Canadian Rockies Trail Guide. 8th ed.

Sandy Campbell is a reference librarian in the Science and Technology Library at the University of Alberta.

This primary guidebook for both novice and experienced hikers in the Rockies details 229 trails in the Banff, Jasper, Yoho, Kootenay, and Waterton Lakes national parks as well as several bordering provincial parks. The trails range from short, easy hikes (Sunshine Village to Quartz Hill at 5.2 km) to long treks (Maligne Lake Road to Nigel Pass at 165.7 km, which takes 7 to 10 days).

For each hike a trail log provides directions and highlights important things to see. For example, the Devona Lookout trail log points out that in the spring “the grassy south-facing slopes … are covered with the blooms of western wood lilies, Indian paintbrush, camas lilies, and purple vetch.” Some of the logs also include local history (e.g., on the Castle Lookout trail we are told that “the lookout cabin … was accidentally burned by visiting hikers in 1983”). While photography is not the guide’s strong point, 150 black-and-white photos are included, and these are usually shots of the best scenery along the trail.

The trail log also provides information on weather, bears, bugs, backcountry rules, and registration as well as safety and hiking advice, such as “check yourself over closely for wood ticks after an early season trip to the look-out.”

There are 40 maps in the book, each showing several trails. The maps are not detailed but are sufficient for planning. The authors recommend that hikers take good topographic maps with them. At 452 pages the guide is too heavy to take on the trail, but most hikers will only need the information about the trail they’ve chosen.

Canadian Rockies Trail Guide is a “must have” for public libraries, especially in the Rocky Mountain region.