Where are the Canadian Rockies?
If you are planning a vacation to Canada you will want to know where the Canadian Rockies are.
The Canadian Rockies are in WESTERN CANADA. They are part of the Rocky Mountains, a range that rises in the dense forests of central Mexico and runs north through the U.S. states of New Mexico, Colorado, Wyoming, Idaho, and Montana. In Canada, the Canadian Rockies form a natural border between the Canadian provinces of BRITISH COLUMBIA and ALBERTA. Mountainous British Columbia is Canada’s westernmost province, extending to the Pacific Ocean, while Alberta, to the east, is mostly prairie. The provincial boundary is the CONTINENTAL DIVIDE, an imaginary line that runs along the Canadian Rockies’ highest peaks. North of British Columbia and Alberta, the Rockies descend to their northern terminus in the boreal forests of northern Canada.
Most of the Canadian Rockies are protected by a string of contiguous parks. The best known of these is BANFF NATIONAL PARK. Other Canadian Rockies parks include JASPER NATIONAL PARK, YOHO NATIONAL PARK, KOOTENAY NATIONAL PARK, WATERTON LAKES NATIONAL PARK, MOUNT ASSINIBOINE PROVINCIAL PARK, and KANANASKIS COUNTRY.
If you are visiting the Canadian Rockies, your travels with probably take you to the town of Banff in Banff National Park. The closest city and international airport to Banff is Calgary, an hour’s drive to the east. Other Canadian gateway cities are Edmonton, 365 kilometres (227 miles) east of Jasper and Vancouver, 850 kilometres (528 miles) west of Banff. Also see Getting to the Canadian Rockies