Top 10 interesting facts about HI-Kananaskis
10. The name Kananaskis comes from John Palliser who led the Palliser expedition from 1857-1860 across western Canada. He names the pass after hearing a story of a first nation's man who survived an axe attack. His name was Kananaskis.

9. Nakiska ski area was built for the 1988 Olympics in Calgary.

8. The Boulton and Elkwood interpretive theatres in nearby Peter Lougheed Provincial Park offer FREE programs to visitors in the summer. The price is right, and you can even learn something about the area.

7. The first structure for the HI-Kananaskis Hostel was an old school house that came from an abandoned coal town.

6. North near the town of Seebe was a world war II prisoner of war camp for German soldiers. It was called the Kananaskis Prisoner of war camp, but locals apparently called it the Kan-A-Nazi camp. A second temporary prisoner camp was built about 30 kilometers from the first camp to house the surge of prisoners in 1942.

5. The Kananaskis River flows into the Bow River which feeds the South Saskatchewan River. The South Saskatchewan joins the North Saskatchewan River and becomes the Saskatchewan River, which drains into Lake Winnipeg. Lake Winnipeg is the 11th largest fresh water lake in the world. The lake flows out to the north along the Nelson River and empties into the Hudson's bay. If you were to paddle the watershed from start to finish, you could see Black Bears, Grizzly Bears and Polar Bears.

4. The Saskatchewan River Basin is identified as one of the most endangered watersheds in Canada. Some years more than 70% of the river's water is diverted and never reaches Lake Winnipeg. This has contributed to massive algae blooms and a general decline in the health of the lake.

3. Looking for good information on bikes, climbs, avalanche safety or interpretive trails for Kananaskis? Check out this website till of amazing downloads http://www.tpr.alberta.ca/parks/kananaskis/ed_publications.asp

2. Kananaskis country has been used for several major motion pictures including: Little Big Man, Legends of the Fall, Unforgiven, and the classic, "Night of the Coffee Beans" starring a local scout group staying at the Kananaskis Hostel

1. Be careful, because if you stay too long, you'll never want to leave.

Photos and Top 10 list courtesy of Doug Latimar