Moon Best of Glacier, Banff & Jasper: Make the Most of One to Three Days in the Parks

by Andrew Hempstead, Becky Lomax

Overview

Whether you're stopping for a day hike or spending a long weekend under the stars, escape to the great outdoors with Moon Best of Glacier, Banff & Jasper. Inside you'll find:

• Easy itineraries for one to three days in Glacier, Banff, and Jasper National Parks, from a scenic drive along Going-to-the-Sun Road, to a day of hiking through glacial valleys, to a weekend exploring the best of all three parks with mix-and-match itineraries
• The top hikes in Glacier, Banff, and Jasper: Whether you're looking to stretch your legs for a couple hours or challenge yourself to an epic trek, you'll find trailheads, detailed trail descriptions, individual maps, mileage, and elevation gains
• Can't-miss experiences: Make it the perfect getaway for you with the best views, picnic spots, and more. Trek through fields of alpine wildflowers, walk beneath waterfalls, get your adrenaline pumping on the Glacier Skywalk, and spot wild moose or grizzlies roaming the mountainside
• Stunning full-color photos and maps throughout, plus a full-color foldout map
• Essential planning tips: Find out when to go, where to stay, and what to pack, plus up-to-date information on entrance fees, border crossing, reservations, and safety advice
• Know-how from outdoors experts Andrew Hempstead and Becky Lomax

Make the most of your adventure with Moon Best of Glacier, Banff & Jasper.

Visiting more of North America's incredible national parks? Try Moon USA National Parks.
 

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Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781640495456
Publisher:	Avalon Publishing
Publication date:	08/03/2021
Series:	Travel Guide
Pages:	280
Product dimensions:	5.40(w) x 8.30(h) x 0.70(d)

About the Author

As a professional travel writer, Andrew Hempstead spends as much time as possible on the road, traveling incognito, experiencing the many and varied delights of each destination just as his readers do. He looks forward to spending every second summer at home in the Canadian Rockies, traveling mountain highways and hiking trails, exploring new places, and updating old favorites.


Since the early 1990s, Andrew has authored and updated more than 60 guidebooks, and supplied content for regional and national clients like Expedia and KLM. His photography has appeared in a wide variety of media, ranging from international golf magazines to a Ripley's Believe it or Not! Museum.

Andrew and his wife, Dianne, own Summerthought Publishing, a Canadian regional publisher of nonfiction books. He is a member of The Diners Club World's 50 Best Restaurants Academy. Andrew has also spoken on travel writing to a national audience and has contributed to a university-level travel writing textbook. He and his family live in Banff, Alberta.


Becky Lomax was three years old when her parents first took her to stay with friends who worked as rangers at Two Medicine Lake in Glacier National Park. During college, Becky worked two summers in the historic Glacier Park Lodge, an easy hop to Two Medicine. She spent her days off hiking, backpacking, and climbing throughout the park.

After teaching high school writing and speech outside Seattle, she and her husband moved to Whitefish for quick access to Glacier. She worked in the park for a decade as a hiking and backpacking guide, leading many first-time visitors to Gunsight Pass, Fifty Mountain, and Iceberg Lake. She also served on staff at Granite Park Chalet, spotting wolverines and bagging nearby peaks in her off time.

Today, Becky maintains her strong link with Glacier by using her full-time writing career as an excuse to keep hiking in the park. In magazine stories, she lauds the park's trails, historic lodges, scenic drives, wildlife, and wildflowers. She tags along with biologists in the field to radio-collar bighorn sheep and grizzly bears. She also treks annually to Grinnell Glacier to write about how climate change is melting the park's ice fields.

Becky serves as the western writer for On the Snow, a website that provides snow reports for ski resorts. She also writes stories for regional newspapers and national magazines such as Smithsonian and Backpacker, and is the author of the bestselling Moon USA National Parks.

Table of Contents

Welcome to Glacier, Banff & Jasper 6

Best Days in Glacier, Banff & Jasper 8

Seasons of Glacier, Banff & Jasper 27

Best of the Best 32

Best Hikes 34

Best Views 38

Best Glacial Features 40

Indiginous Peoples of Glacier, Banff & Jasper 42

Best Scenic Drive 44

Practice Sustainable Travel in Glacier, Banff & Jasper 46

Glacier National Park 48

Glacier National Park 3 Ways 55

Highlights and Scenic Drives 59

Best Hikes 75

Backpacking 86

Biking 88

Paddling 90

Winter Sports 91

Food 93

Camping 96

Lodging 99

Information and Services | Transportation 103

Banff National Park 108

Banff National Park 3 Ways 113

Highlights 118

Scenic Drives 135

Best Hikes 141

Backpacking 148

Biking 149

Paddling 150

Winter Sports 150

Food 154

Camping 159

Lodging 163

Information and services | Transportation 170

Jasper National Park 172

Jasper National Park 3 Ways 177

Highlights 182

Scenic Drives 194

Best Hikes 198

Backpacking 204

Biking 204

Rafting 205

Winter Sports 205

Food 207

Camping 210

Lodging 212

Information and Services | Transportation 218

Wildlife-Watching 220

Wildflowers 234

Essentials 246

Index 267

List of Maps 274