Understanding The Parks Canada Entry Fees

Free Admission For Youth 17 And Under

Since January 1, 2018 the admission to national parks, national historic sites and national marine conservation sites managed by Parks Canada is free for youth 17 years of age and under. It does not include provincial parks, territorial parks, municipal and private parks or historic sites not managed by Parks Canada.

Entry Information For Those Planning To Visit Canada’s National Parks

The entry fees associated with the Canadian National Parks in the Rocky Mountains are a source of confusion for many people. It starts with the term “entry fee.”  It’s not a flat entry fee, you have to pay for the number of days you will be in the parks. What gets confusing is that the pass is associated to the vehicle entering the parks, yet the charge is per person in the vehicle. One pass will be given per vehicle and it is to be placed on the dash or hung from the rear view mirror. Baffled yet? Read on and hopefully it will all make sense.

When Are You Required To Buy A Park Pass?

The driver and passengers entering into a park in their own vehicle or in a rented vehicle that will be stopping or using the park in any way are required to have a valid park pass. If you arrive by other means and then rent a vehicle in a National Park you will also need to purchase a valid park pass for you and your passengers for each day you will be spending in the parks. If you are coming into the parks with a tour operator contact them directly to see if they will be purchasing a park pass on your behalf.

Many visitors misunderstand in thinking they don’t require a pass if they are making a short stop in places such as Banff or having a quick bite to eat on their drive through.

Some examples of when a park pass is required:

• stopping at a viewpoint or pullout to enjoy the scenery or to take photos
• a quick stop to see Lake Louise
• using a picnic area
• attending an event, festival or conference within a park regardless if it’s for personal or business purposes
• stopping in a town or village such as the Banff town site, even it is just to grab a quick bite to eat
• camping, hiking or use of any park facility also requires a park pass in addition to any applicable camping fees
• if you are a driver or passenger of a vehicle brought into a park to ski for the day

Misunderstandings With Accommodation And Park Passes

Accommodation booked in a park does not include a park pass. The parking at your accommodation has nothing to do with a park pass. The park pass fee is not a parking fee, it is for spending time in the park and it goes towards maintaining the infrastructure and programs in the park. Payment for a park pass is required for each day spent in the parks above and beyond the cost of your accommodation or parking regardless of whether your parking is free or not.

Some visitors staying in accommodation outside of the parks incorrectly think they do not need a park pass when coming into a park for the day. It’s irrelevant whether your accommodation is within a park or not. You still need a park pass for each day that you stop in or spend time in one of the Rocky Mountain National Parks. For example: Your accommodation is outside of Banff National Park in the nearby town of Canmore. For each day you enter into Banff National Park you will need to purchase a park pass. If there is a day that you spend all your time in Canmore and do not come into Banff National Park you will not need a pass for that day because Canmore is located outside the boundaries of Banff National Park.

When Is A Park Pass Not Required?

Canada’s main Trans Canada Highway #1 happens to pass right through Banff National park and Yoho National Park. Therefore if you are using the highway only as a route of travel and making no stops in the parks you are not required to purchase a park pass. The same applies for driving straight through Jasper National Park on the Yellowhead Hwy #16.

If you are a passenger coming through the parks on a transportation bus that is not stopping in the parks you are not required to purchase a park pass. If you are on a tour bus that is stopping check to see if the park pass is be taken care of on your behalf by the tour company.

A Park Pass Is Always Required For The Icefields Parkway #93N And The Bow Valley Parkway #1A

If you drive on either of the scenic parkways such as the Icefields Parkway (#93N) that runs between Lake Louise to Jasper or the Bow Valley Parkway (#1A) that runs between Banff and Lake Louise you are required to have a park pass even if you are not stopping. These are considered scenic roadways, they are not essential transportation routes. A park pass is required at any time for drivers of vehicles on these roads and their passengers.

Do I Need To Purchase A Park Pass When Entering A Park With A Tour Or By Bus?

If you are entering a park as part of a tour or by shuttle or bus your entry fee has probably been included in the cost of your tour or ticket. You can check with the transportation or tour company if you are not sure. Pedestrians are not required to pay additional ongoing fees for time spent in the park once their initial entry fee has been paid. However if you rent a vehicle for use in the parks after your arrival you will need to have a valid park pass to display for in the vehicle for the days you will spend with it in the park.

Do I Buy A Pass For Each National Park In The Canadian Rocky Mountains?

You do not need a separate pass for each park. You can visit all the Rocky Mountain Parks such as Banff, Jasper, Yoho, Kootenay, Mount Revelstoke, Glacier, Waterton Lakes and Elk Island National Parks with the same pass. As long as it is valid for the total number of days you will be visiting. Example: You entered a park on June 10th and paid for a total of 4 days. The park pass would be valid to June 14th until 4pm. During that time you can come and go in between the above mentioned parks as you wish.

Types Of Canada National Parks Passes Available

There are two types of passes available a daily pass and an annual Discovery Pass.

Daily Pass – a daily pass is valid until 4pm the next day regardless of what time it was purchased. If you were visiting the parks for several days you would buy a pass for the time you plan to spend in the parks. Example you enter a park on August 17th and pay for 3 days. Your pass would be valid to August 20th until 4pm. The daily pass does not include entry into national historic sites.

Annual Discovery Pass – valid for a full year until the end of the calendar month from the date purchased. Example: an Annual Discovery Pass purchased on August 17th 2019 would be valid until August 30th, 2020

The Annual Discovery Passes provides entry into over 100 National Parks, National Marine Conservation Areas and National Historic Sites. Historic sites you may want to visit in Banff are the Banff Park Museum and the Cave and Basin.

Cost Of Daily Park Passes And Annual Discovery Passes

Price Per Day For Daily Passes

• Adult $ 9.80 (age 18 to 64)
• Senior $ 8.30 (age 65 and up)
• Youth 17 and under is currently free
• Family/Group $ 19.60 (up to seven people arriving together in a single vehicle at a National Park or National Historic site)

Annual Discovery Pass Prices

• Adult $ 67.70 (age 18 to 64)
• Senior $ 57.90 (age 65 and up)
• Youth 17 and under is currently free
• Family/Group $ 136.40 (up to seven people arriving together in a single vehicle at a National Park or National historic site)

When Is It More Economical To Buy A Daily Family/Group Pass or An Annual Discovery Pass 

Once you have more than 2 adults entering the park for a day or for a couple of days it’s cheaper to buy the daily Family/Group Pass at $19.60 a day for the number of days you need.

Example:

• 3 adults for 1 day is $9.80 x3 = $29.40, the group/family pass is cheaper at $19.60

If you’re going to be in any of the Rocky Mountains Parks for 7 days or more during your visit or plan to visit them again within a year or visit any other National Parks within Canada within the year then it’s worth buying the annual Discovery Pass.

Examples:

• Adult daily pass at $9.80 per day x 7 days = $68.60. The annual Discovery Pass for one adult is cheaper at $67.70
• If you have two adults at $9.80 x 7 days = $137.20. The family/group annual Discovery pass is cheaper at $136.40

What Costs Or Admissions Are Not Covered By The Parks Discovery Pass?  

Admission to national parks, historic sites and national marine conservation areas managed by Parks Canada are covered by the pass. Fees still apply to camping and other accommodations, overnight back country use, hot springs, mooring, reservation fees, firewood and fishing licences. The pass does not include provincial parks, territorial parks, municipal and private parks or historic sites not managed by Parks Canada.

Where Can I Buy A Park Pass In the Canadian Rockies

There are several entry gates that have kiosks manned with park attendants.

Westbound 

• East Banff gate – this is where you enter Banff National Park when driving west from Calgary or Canmore on Trans-Canada Highway #1. If you have already purchased a park pass you don’t have to stop at this gate each time. Slow down to the posted speed limit and drive by in the pass-through lane.
• Jasper East Park – This is the gate you will approach when heading west from Hinton or Edmonton on the Yellowhead Highway #16

Eastbound

• Kootenay West Gate – used when driving in from Radium Hotsprings or Cranbrook on the Banff-Windermere Highway #93
• Jasper West Gate – used when driving in from Kamloops or Prince George on the Yellowhead Highway #16

Icefields Parkway – There are pass kiosks located at each end of the Icefields Parkway near Lake Louise and Jasper.

Parks Canada Tourist Office Locations

If you have entered a park where there was not a gate or the gate was unattended you need to head to one of the following locations to purchase a pass.

• Lake Louise – next to the Samson Mall in the village of Lake Louise
• Banff – in the town at 224 Banff Avenue
• Jasper – in town at 500 Connaught Drive
• Yoho – at the Field Visitor Center on the Trans Canada Hwy (May to early October only) use the Lake Louise location the rest of the year.
• Kootenay – (May to September only) in the village of Radium on the main street

Additional places to purchase park passes in Banff National Park

• Wilson Mountain Sports – in the Samson Mall in the village of Lake Louise

Purchase Online Or By Phone

You can purchase an annual Discovery Pass prior to your trip online or by phone. Call 403-760-1343 or 1-888-773-8888 between 8am and 4pm M.S.T. (Mountain Standard Time) or online at: Parks Canada Annual Discovery Park Pass. Daily or Discovery Park Passes can be also be purchased online at Banff/Lake Louise Tourism

In addition to purchasing online and by phone there are a number of other places that Parks Canada has partnerships with where you can purchase park passes. For a list of locations visit: Parks Canada Pass

AMA Members Discounted Discovery Park Pass

AMA members can receive a slight discount on an annual Family/Group or individual Discovery Pass. See more info here: AMA Travel Parks Canada-Discovery Pass. The passes through AMA are valid for one year, but they must be purchased for the current month of travel.

Do I Need To Purchase More Than One Park Pass If The Same Family Is Traveling In Separate Vehicles Or IF A Recreation Vehicle (RV) Is Towing A Car. 

The answer is yes. Regardless of whether you are buying day passes or have or will be purchasing an annual pass you will need a pass for each separate vehicle stopping or spending time in the parks.

Examples:

-You have an RV (Recreational Vehicle) that will remain in a campsite within the parks and a car that you will use to travel around with. Both the RV and the car will need a park pass valid for the number of days that they will be in the parks.

-One portion of a family will be heading to the parks in a vehicle to start their vacation and an additional member will be arriving later in another vehicle. Both vehicles will need to purchase a park pass for the number of days they will be in the parks. Each vehicle will pay for a separate park pass. The price of the pass would be according to the number of occupants in each vehicle.

-For whatever reason a group or family is traveling through the parks with two vehicles and will be stopping for a quick bite to eat or to see Lake Louise, do a hike or sightseeing, etc. It really doesn’t matter what the purpose is, a park pass is required if you are stopping in the parks for any length of time or reason. Both vehicles will need a separate pass. The price of each pass would be according to the number of people in each vehicle.

How Do I Deal With A Park Pass If I Am Traveling On A Motorcycle?

You need to purchase a parks pass like any other vehicle. Parks Canada realizes that if you display an annual pass or any pass on a motorcycle in the parks that there’s a chance it’s could be stolen. Keep it on your person and make sure to have your park pass with you when parking or getting back on your bike so that you can present it if asked by a parks officer.

What Do The Park Pass Fees Pay For?

The park pass fees stay in the park area where they were purchased. In the Rocky Mountain National parks they are used for wildlife protection such as the fencing on Trans Canada Highway that runs through Banff National Park. It also pays for the building and maintenance to the wildlife underpasses and overpasses that cross the highway. Maintenance to picnic areas, trails, parking areas, scenic pullouts, scenic parkways, interpretive signs, day use areas, public safety and public washrooms are all part of what the fees cover.

I Want To Extend My Time In The Parks, What Do I Do?

Prior to your pass expiring, visit one of the Parks Canada offices. If you initially paid for just a few days inquire if you can upgrade to an annual park pass. Show your original receipt and they will apply the amount to the cost of the annual pass. (As long as the initial receipt was within the last 30 days)

Do Park Officials Check For Park Passes?

Yes, pass checks are done on vehicles in all areas of the parks from public parking areas, accommodation parking lots, camping sites, trail head parking lots and especially ski hill parking lots. In recent years check points have been set up by Parks Canada on the roads leading up to the ski hills. If your vehicle does not have a valid park pass clearly displayed while you are parked anywhere in the parks you can be issued a fine. Checks can also be done in camping areas.

Further information about the various parks can be found here: Parks Canada National Parks