Are pikas found there?

Yes. American pikas are found in the Sunshine Meadows area, particularly where the alpine landscape becomes rocky. They are well adapted to the cold, high-elevation environment around Sunshine Village.

The best places to watch for them are talus slopes, boulder fields, rock piles, and rocky edges along hiking trails. Pikas use the spaces between rocks for shelter and protection, so they can disappear almost instantly when they sense danger.

You may hear a pika before seeing one. They make distinctive short, high-pitched calls that can help you locate them among the rocks. If you hear repeated squeaks from a boulder field, stop quietly and watch the rocks for movement.

Pikas are considerably smaller than marmots and resemble a small, round-eared rabbit without an obvious tail. During summer, you may see them collecting grasses and alpine plants and carrying vegetation back toward their rocky shelters to create food stores for winter.

Unlike marmots, pikas do not hibernate. They remain active beneath the snow and among the rocks throughout winter, relying partly on the vegetation they collected during summer.

If you're hoping to see one at Sunshine Meadows, move slowly and quietly around rocky sections of the trails. Standish Mountain and rocky areas around the meadow trail system are good places to keep watch, although sightings are never guaranteed. Book the Banff Sunshine Village Sightseeing Gondola & Standish ChairliftBooking the Banff Sunshine Village Sightseeing Gondola & Standish Chairlift Admission includes All taxes, fees and handling charges. Banff Gondola Home