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Mount Assiniboine Provincial Park
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 webcam at Assiniboine Lodge facing Magog Lake, Mount Assiniboine, Mount Magog and Naiset Peak.
Know Before You Go
- Fires are prohibited within the core area of the park.
- Campground and Cabins Information Sheet [PDF] (May 9, 2022)
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Trail Report [PDF] (August 14, 2022)
Please note: Trail reports updated regularly June-August as trails melt out.
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.
Reservations
Please Note: Campsite reservations are required year-round at Og Lake and Magog Lake campgrounds.
Please check current snowpack conditions before reserving a tent pad. Snow melt typically does not occur at Magog campground until mid July. The Assiniboine Lodge webcam is a good reference to gauge snowpack at Magog campground.
There are no registration or camping fees for camping in any other campground in the park (including Porcupine).
Group Camp/Picnic Reservations
A group campsite can be prebooked at O’Brien Meadows for groups of 15 – 25 people. Contact the Assiniboine Lodge reservations office.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.
- More information on how to book a cabin/hut (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.Location
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
- Park Map [PDF] (March 9, 2018)
- Magog Lake Campground Map [PDF] (September 21, 2018)
Nature and Culture
Management Planning
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.
Update 2015: Rappel stations upgraded
The rappel stations on the Classic Mount Assiniboine North Ridge Route were upgraded to permanent fixed (2 bolt + chain) anchors by our partners in public safety, Parks Canada (Visitor Safety Program).
Fishing
Hiking
-
Trail Report [PDF] (August 14, 2022)
Please note: Trail reports updated regularly June-August as trails melt out.
Horseback Riding
If planning to horseback ride in the park, we recommend you read the Mount Assiniboine Horse Use Policy [PDF] and view/print the Horse Trail Map [PDF]. As horseback riders are required to obtain and carry with them a letter of permission from BC Parks please use our Letter of Permission for Horse Use 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.
Hunting
Pets on Leash
Wildlife Viewing
Winter Recreation
Facilities Available at this Park
Cabins / Huts
There are a number of rustic cabins located in the more outlying areas of Mount Assiniboine Park.
- Campground and Cabins Information Sheet [PDF] (May 9, 2022)
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. There are no registration or cabin fees charged to stay in these cabins, and use is 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.
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.
- More information on how to book a cabin/hut (non-government site)
Group Camping
- More information on how to reserve this group campground (non-government site)
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 peak season, campsites at Og Lake and Magog Lake campgrounds are reservable through the BC Parks reservations system. During the summer and winter months, visitors can make reservations for the Hind Hut and Naiset Huts by contacting Assiniboine Lodge. Campsites available are: Magog Lake and Og Lake in the core area of the Park, Porcupine Camp near Citadel Pass, Mitchell Meadows and Rock Lake near Ferro Pass.
Reservations are required year-round for overnight stays at Magog Lake and Og Lake campgrounds. Reservations can be made up to 2 months in advance of your arrival date. Camping is permitted only within designated campsites in this core area. There are no registration or camping fees for camping in any other campground in the park (including Porcupine). A group campsite is also available at O’Brien Meadows near Assiniboine Pass for groups of 15 or more.
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.
- Campground and Cabins Information Sheet [PDF] (May 9, 2022)
The BC Parks reservations system allows you to reserve a campsite at Og Lake and Magog Lake campgrounds during peak season. During the non-peak season camping permits for these campgrounds must still be purchased via the BC Parks reservations system, although reservation transaction charges are waived. There is no cash payment accepted in the park.
