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Kootenay Valley Viewpoint in Kootenay National Park

#6 of 15 sights in Kootenay

Sight · Kootenay National Park

Kootenay Valley Viewpoint

A quick roadside panorama of the Mitchell and Vermilion ranges

Photo: CC BY 2.0
Type
Sight
Nearest trail
0.6 km
Audio stories
4 nearby
  • Pullout
  • Scenic viewpoint
  • Parking
DirectionsMap

Hear the audio tour

Kootenay Valley Viewpoint: A Quick Panorama

Overview

About Kootenay Valley Viewpoint

Why stop

  • Broad panorama of the Mitchell and Vermilion ranges

Heads up

  • The highway splits the pullouts, so crossing takes care

Map

Where it is

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Full map
SightKootenay Valley Viewpoint50.67461, -115.88782
Keep this map with you offline in the Parkwolf app

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 Kootenay Valley 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

Kootenay Valley Viewpoint: A Quick Panorama
0:00 / 0:17
“Kootenay Valley Viewpoint is coming up, with a broad look across the valley toward the Mitchell and Vermilion ranges. It's a good five-minute break if you want mountain views without a walk.”

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

More stories near here in the app

  • Cobb Lake Trailhead: A Forest Lake Walk
  • The Living Crust on a Rock
  • Olive Lake: Both Boardwalk Lookouts
  • Horns Kept for Life
  • 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 Kootenay Valley Viewpoint

A quick panoramaKootenay Valley Viewpoint is a roadside overlook on the Banff–Windermere Highway, looking…

Kootenay Valley Viewpoint is a roadside overlook on the Banff–Windermere Highway, looking across Kootenay Valley toward the Mitchell and Vermilion ranges. The payoff is a broad mountain view without planning a hike. I’d make it a quick stop along the drive: visitors often praise the panorama, though a few find it less striking than other Rockies viewpoints.

Pick your side of the roadPullouts sit on both sides of the highway.

Pullouts sit on both sides of the highway. Crossing to the other side means crossing a live road, and traffic may not slow for pedestrians. Use the pullout on your side if you can; if you need to cross, wait for a clear gap.

Take in the full sweepParks Canada calls out the Mitchell and Vermilion ranges, and the broad valley view is the…

Parks Canada calls out the Mitchell and Vermilion ranges, and the broad valley view is the reason people stop. This is a good place for a wide photo that holds the valley and the full ridge line together. The view is the attraction; there’s no substantial hike to add to your plans.

viewpointmountainspanorama

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 Kootenay Valley Viewpoint

See it all on the map

Trails nearby

ModerateCobb Lake Trail5.4 km · 2 hr · 0.6 km awayA forested out-and-back to a quiet lake, with a steady climb back.EasyOlive Lake Trail0.6 km · 15 min · 3.1 km awayA quick boardwalk break gives you an emerald lakeshore in minutes.ChallengingSinclair Creek Trail12.4 km · 6 hr · 4.1 km awayA steep climb from the creek to alpine meadows below the col.ChallengingKindersley-Sinclair Loop16.3 km · 8 hr · 4.1 km awayA hard climb through meadows to a high col; arrange the shuttle.ChallengingKindersley Pass20 km · 8 hr · 5 km awayA big climb with its broadest views beyond the pass.ModerateKimpton Creek6.4 km · 2.5 hr · 6.4 km awayA shaded creek walk on a narrow, sometimes rough forest trail.

More stops nearby

Sight · 1.7 km awayCobb LakeA forest-fringed lake at the end of a two-hour walk.Sight · 3 km awayOlive LakeBright green water makes this quick roadside walk worth the break.Picnic area · 7.3 km awayKootenay River Day-use AreaA riverside picnic stop along Highway 93 South

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.

4.7 from 8,600+ ratings

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