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Hector Gorge Viewpoint in Kootenay National Park

Scenic pullout · Kootenay National Park

Hector Gorge Viewpoint

A roadside view over the Kootenay River gorge.

Type
Scenic pullout
Nearest trail
3.4 km
Audio stories
3 nearby
  • Pullout
  • Parking
  • Scenic viewpoint
DirectionsMap

Hear the audio tour

Hector Gorge Viewpoint: The Wider Valley

Overview

About Hector Gorge Viewpoint

Why stop

  • A broad mountain-and-valley view from a quick roadside stop.

Map

Where it is

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Scenic pulloutHector Gorge Viewpoint50.91277, -116.03454
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Plan your stop

Before you go

5 active Kootenay alerts

  • ClosureWatercraft and angling prohibitedWatercraft and angling are prohibited on every waterbody in Kootenay National Park until March 31, 2027, to reduce the spread of aquatic invasive species (AIS), including whirling disease.Official details
  • ClosureSinclair Canyon construction closures and delaysRepairs to the Sinclair Creek Rock Tunnel and rehabilitation of the retaining wall at Sinclair Canyon require construction closures; expect alternating single-lane traffic on Highway 93S and…Official details
See all 5 alerts
A park ranger sits on a dash-mounted phone, talking, as Parkwolf’s Tour Guide plays “Army Cutworm Moths: A Grizzly Bear Buffet” on Grand Loop Road below Dunraven Pass in Yellowstone
Parkwolf Tour GuideThe highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.

Kootenay Tour Guide

Your drive to Hector Gorge Viewpoint, narrated.

Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Kootenay National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.

See the Kootenay audio tour

Recorded for this place

Hector Gorge Viewpoint: The Wider Valley
0:00 / 0:16
“You're coming up on Hector Gorge Viewpoint, a roadside look across the Kootenay River's forested valley toward a long mountain ridge. The river carved the gorge below, but don't expect a close-up of the water.”

Plays as you drive up to Hector Gorge Viewpoint in the Parkwolf Kootenay Tour Guide.

More stories near here in the app

  • The Songbird Underwater
  • From Underground to the Hot Pool
  • The River’s Long Way Round
  • The Pine That Needs a Bird
  • 49 audio storiesacross Kootenay’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
  • Wildlife heatmapsfor Grizzly Bear, Gray Wolf, Moose, and 13 more
  • Works offlinemaps, 38 trails, 29 places, and audio download before you lose signal
  • CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
★★★★★
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
JMJamesApp Store review
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4.7 from 8,600+ ratings

Guide

More about Hector Gorge Viewpoint

A quick pause on Highway 93Hector Gorge Viewpoint is a named roadside pullout on the east side of Highway 93, overlooking…

Hector Gorge Viewpoint is a named roadside pullout on the east side of Highway 93, overlooking the gorge cut by the Kootenay River. It's a worthwhile quick break when you're already driving through the park, especially if you like broad mountain and valley views; this is a viewpoint stop, not a hike.

Take in the wider viewLook across the forested valley to the long mountain ridge.

Look across the forested valley to the long mountain ridge. The river-cut gorge is the story, though the water itself isn't a close-up from the stop. For a photo, leave some foreground shrubs and trees in the frame so the ridge has a sense of scale.

Save your route before you driveA parking area serves the viewpoint.

A parking area serves the viewpoint. Parks Canada says there is no cellular or Wi-Fi service in Kootenay National Park, so download directions in advance instead of relying on a live map search at the pullout.

viewpointgorgeriverscenicdrive

Wildlife

Wildlife in Kootenay

All Kootenay wildlife maps
Grizzly Bear41 sightingsGrizzly BearMost seen around 8 PMSighting mapGray Wolf31 sightingsGray WolfMost seen around 8 PMSighting mapMoose22 sightingsMooseMost seen around 6 AMSighting mapMountain Goat84 sightingsMountain GoatMost seen around 7 PMSighting mapBighorn Sheep522 sightingsBighorn SheepMost seen around 7 AMSighting mapElk65 sightingsElkMost seen around 6 AMSighting map

Sighting maps show where each species has been reported across Kootenay. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.

Keep exploring

Near Hector Gorge Viewpoint

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Trails nearby

ModerateWest Kootenay Trail20.3 km · 7 hr · 3.4 km awayA nearly level old fire road reaches Kootenay’s western edge.

Parkwolf’s Kootenay ranking

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Take Parkwolf to Kootenay.

The audio tour guide for the drive, plus offline maps, trails, and wildlife heatmaps for when the signal drops.

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