Yoho/Waterton/Dinosaur/Drumheller - recommendations?
 

Hi, I'm planning a camping/hiking trip to Waterton, Yoho, Dinosaur and Drumheller in ... erm ... 3 weeks! Does anybody out there have any suggestions for good campsites, hikes - nothing vertical , or specific things that I should see, do or visit? Looking forward to reading all those excellent replies! Thanks

The sun will cook you in Drumheller and Dinosaur Provincial Park if you are unprotected. Sunscreen and a broad brimmed hat are my equipment in that area.

As for hikes, you will not see much if you don't go uphill. Even the Plain of Six Glaciers gains over 1,000 feet before it reaches the end.
You can visit Takkakaw Falls; the walk is flat and short.

But coming back to your vertical comment. I don't think you can take much of a hike in the mountains without gaining or losing altitude.

That is too bad because the Whaleback Trail in Yoho is a classic; so is the Iceline in Yoho.

Thanks for that. By "nothing vertical", I meant nothing that's like climbing a cliff. Other than that I'll have a go at any more moderate stuff. :)

Well in that case, get a copy of The Canadian Rockies Trail Guide by Brian pstton and Bart Robinson, 7th edition.
It is sold in many stores in the Banff-Lake Louise area, Amazon.Com can get it for you.

In Waterton, the most spectacular walk is the Carthew Alderson trail. It can be done half way from Cameron Lake to the Carthew Summit, about 5 miles up.
And of course 5 miles back.

The unrivalled one that area is the Crypt Lake trip. It is 5 plus miles and requires that you cross the lake with the shuttle boat. You will need to inquire locally after you get there to learn the boat schedule. It might be posted on the web.

In the Banff area, try Johnston Canyon.
It has intermediate objectives so you can turn around most any time and still have seen something nice.

The Whaleback trail is a long one, but rewarding. It is an all day affair for a strong hiker.

Or you could get a permit to camp at the Little Yoho Campground, set up there after packing in, and make the excursion the next day.

OOPS Brian Patton.
He and Bart have measured the trails and describe them fully.
As an editorial comment, this is the best hiking book in English. It ranks with the classics by Kev Reynolds on the Alps.
I know, it is something of an apples to oranges comparison, but Patton and Robinson have done a first class job with their trail guide.

The 7th edition is even better than the 6th, which was much better than the 1st.