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The Canadian Rockies comprise the Canadian segment of the North American Rocky Mountains range. The southern end in Alberta and British Columbia borders Idaho and Montana of the USA. The northern end is at the Liard Plain in British Columbia. Contrary to popular misconception, the Rockies do not extend into the Yukon or Alaska, or into central British Columbia. North of the Liard River, the Mackenzie Mountains, which are not part of the Rockies, form a portion of the border between the Yukon and the Northwest Territories. Mountains west of the Rocky Mountain Trench are also distinct ranges and not part of the Rockies.
Parks The Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks contains the national parks of Banff, Jasper, Kootenay and Yoho, and also the provincial parks of Hamber, Mount Assiniboine and Mount Robson. Together they were declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1984 for the mountain landscapes containing peaks, glaciers, lakes, waterfalls, canyons and limestone caves as well as fossils found here. Waterton Lakes National Park and numerous other provincial parks are located on the mountain ranges and in the valleys of the Rockies. Throughout the Rockies, and especially in the national parks, the Alpine Club of Canada maintains a series of alpine huts for use by mountaineers and adventurers. Significant peaks For scrambling up peaks of the Canadian Rockies, check out Scrambles in the Canadian Rockies. Note that of the mountains listed above, only Mount Temple has an established scrambling route. All other mountains (including other routes up Mount Temple), require more mountaineering skills and experience. For hikers and backpackers, The Canadian Rockies Trail Guide is the original and definitive reference guide book. Contrary to popular misconception, the Canadian Rockies are not the highest mountain ranges in Canada. Both the Saint Elias Mountains (highest point in Canada Mount Logan at 5959 metres) and the Coast Mountains (highest point Mount Waddington at 4,016 metres) have higher summits. Mountain ranges The Canadian Rockies are subdivided into numerous mountain ranges: The Rockies and The Canadian Pacific Railway The Canadian Pacific Railway was founded to provide a link from the province of British Columbia to the eastern provinces. The main difficulty in providing such a link were the Rockies themselves: treacherous mountain passes, fast rivers and sheer drops made for a difficult railway construction process. The following articles describe in detail the political and technical feats involved: | ||||||||
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