diff --git a/modules/@angular/router/src/create_router_state.ts b/modules/@angular/router/src/create_router_state.ts
index 8b8f40f444..837c55f35d 100644
--- a/modules/@angular/router/src/create_router_state.ts
+++ b/modules/@angular/router/src/create_router_state.ts
@@ -1,18 +1,18 @@
-import { RouterStateCandidate, ActivatedRouteCandidate, RouterState, ActivatedRoute } from './router_state';
+import { RouterStateSnapshot, ActivatedRouteSnapshot, RouterState, ActivatedRoute } from './router_state';
 import { TreeNode } from './utils/tree';
 import { BehaviorSubject } from 'rxjs/BehaviorSubject';
 
-export function createRouterState(curr: RouterStateCandidate, prevState: RouterState): RouterState {
+export function createRouterState(curr: RouterStateSnapshot, prevState: RouterState): RouterState {
   const root = createNode(curr._root, prevState ? prevState._root : null);
   const queryParams = prevState ? prevState.queryParams : new BehaviorSubject(curr.queryParams);
   const fragment = prevState ? prevState.fragment : new BehaviorSubject(curr.fragment);
   return new RouterState(root, queryParams, fragment, curr);
 }
 
-function createNode(curr:TreeNode<ActivatedRouteCandidate>, prevState?:TreeNode<ActivatedRoute>):TreeNode<ActivatedRoute> {
-  if (prevState && equalRouteCandidates(prevState.value.candidate, curr.value)) {
+function createNode(curr:TreeNode<ActivatedRouteSnapshot>, prevState?:TreeNode<ActivatedRoute>):TreeNode<ActivatedRoute> {
+  if (prevState && equalRouteSnapshots(prevState.value.snapshot, curr.value)) {
     const value = prevState.value;
-    value.candidate = curr.value;
+    value.snapshot = curr.value;
     
     const children = createOrReuseChildren(curr, prevState);
     return new TreeNode<ActivatedRoute>(value, children);
@@ -24,9 +24,9 @@ function createNode(curr:TreeNode<ActivatedRouteCandidate>, prevState?:TreeNode<
   }
 }
 
-function createOrReuseChildren(curr:TreeNode<ActivatedRouteCandidate>, prevState:TreeNode<ActivatedRoute>) {
+function createOrReuseChildren(curr:TreeNode<ActivatedRouteSnapshot>, prevState:TreeNode<ActivatedRoute>) {
   return curr.children.map(child => {
-    const index = prevState.children.findIndex(p => equalRouteCandidates(p.value.candidate, child.value));
+    const index = prevState.children.findIndex(p => equalRouteSnapshots(p.value.snapshot, child.value));
     if (index >= 0) {
       return createNode(child, prevState.children[index]);
     } else {
@@ -35,10 +35,10 @@ function createOrReuseChildren(curr:TreeNode<ActivatedRouteCandidate>, prevState
   });
 }
 
-function createActivatedRoute(c:ActivatedRouteCandidate) {
+function createActivatedRoute(c:ActivatedRouteSnapshot) {
   return new ActivatedRoute(new BehaviorSubject(c.urlSegments), new BehaviorSubject(c.params), c.outlet, c.component, c);
 }
 
-function equalRouteCandidates(a: ActivatedRouteCandidate, b: ActivatedRouteCandidate): boolean {
+function equalRouteSnapshots(a: ActivatedRouteSnapshot, b: ActivatedRouteSnapshot): boolean {
   return a._routeConfig === b._routeConfig;
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/modules/@angular/router/src/recognize.ts b/modules/@angular/router/src/recognize.ts
index 5e7b8da6f6..d8c9196acb 100644
--- a/modules/@angular/router/src/recognize.ts
+++ b/modules/@angular/router/src/recognize.ts
@@ -1,28 +1,28 @@
 import { UrlTree, UrlSegment } from './url_tree';
 import { flatten, first, merge } from './utils/collection';
 import { TreeNode } from './utils/tree';
-import { RouterStateCandidate, ActivatedRouteCandidate } from './router_state';
+import { RouterStateSnapshot, ActivatedRouteSnapshot } from './router_state';
 import { Params, PRIMARY_OUTLET } from './shared';
 import { RouterConfig, Route } from './config';
 import { Type } from '@angular/core';
 import { Observable } from 'rxjs/Observable';
 
-export function recognize(rootComponentType: Type, config: RouterConfig, url: UrlTree): Observable<RouterStateCandidate> {
+export function recognize(rootComponentType: Type, config: RouterConfig, url: UrlTree): Observable<RouterStateSnapshot> {
   try {
     const match = new MatchResult(rootComponentType, config, [url.root], {}, url._root.children, [], PRIMARY_OUTLET, null);
     const roots = constructActivatedRoute(match);
-    const res = new RouterStateCandidate(roots[0], url.queryParameters, url.fragment);
-    return new Observable<RouterStateCandidate>(obs => {
+    const res = new RouterStateSnapshot(roots[0], url.queryParameters, url.fragment);
+    return new Observable<RouterStateSnapshot>(obs => {
       obs.next(res);
       obs.complete();
     });
   } catch(e) {
-    return new Observable<RouterStateCandidate>(obs => obs.error(e));
+    return new Observable<RouterStateSnapshot>(obs => obs.error(e));
   }
 }
 
-function constructActivatedRoute(match: MatchResult): TreeNode<ActivatedRouteCandidate>[] {
-  const activatedRoute = createActivatedRouteCandidate(match);
+function constructActivatedRoute(match: MatchResult): TreeNode<ActivatedRouteSnapshot>[] {
+  const activatedRoute = createActivatedRouteSnapshot(match);
   if (match.leftOverUrl.length > 0) {
     const children = recognizeMany(match.children, match.leftOverUrl);
     checkOutletNameUniqueness(children);
@@ -31,21 +31,21 @@ function constructActivatedRoute(match: MatchResult): TreeNode<ActivatedRouteCan
       if (b.value.outlet === PRIMARY_OUTLET) return 1;
       return a.value.outlet.localeCompare(b.value.outlet)
     });
-    return [new TreeNode<ActivatedRouteCandidate>(activatedRoute, children)];
+    return [new TreeNode<ActivatedRouteSnapshot>(activatedRoute, children)];
   } else {
-    return [new TreeNode<ActivatedRouteCandidate>(activatedRoute, [])];
+    return [new TreeNode<ActivatedRouteSnapshot>(activatedRoute, [])];
   }
 }
 
-function recognizeMany(config: Route[], urls: TreeNode<UrlSegment>[]): TreeNode<ActivatedRouteCandidate>[] {
+function recognizeMany(config: Route[], urls: TreeNode<UrlSegment>[]): TreeNode<ActivatedRouteSnapshot>[] {
   return flatten(urls.map(url => recognizeOne(config, url)));
 }
 
-function createActivatedRouteCandidate(match: MatchResult): ActivatedRouteCandidate {
-  return new ActivatedRouteCandidate(match.consumedUrlSegments, match.parameters, match.outlet, match.component, match.route);
+function createActivatedRouteSnapshot(match: MatchResult): ActivatedRouteSnapshot {
+  return new ActivatedRouteSnapshot(match.consumedUrlSegments, match.parameters, match.outlet, match.component, match.route);
 }
 
-function recognizeOne(config: Route[], url: TreeNode<UrlSegment>): TreeNode<ActivatedRouteCandidate>[] {
+function recognizeOne(config: Route[], url: TreeNode<UrlSegment>): TreeNode<ActivatedRouteSnapshot>[] {
   const m = match(config, url);
   const primary = constructActivatedRoute(m);
   const secondary = recognizeMany(config, m.secondary);
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ function recognizeOne(config: Route[], url: TreeNode<UrlSegment>): TreeNode<Acti
   return res;
 }
 
-function checkOutletNameUniqueness(nodes: TreeNode<ActivatedRouteCandidate>[]): TreeNode<ActivatedRouteCandidate>[] {
+function checkOutletNameUniqueness(nodes: TreeNode<ActivatedRouteSnapshot>[]): TreeNode<ActivatedRouteSnapshot>[] {
   let names = {};
   nodes.forEach(n => {
     let routeWithSameOutletName = names[n.value.outlet];
diff --git a/modules/@angular/router/src/resolve.ts b/modules/@angular/router/src/resolve.ts
index 737145a605..cdadbc5919 100644
--- a/modules/@angular/router/src/resolve.ts
+++ b/modules/@angular/router/src/resolve.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { RouterStateCandidate, ActivatedRouteCandidate } from './router_state';
+import { RouterStateSnapshot, ActivatedRouteSnapshot } from './router_state';
 import { TreeNode } from './utils/tree';
 import { ComponentResolver } from '@angular/core';
 import { Observable } from 'rxjs/Observable';
@@ -7,11 +7,11 @@ import {forkJoin} from 'rxjs/observable/forkJoin';
 import {fromPromise} from 'rxjs/observable/fromPromise';
 import 'rxjs/add/operator/toPromise';
 
-export function resolve(resolver: ComponentResolver, state: RouterStateCandidate): Observable<RouterStateCandidate> {
+export function resolve(resolver: ComponentResolver, state: RouterStateSnapshot): Observable<RouterStateSnapshot> {
   return resolveNode(resolver, state._root).map(_ => state);
 }
 
-function resolveNode(resolver: ComponentResolver, node: TreeNode<ActivatedRouteCandidate>): Observable<any> {
+function resolveNode(resolver: ComponentResolver, node: TreeNode<ActivatedRouteSnapshot>): Observable<any> {
   if (node.children.length === 0) {
     return fromPromise(resolver.resolveComponent(<any>node.value.component).then(factory => {
       node.value._resolvedComponentFactory = factory;
diff --git a/modules/@angular/router/src/router.ts b/modules/@angular/router/src/router.ts
index cad1346bcc..3ba1335192 100644
--- a/modules/@angular/router/src/router.ts
+++ b/modules/@angular/router/src/router.ts
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ import { createRouterState } from './create_router_state';
 import { TreeNode } from './utils/tree';
 import { UrlTree, createEmptyUrlTree } from './url_tree';
 import { PRIMARY_OUTLET, Params } from './shared';
-import { createEmptyState, RouterState, RouterStateCandidate, ActivatedRoute, ActivatedRouteCandidate} from './router_state';
+import { createEmptyState, RouterState, RouterStateSnapshot, ActivatedRoute, ActivatedRouteSnapshot} from './router_state';
 import { RouterConfig } from './config';
 import { RouterOutlet } from './directives/router_outlet';
 import { createUrlTree } from './create_url_tree';
@@ -162,17 +162,17 @@ export class Router {
 
   private runNavigate(url:UrlTree, pop?:boolean):Observable<any> {
     let state;
-    const r = recognize(this.rootComponentType, this.config, url).mergeMap((newRouterStateCandidate) => {
-      return resolve(this.resolver, newRouterStateCandidate);
+    const r = recognize(this.rootComponentType, this.config, url).mergeMap((newRouterStateSnapshot) => {
+      return resolve(this.resolver, newRouterStateSnapshot);
 
-    }).map((routerStateCandidate) => {
-      return createRouterState(routerStateCandidate, this.currentRouterState);
+    }).map((routerStateSnapshot) => {
+      return createRouterState(routerStateSnapshot, this.currentRouterState);
 
     }).map((newState:RouterState) => {
       state = newState;
 
     }).mergeMap(_ => {
-      return new GuardChecks(state.candidate, this.currentRouterState.candidate, this.injector).check(this.outletMap);
+      return new GuardChecks(state.snapshot, this.currentRouterState.snapshot, this.injector).check(this.outletMap);
     });
 
     r.subscribe((shouldActivate) => {
@@ -192,7 +192,7 @@ export class Router {
 
 class GuardChecks {
   private checks = [];
-  constructor(private future: RouterStateCandidate, private curr: RouterStateCandidate, private injector: Injector) {}
+  constructor(private future: RouterStateSnapshot, private curr: RouterStateSnapshot, private injector: Injector) {}
 
   check(parentOutletMap: RouterOutletMap): Observable<boolean> {
     const futureRoot = this.future._root;
@@ -202,8 +202,8 @@ class GuardChecks {
     return forkJoin(this.checks.map(s => this.runCanActivate(s))).map(and);
   }
 
-  private traverseChildRoutes(futureNode: TreeNode<ActivatedRouteCandidate>,
-                              currNode: TreeNode<ActivatedRouteCandidate> | null,
+  private traverseChildRoutes(futureNode: TreeNode<ActivatedRouteSnapshot>,
+                              currNode: TreeNode<ActivatedRouteSnapshot> | null,
                               outletMap: RouterOutletMap): void {
     const prevChildren = nodeChildrenAsMap(currNode);
     futureNode.children.forEach(c => {
@@ -213,7 +213,7 @@ class GuardChecks {
     forEach(prevChildren, (v, k) => this.deactivateOutletAndItChildren(outletMap._outlets[k]));
   }
 
-  traverseRoutes(futureNode: TreeNode<ActivatedRouteCandidate>, currNode: TreeNode<ActivatedRouteCandidate> | null,
+  traverseRoutes(futureNode: TreeNode<ActivatedRouteSnapshot>, currNode: TreeNode<ActivatedRouteSnapshot> | null,
                  parentOutletMap: RouterOutletMap): void {
     const future = futureNode.value;
     const curr = currNode ? currNode.value : null;
@@ -232,7 +232,7 @@ class GuardChecks {
 
   private deactivateOutletAndItChildren(outlet: RouterOutlet): void {}
 
-  private runCanActivate(future: ActivatedRouteCandidate): Observable<boolean> {
+  private runCanActivate(future: ActivatedRouteSnapshot): Observable<boolean> {
     const canActivate = future._routeConfig ? future._routeConfig.canActivate : null;
     if (!canActivate || canActivate.length === 0) return of(true);
     return forkJoin(canActivate.map(c => {
@@ -286,7 +286,7 @@ class ActivateRoutes {
       {provide: ActivatedRoute, useValue: future},
       {provide: RouterOutletMap, useValue: outletMap}
     ]);
-    outlet.activate(future.candidate._resolvedComponentFactory, resolved, outletMap);
+    outlet.activate(future.snapshot._resolvedComponentFactory, resolved, outletMap);
     pushValues(future);
   }
 
@@ -299,19 +299,19 @@ class ActivateRoutes {
 }
 
 function pushValues(route: ActivatedRoute): void {
-  if (!shallowEqual(route.candidate.params, (<any>route.params).value)) {
-    (<any>route.urlSegments).next(route.candidate.urlSegments);
-    (<any>route.params).next(route.candidate.params);
+  if (!shallowEqual(route.snapshot.params, (<any>route.params).value)) {
+    (<any>route.urlSegments).next(route.snapshot.urlSegments);
+    (<any>route.params).next(route.snapshot.params);
   }
 }
 
 function pushQueryParamsAndFragment(state: RouterState): void {
-  if (!shallowEqual(state.candidate.queryParams, (<any>state.queryParams).value)) {
-    (<any>state.queryParams).next(state.candidate.queryParams);
+  if (!shallowEqual(state.snapshot.queryParams, (<any>state.queryParams).value)) {
+    (<any>state.queryParams).next(state.snapshot.queryParams);
   }
 
-  if (state.candidate.fragment !== (<any>state.fragment).value) {
-    (<any>state.fragment).next(state.candidate.fragment);
+  if (state.snapshot.fragment !== (<any>state.fragment).value) {
+    (<any>state.fragment).next(state.snapshot.fragment);
   }
 }
 
diff --git a/modules/@angular/router/src/router_state.ts b/modules/@angular/router/src/router_state.ts
index 702b3e5efb..c8355e4329 100644
--- a/modules/@angular/router/src/router_state.ts
+++ b/modules/@angular/router/src/router_state.ts
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ import { BehaviorSubject } from 'rxjs/BehaviorSubject';
 import { Type, ComponentFactory } from '@angular/core';
 
 /**
- * The state of the router at a particular moment in time.
+ * The state of the router.
  *
  * ### Usage
  *
@@ -22,32 +22,33 @@ import { Type, ComponentFactory } from '@angular/core';
  * ```
  */
 export class RouterState extends Tree<ActivatedRoute> {
-  constructor(root: TreeNode<ActivatedRoute>, public queryParams: Observable<Params>, public fragment: Observable<string>, public candidate: RouterStateCandidate) {
+  constructor(root: TreeNode<ActivatedRoute>, public queryParams: Observable<Params>, public fragment: Observable<string>, public snapshot: RouterStateSnapshot) {
     super(root);
   }
 }
 
 export function createEmptyState(rootComponent: Type): RouterState {
-  const candidate = createEmptyStateCandidate(rootComponent);
+  const snapshot = createEmptyStateSnapshot(rootComponent);
   const emptyUrl = new BehaviorSubject([new UrlSegment("", {}, PRIMARY_OUTLET)]);
   const emptyParams = new BehaviorSubject({});
   const emptyQueryParams = new BehaviorSubject({});
   const fragment = new BehaviorSubject("");
-  const activated = new ActivatedRoute(emptyUrl, emptyParams, PRIMARY_OUTLET, rootComponent, candidate.root);
-  return new RouterState(new TreeNode<ActivatedRoute>(activated, []), emptyQueryParams, fragment, candidate);
+  const activated = new ActivatedRoute(emptyUrl, emptyParams, PRIMARY_OUTLET, rootComponent, snapshot.root);
+  return new RouterState(new TreeNode<ActivatedRoute>(activated, []), emptyQueryParams, fragment, snapshot);
 }
 
-function createEmptyStateCandidate(rootComponent: Type): RouterStateCandidate {
+function createEmptyStateSnapshot(rootComponent: Type): RouterStateSnapshot {
   const emptyUrl = [new UrlSegment("", {}, PRIMARY_OUTLET)];
   const emptyParams = {};
   const emptyQueryParams = {};
   const fragment = "";
-  const activated = new ActivatedRouteCandidate(emptyUrl, emptyParams, PRIMARY_OUTLET, rootComponent, null);
-  return new RouterStateCandidate(new TreeNode<ActivatedRouteCandidate>(activated, []), emptyQueryParams, fragment);
+  const activated = new ActivatedRouteSnapshot(emptyUrl, emptyParams, PRIMARY_OUTLET, rootComponent, null);
+  return new RouterStateSnapshot(new TreeNode<ActivatedRouteSnapshot>(activated, []), emptyQueryParams, fragment);
 }
 
 /**
- * Contains the information about a component loaded in an outlet.
+ * Contains the information about a component loaded in an outlet. The information is provided through
+ * the params and urlSegments observables.
  *
  * ### Usage
  *
@@ -64,11 +65,24 @@ export class ActivatedRoute {
               public params: Observable<Params>,
               public outlet: string,
               public component: Type | string,
-              public candidate: ActivatedRouteCandidate
+              public snapshot: ActivatedRouteSnapshot
   ) {}
 }
 
-export class ActivatedRouteCandidate {
+/**
+ * Contains the information about a component loaded in an outlet at a particular moment in time.
+ *
+ * ### Usage
+ *
+ * ```
+ * class MyComponent {
+ *   constructor(route: ActivatedRoute) {
+ *     const id: string = route.snapshot.params.id;
+ *   }
+ * }
+ * ```
+ */
+export class ActivatedRouteSnapshot {
   /**
    * @internal
    */
@@ -86,8 +100,21 @@ export class ActivatedRouteCandidate {
   }
 }
 
-export class RouterStateCandidate extends Tree<ActivatedRouteCandidate> {
-  constructor(root: TreeNode<ActivatedRouteCandidate>, public queryParams: Params, public fragment: string) {
+/**
+ * The state of the router at a particular moment in time.
+ *
+ * ### Usage
+ *
+ * ```
+ * class MyComponent {
+ *   constructor(router: Router) {
+ *     const snapshot = router.routerState.snapshot;
+ *   }
+ * }
+ * ```
+ */
+export class RouterStateSnapshot extends Tree<ActivatedRouteSnapshot> {
+  constructor(root: TreeNode<ActivatedRouteSnapshot>, public queryParams: Params, public fragment: string) {
     super(root);
   }
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/modules/@angular/router/test/create_router_state.spec.ts b/modules/@angular/router/test/create_router_state.spec.ts
index 0ba2030598..d6b02d8ea8 100644
--- a/modules/@angular/router/test/create_router_state.spec.ts
+++ b/modules/@angular/router/test/create_router_state.spec.ts
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 import {DefaultUrlSerializer} from '../src/url_serializer';
 import {UrlTree} from '../src/url_tree';
 import {Params, PRIMARY_OUTLET} from '../src/shared';
-import {ActivatedRoute, ActivatedRouteCandidate, RouterStateCandidate, createEmptyState} from '../src/router_state';
+import {ActivatedRoute, ActivatedRouteSnapshot, RouterStateSnapshot, createEmptyState} from '../src/router_state';
 import {createRouterState} from '../src/create_router_state';
 import {recognize} from '../src/recognize';
 import {RouterConfig} from '../src/config';
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ describe('create router state', () => {
   });
 });
 
-function createState(config: RouterConfig, url: string): RouterStateCandidate {
+function createState(config: RouterConfig, url: string): RouterStateSnapshot {
   let res;
   recognize(RootComponent, config, tree(url)).forEach(s => res = s);
   return res;
diff --git a/modules/@angular/router/test/recognize.spec.ts b/modules/@angular/router/test/recognize.spec.ts
index 82eda842ec..ed88ec4af1 100644
--- a/modules/@angular/router/test/recognize.spec.ts
+++ b/modules/@angular/router/test/recognize.spec.ts
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 import {DefaultUrlSerializer} from '../src/url_serializer';
 import {UrlTree} from '../src/url_tree';
 import {Params, PRIMARY_OUTLET} from '../src/shared';
-import {ActivatedRouteCandidate} from '../src/router_state';
+import {ActivatedRouteSnapshot} from '../src/router_state';
 import {recognize} from '../src/recognize';
 
 describe('recognize', () => {
@@ -196,7 +196,7 @@ describe('recognize', () => {
   });
 });
 
-function checkActivatedRoute(actual: ActivatedRouteCandidate | null, url: string, params: Params, cmp: Function, outlet: string = PRIMARY_OUTLET):void {
+function checkActivatedRoute(actual: ActivatedRouteSnapshot | null, url: string, params: Params, cmp: Function, outlet: string = PRIMARY_OUTLET):void {
   if (actual === null) {
     expect(actual).toBeDefined();
   } else {