Any US / Canada National Parks experts?

[HerbertVonDoodlebug]

So looking at next year’s holiday and were about to book a Canadian Rockies trip, but following the devastating wildfire in Jasper our plans are up in the air again. We were going to do Banff, Jasper and the Icefields Parkway but going to put that on hold for a few years (aware Banff is unaffected but likely to be extra busy and uncertainty over what would be accessible in Jasper NP by next summer)

I’m aware accommodation will be filling up fast for 2025 so need to get a new plan quick! However I’m a bit overwhelmed by choice so if anyone could recommend somewhere that meets these criteria that would be amazing:

• mountains and lakes
• likely to be a sensible heat ie under 30 degrees in the day
• a nice, small town we could base ourselves and access lots of things to do without spending hours in the car, that also has some restaurants and shops but isn’t heaving with people
• a good mix of hiking trails inc some summits and easier trails
• some non hiking things to do

If anyone has had a brilliant holiday that matches all these please do share!

Have you been to the Acadia National Park in Maine, US?
https://www.nps.gov/acad/index.htm

Same here OP, and we also don’t like it too hot to hike. We’re still considering going and doing more of the Kootenay, Yoho and Golden National Parks and maybe over to Whistler or down to Fernie and Waterton Lakes.

We’ve been to Banff, Jasper and Fairmont Hot Springs before and spent a day in Kimberley, which we really liked, and I’d definitely stay in Radium Hot Springs. Fairmont is not exciting.

The benefit of transatlantic travel is you’ll be up and at ‘em well before 6am for the first week so can get ahead of the mob at Lake Louise etc.

Plan B is northern California in the national forests north of Yosemite followed by a couple of days in San Francisco, or Montana and Idaho including Yellowstone and Grand Teton.