Mount Assiniboine Provincial Park

• Updates on conditions in the backcountry

  Please note that, due to an excessive number of public inquiries, BC Parks Regional staff are unable to effectively respond or return every phone inquiry received concerning this park. Please appreciate that our staff are not able to assess the conditions in the backcountry on a regular basis in the winter/spring, nor are we able to predict or provide weather or current snowpack conditions. Facility and trail conditions are updated on our website as soon as we have new information to post. For information on historic weather conditions in these or other areas, please see Environment Canada: Historical Climate Data.

  The most common questions about the park are answered on the parks' web pages; BC Parks recommends that visitors review this information prior to visiting. If you have an inquiry that isn’t answered on our web pages, please submit your questions or concerns online. We appreciate your cooperation.

• October 21, 2019

  Simpson River Suspension Bridge

  A new bridge has been installed 200m upstream from the original bridge across the Simpson River to support access to the Surprize Creek Cabin and Rock Lake Campground. Please note ‐ A portion of the Simpson Trail has been rerouted North to the new bridge location.

CAUTION – Hazards due to wildfire damage

Please be advised that there are significant risks associated with entering areas that have been burnt over by the 2017 wildfires.

Potential risks could include:

• danger trees and overhead hazards – the integrity of trees whose trunks, roots or branches have been damaged by wildfire is unreliable
• terrain instability resulting in landslides and falling or shifting debris and rock
• amplified runoff after rainfall or snowmelt which could result in a rapid increase of water course depth and flow rates or flooding conditions
• ash pits – may be deep and difficult to see
• respiratory effects caused by breathing soot and charcoal for extended periods of time

Post-wildfire hazards may last for several years or longer after a wildfire and may be triggered at any time with little or no warning.

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.

• Fires are prohibited within the core area of the park.

• Campground and Cabins Information Sheet [PDF] (October 13, 2020)

• Trail Report [PDF] (October 18, 2019)
  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.

Please Note: Campsite reservations are only accepted at Og Lake and Magog Lake campgrounds during peak season (June 26 – September 30).

During the non-peak season (October 1 – June 25) camping permits for these campgrounds must still be purchased via the Discover Camping Reservation System, although reservation transaction charges are waived. There is no cash payment accepted in the park for reservations. There are also self-registration stations at the Lake Magog and Og Lake campgrounds where payment can be made with cash for permits during non-peak season (October 1 – June 25).

• Magog Lake Campground Map

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 at www.pc.gc.ca/banff.

Please note: Any maps listed are for information only; they may not represent legal boundaries and should not be used for navigation.

• Location Map

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.

Any maps listed are for information only; they may not represent legal boundaries and should not be used for navigation.

• Park Map [PDF] (March 9, 2018)
• Magog Lake Campground Map [PDF] (September 21, 2018)

• History
• Cultural Heritage
• Conservation
• Wildlife
  • General Wildlife, Marine & Outdoor Ethics Information

• Management Planning Information
• Mount Assiniboine Park Approved Management Plan [PDF 2.3MB] (November 2012)

Climbing

Fishing

Hiking

Horseback Riding

Hunting

Pets on Leash

Wildlife Viewing

Winter Recreation

Cabins / Huts

Group Camping

Pit or Flush Toilets

Walk-In/Wilderness Camping