I've been to several of these parks, plus Glacier National Park (disappointingly, it's not included in this book although it's one of the parks of canadianrockies.org; probably omitted because technically it is in the Columbia Mountains) and hiked, or strolled, a number of these trails. This book makes me feel eager to go back as soon as possible and hike the rest. Not intended for ambitious and energetic young backpackers, but more for slower hikers young or old, and of course for those who want to get out of the car and stretch their legs for half an hour while enjoying the best of the Canadian Rockies, this book includes 95 annotated trail listings. The sidebars are also worthy of attention, focussing on interesting tidbits of knowledge about the Rockies, from geology (why are glacial lakes so vividly coloured?) to botany (fireweed) and safety (several gruesome reasons not to hike on a glacier). The end matter comprises lists of which of these trails are particularly suitable for young families and the elderly, which are wheelchair accessible, which are convenient to campgrounds, the author's favourites, a bibliography of field guides, and other useful information.

The Rockies and their trails are probably buried under several metres of snow about now, but as soon as the season permits, I'll be packing camping gear and this book and heading west. ( )