Photo:
DXR / CC BY-SA 4.0
Mount Revelstoke is the rare mountain park you can drive to the top of, a 26-kilometre parkway switchbacks from rainforest valley to flower-filled summit meadows, putting the high country within reach of almost anyone. Small but lush, it protects a slice of the Columbia Mountains where wet interior rainforest gives way to some of the most celebrated subalpine wildflower displays in Canada.
The park climbs through vivid life zones in a short vertical span: ancient inland rainforest of towering cedar and hemlock at the base, dense subalpine forest on the slopes, and open alpine meadows near the 1,900-metre summit that erupt with paintbrush, lupine and arnica in the warm weeks of late summer. Grizzly and black bears, mountain caribou and marmots inhabit the range.
Mid-July to mid-September is the star window, when the summit road is fully open and the meadows are in bloom, the display peaks in a short, glorious burst. Late spring is wet and snowy up high; fall brings colour and quiet before the road closes. Winter turns the lower park into a destination for cross-country skiing and snowshoeing.
The park sits right beside the city of Revelstoke, just off the Trans-Canada Highway. In summer, the Meadows in the Sky Parkway climbs 26 kilometres of switchbacks to a shuttle stop near the summit, from which a short bus or walk reaches the top; there is no vehicle access to the very summit. Valley-bottom trails and boardwalks are reachable directly off the highway.
Driving the parkway and wandering the summit meadow trails, Firstview, Eva Lake, Miller Lake and the Meadows loops, is the classic outing. At the base, boardwalk trails like Giant Cedars and Skunk Cabbage showcase the inland rainforest with no climbing at all. Backpackers can camp at Eva and Jade lakes, and winter visitors ski and snowshoe the lower trails.
This is bear country, so carry bear spray, make noise and store food properly. The summit holds snow late and weather can turn cold and wet fast, so bring warm layers and a shell even on a sunny valley morning. Stay on the boardwalks to protect the fragile meadows, and in winter be aware of avalanche terrain off the marked trails.
A Parks Canada pass is required, and the Meadows in the Sky Parkway is seasonal. Check opening dates and any vehicle-size or shuttle rules before you drive up. Backcountry campsites should be reserved. This page is a general overview, not a live conditions report; always confirm current conditions, road status and permits with Parks Canada before your trip.
Set this declination on your compass, then align it to the map's north lines; it is the angle between true north and magnetic north, refreshed each year.
