 years.
No roads penetrate this unspoiled wilderness, with trails providing the only land access. Camping, hiking, mountain climbing and viewing spectacular mountain scenery are the main activities here, as well as fishing, horseback riding, and ski touring in winter.
Mount Assiniboine Provincial Park is part of the Canadian Rocky Mountain UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Check out the new webcam at Mt. Assiniboine Lodge facing Lake Magog, Mt. Assiniboine, Mt. Magog and Naiset Peak.
Park Size: 39,050 hectares
Reservations
Campsite reservations are not accepted at this park, all campsites are on a first-come, first-served basis. For parks that accept reservations or information on the reservation service, click here.Group Camp/Picnic Reservations
Group campsite and/or group picnic site reservations [non government site] are accepted at this park.Naiset Huts and the Hind Hut Reservations
Visitors can make reservations for the Naiset Huts and the Hind Hut through the Assiniboine Lodge. Phone: (403) 678-2883 or fax (403) 678-4877. Reservations for the Naiset Cabins are recommended in the summer and are MANDATORY in the winter. The Naiset Cabins are $20 per night per person. There is a non-refundable reservation fee of $5.00 per night to a maximum of $15.00 for three nights or more per reservation. For campers who wish to stay at these huts on a first-come, first-served basis, we recommend you bring a tent in case they are full.Click here for additional information. [non government site]
Banff National Park
Banff National Park offers several campgrounds and a primitive sleeping shelter along Bryant Creek for backcountry visitors on their way to Mount Assiniboine via the Bryant Creek, Brewster Creek or Sunshine Meadows/Citadel Pass trails. Visitors staying in the Bryant Creek Shelter or camping in Banff National Park are required to have a backcountry permit and all other necessary permits before they start their trip. Visitors can reserve a backcountry permit and obtain up to date trail information for Banff National Park at (403) 762-1556. Trail reports and detailed backcountry trip planning information for Banff are also available on the Banff National Park website at www.pc.gc.ca/banff
Location and Maps
Please note: Any maps listed are for information only - they may not represent legal boundaries and should not be used for navigation. Mount Assiniboine Provincial Park is located west of the British Columbia-Alberta border 48 km southwest of Banff. The park is roughly triangular in shape. The apex of this triangle is at the junction of the boundaries of Banff National Park, which forms the eastern boundary, and Kootenay National Park, which marks the boundary to the west. The southern boundary follows the height of land above Daer Creek and Extension Creek from Kootenay National Park to the Mitchell River, then easterly to Banff National Park and the Continental Divide. The most popular hiking trails to the core area of the park start from Kootenay National Park to the west, and from Spray Lakes via Bryant Creek (Banff National Park) located south of Canmore, from Sunshine Meadows west of the Banff townsite, in Banff National Park, Alberta.Maps and Brochures
Any maps listed are for information only - they may not represent legal boundaries and should not be used for navigation.- Park Map [PDF 156KB]- updated June 2008
Activities Available at this Park
Climbing
Mount Assiniboine itself is a world-class mountaineering destination and several neighbouring peaks, faces and ridges are worthwhile challenges as well.
Fishing
Angling in the glacial lakes and waterways of Mount Assiniboine Provincial Park is unpredictable. Rock Isle, Larix and Grizzly Lakes are closed to angling. Anyone fishing or angling in British Columbia must have an appropriate licence.
Hiking
Hiking is a popular pastime in Mount Assiniboine Provincial Park. For your own safety and the preservation of the park, obey posted signs and keep to designated trails. Shortcutting trails destroys plant life and soil structure. Here is hiking information and trails into the core area of Mount Assiniboine. Please check the above Attention Visitor messages messages for trail bulletins.
Horseback Riding
If planning to horseback ride in the park, we recommend you read the Mount Assiniboine Horse Use Policy [PDF 470KB] and view/print the Horse Trail Map. [PDF 286KB] As horseback riders are required to obtain and carry with them a letter of permission from BC Parks please use our online form to generate/print your letter of permission no less than 7 days before entering the park. More specific information on using horses in the park can be obtained by contacting the Kootenay BC Parks office at 250-489-8540.
Please note that there is no horse access to Assiniboine Lodge, the Naiset Cabins, Wonder Pass, or Citadel Pass.
Please note that there is no horse access to Assiniboine Lodge, the Naiset Cabins, Wonder Pass, or Citadel Pass.
Hunting
Mount Assiniboine is open to hunting. Limited Entry hunting for BC residents; two guide-outfitter operations for non-residents. No hunting in the Core Area. Please refer to the British Columbia Hunting Regulations for more information.
Pets on Leash
Pets/domestic animals must be on a leash at all times and are not allowed in beach areas or park buildings. You are responsible for their behaviour and must dispose of their excrement. Backcountry areas are not suitable for dogs or other pets due to wildlife issues and the potential for problems with bears.
Wildlife Viewing
Wildlife viewing available at this park.
Winter Recreation
World class cross country skiing and ski touring. For Lodge or Naiset cabin information, see the information under cabins, yurts and lodges.
Facilities Available at this Park
Cabins / Huts / Yurts
There are a number of rustic cabins located in the more outlying areas of Mount Assiniboine Park.
See a full listing of these cabins and campgrounds. [PDF 286KB]
The Naiset huts/cabins and R.C. Hind hut located in the core area of Mount Assiniboine are open to the public and can be reserved through Assiniboine Lodge or are available on a first-come first-served basis. Reservations for the Naiset Cabins are recommended in the summer and are MANDATORY in the winter. There is a non-refundable reservation fee of $5.00 per night to a maximum of $15.00 for three nights or more per reservation. For campers who wish to stay at these huts on a first-come, first-served basis, we recommend you bring a tent in case they are full.
Click here for additional information. [non government site]
See a full listing of these cabins and campgrounds. [PDF 286KB]
The Naiset huts/cabins and R.C. Hind hut located in the core area of Mount Assiniboine are open to the public and can be reserved through Assiniboine Lodge or are available on a first-come first-served basis. Reservations for the Naiset Cabins are recommended in the summer and are MANDATORY in the winter. There is a non-refundable reservation fee of $5.00 per night to a maximum of $15.00 for three nights or more per reservation. For campers who wish to stay at these huts on a first-come, first-served basis, we recommend you bring a tent in case they are full.
Click here for additional information. [non government site]
Cabin Use Fee: $20.00 per person / night
Cabin Use Fee: $50.00 per family / night
Group Camping
There is a group campground at O’Brien’s Meadows in this park. It is for groups that range in size from 15 to 25 people. For more information on how to reserve this group campground, click here.
Pit or Flush Toilets
This park only has pit toilets located at each designated campsite; there are no flush toilets.
Walk-In/Wilderness Camping
There are approximately 75 wilderness, walk-in campsites in this park. During the summer, camp sites are occupied on a first-come, first-served basis. During the summer and winter months, visitors can make reservations for the Hind Hut and Naiset Huts by contacting Assiniboine Lodge. Campsites available are: Lake Magog and Og Lake in the core area of the Park, Porcupine Camp near Citadel Pass, Mitchell Meadows and Rock Lake near Ferro Pass, and Scoup Camp located along the Simpson River at its confluence with the North Simpson River. A group campsite is also available at O’Brien meadows near Assiniboine Pass for groups of 15 or more.
Rustic public cabins are located at the Surprise Creek/Simpson River confluence, Police Meadows, and along the Mitchell River approximately 6km upstream of the park boundary. Use of these cabins in first-come, first-served; tents are recommended in case the cabins are occupied. Note that the Police Meadows and Mitchell River cabins are not available for public use during the fall hunting season.
When toilets are not available, bury human waste at least six inches in soil and 30 metres from water. Register a trip itinerary with friends, check in and check out. When practical, use established, impacted campsites; otherwise practice “Leave No Trace” camping ethics. For more information on camping, click here.
For a detailed listing of cabins and campgrounds, click here. [PDF 55KB]
BC Parks Backcountry Registration System allows you to pre-pay your overnight fees for backcountry and/or marine site usage, where designated. This system will not be used for vehicle accessible (ie front country) campgrounds or controlled back country permits (ie Bowron Lakes canoe circuit and Berg Lake Trail).
Backcountry Camping Fee: $10.00 per person / night (persons 16 years of age and older)
Backcountry Camping Fee: $5.00 per child / night (persons 6 - 15 years of age)
