3 Best Sights in British Columbia, Canada

This 8.8-km (5.5-mile) scenic road briefly parallels the fast-flowing Kicking Horse River before passing the Natural Bridge and traveling through the forest where it ultimately ends at the bright, deep green Emerald Lake. Compared to Lake Louise in Banff National Park, Emerald Lake is most definitely under-visited. The road is open year-round, and the speed limit is slow (50 km/h [30 mph]), allowing you plenty of opportunities to spot wildlife.

With only one highway through Kootenay National Park, many travelers choose this route as a scenic option to get from Banff to Windermere Valley. The park's terrain is rugged and natural with amazing views of the mountain ranges and the glacial blue rivers that often run alongside the highway. More so than the neighboring Canadian Rocky Mountain National Parks, wildfires have been significant in Kootenay National Park, and, especially in the northern portion of the park, the large stands of burned trees allow a stark view of the mountain peaks and give a romantic, haunting feel to the terrain. These burn areas quickly grow over with lush greenery and wildflowers, providing an important ecosystem for several species of flora and fauna within the park.

Hands down, this is the most scenic route in the whole park. After initially passing the Monarch and Kicking Horse campgrounds and the Meeting of the Waters viewpoint (where the Kicking Horse and Yoho Rivers meet), the 13.7-km (8.5-mile) road climbs up through a deep valley with impressive views of snow-covered mountain peaks, glaciers, waterfalls, and rivers. The road ends at the parking lot of the spectacular Takakkaw Falls, the second-highest waterfall in Canada. Note that the winding road has a couple of sharp, hairpin switchbacks that can be very difficult for larger RVs to navigate, and the road is open seasonally from late June to mid-October, weather permitting.