HI Castle Mountain, HI Kananaskis and HI Yoho National Park are great options for those new to the Canadian wilderness. You’ll get electricity, indoor toilets and hot showers, but these hostels are still surrounded by nature and provide a true getaway from the city and all the hustle and bustle that comes with it.

Got some winter backcountry experience under your belt and want to go it alone? HI Hilda Creek is only accessible on a key-code basis year-round and HI Beauty Creek and HI Mt Edith Cavell are key-code access only during the winter. Please note, HI Mount Edith Cavell is closed for the 2021-22 winter season.

Because these hostels aren’t staffed or monitored in the winter, prepare for a range of winter conditions. If you're headed into avalanche terrain, transceivers, avalanche probes and shovels are a must. At HI Mount Edith Cavell, there is no winter road access, so you’ll have to hike, cross-country ski or snowshoe your way down the 11 km road to the hostel. To stay, call Central Reservations to book your trip, sign the waiver and get the key code. Once you’re at the hostel, you’re on your own and expected to operate and care for the hostel as though it were your own.