Best Parks in Canada
I may be biased because I’m from Canada, but it is by far my favorite place to explore. Canada’s ten provinces and three territories all boast different landscapes and cultural elements. Some of these differences are so striking that it may even feel like you travelled across a few different countries by the time you cross from one coast to the other. Whether you’re searching for urban rainforests, Rocky Mountains and turquoise lakes, prairies for miles, great lakes, escarpments and waterfalls, or cliffs and towns with pastel-coloured houses, Canada has it all.Now, there is always (in my opinion) a good time to travel through Canada, but if there was ever a slightly better time to go it would be right now. As in 2017.Canada is currently celebrating its 150th birthday, which means we, as all good Canadians would, are celebrating. Canada isn’t necessarily holding all out ragers and epic parties to celebrate, though; it is providing free access to its National Parks. This means that you can now explore some of those postcard perfect places you’ve seen, like Banff National Park and Gros Morne National Park, for free.So why not travel or explore Canada in 2017? If you live outside Canada, this could be the best time for you to come explore and see as much of this vast land as possible for less. If you’re from Canada and love to travel, maybe this is the year that you decide to stay in the home land and see what this great country has to offer. I’ve dedicated a few trips to exploring both the east and west coasts of Canada, and they still reign as some of the greatest trips I’ve ever been.There are tons of National Parks and National Historic sites that you can explore in Canada, and when you order your free National Parks pass and read the map/documents that come with it, you will get a better understanding of where they all are and which ones you want to visit. To get you started, however, here are a few of my favorites from coast to coast:
Pacific Rim National Park
Pacific Rim National Park is on the west side of Vancouver Island, so you’re really travelling to the far west side of Canada going here, which may make it a good place to start. Pacific Rim boasts, aside from a cool name, large forests to hike and explore, mountains, and, believe it or not, surfing. Some would even call this area the surf capital of Canada. A trip to this area would allow you to explore the National Park by hiking or kayaking through the trees in the morning, and then hang out and stay in Tofino for some surfing beside the mountains in the afternoon. Word on the street is there’s also a pretty solid craft brewery in Tofino, too.
Banff National Park
Banff National Park is a personal favorite of mine. The drive in from Calgary is epic, as you drive in across the flat prairies towards a literal wall of mountains that just grow and grow and grow as you get closer and closer. If you’ve never seen large mountains before, this is the way to experience them.Banff is only an hour and a half drive from Calgary. They actually have an airport shuttle company that will drive you right to your hotel in Banff, and then pick you up from your hotel and drive you back to the airport at the end of your trip.The really great thing about Banff is that, no matter what time of year you go, there is always something to do. Winter in Banff offers some of the best skiing and snowboarding in Canada. There are three main mountains for riding in the area: Mount Norquay, Sunshine Valley and Lake Louise. You can buy your lift tickets right in town and hop on a shuttle bus from there as well. In the summer and fall, Banff turns into a magical place for hiking. There are mountains that can be hiked quite easily, and there are some that can offer a bit more of a challenge. The lakes and rivers around the area really turn into quite a spectacle though, as they all turn bright turquoise. Head out to Lake Louise or Lake Moraine around this time. You’ll definitely recognize them both from someone else’s Instagram posts.The town of Banff itself is also a good time year round. It’s surrounded by mountains, the bars are always lively, and the crowds are always fun. If you’re awake enough after a night out on the town, grab a coffee and walk along the river towards the Banff Fairmont (which looks like a castle in the mountains), you may come across a few grazing elks.
Yoho National Park
So I’m going to come out and say that Yoho is British Columbia’s version of Banff, and by that I mean Yoho is literally what Banff turns into when you cross over the border from Alberta into British Columbia. But for some reason Yoho is something completely on its own and breathtaking in its own way. The mountains seem to grow larger, the valleys become deeper and the drives become more exhilarating (some of the roads jut out of mountain sides and overhang above the valleys below).If you’re staying in Banff, two of the best ways to see what Yoho has to offer is to either drive through it to one of the towns, like Golden, BC, stop for lunch, check out the locals shops and go on a hike, or make the trek out to Kicking Horse for a day on the slopes. If you’re really amped on Yoho, staying in one of the towns would be pretty rad too. I haven’t stayed a night out that way, but I imagine the nightlife is a little bit more low key than a night out in Banff, however the potential for outdoor activities once you wake up should be enough to get you in bed early.
Bruce Peninsula National Park
Bruce Peninsula National Park in Ontario is located on Georgian Bay in Lake Huron, is part of UNESCO’s Biosphere reserve, and runs along the Niagara Escarpment and Bruce Trail system. There are lots of places to explore the Niagara Escarpment in Ontario, but Bruce Peninsula offers a slightly different experience of it. To start with, the water that crashes onto the rocky shores here is turquoise. If it didn’t get cold here three out of the four seasons of the year, you might forget that it’s located in Ontario. Large, rocky cliffs along the shorelines, a grotto and white sand beaches provide avenues for hiking (both easy and difficult), exploration and relaxation afterwards. If you feel like getting in the water, Fathom Five Marine National Park is also located right there. The marine park contains rock outcrops, lighthouses and even sunken shipwrecks that you can swim around in the turquoise water!So, if you ever feel the urge to travel to the great land of Ontario, or if you’re forced to go here for work, check out Bruce Peninsula National Park. There’s a reason why campsites sell out here every year.
Gros Morne National Park
On the far east coast of Canada, one of the most spectacular places in the world rests on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean. It’s called Gros Morne National Park, and it’s filled with massive cliffs, mountains and waterways. Though sometimes I think it’s overshadowed by the Rocky Mountains out west, Gros Morne is a world heritage site that boasts some of the craziest hikes, adventures and views in Canada. Some of the activities include humpback whale watching, boating down rivers beneath giant rock walls covered in green foliage, and hiking through mountain-lined trails. There are several hikes that range from easy to difficult. If you’re feeling strong, one of the hikes includes a 16km jaunt over Gros Morne Mountain.One thing I really love about travelling in Canada, and it’s partially why I ordered the parks on this list from west to east, is the amazing contrast between landscapes across this country. Newfoundland and Gros Morne is a great example of this. It is a place that is completely of its own; it is a place that is completely Canadian.
Other Parks Worth Looking Into
Now, I think Canada is a great land and all of its parks are worth looking into, but there’s only so much typing I can do, so here is a list of a few more National Parks worth looking into this year:- Jasper National Park- Wood Buffalo National Park- Auyuittuq National Park- Point Pelee National Park- Thousand Islands National Park- Cape Breton Highlands National ParkRemember, if you do decide to explore Canada during its 150th year, these parks will provide lots of opportunities for you Instagram feeds so make sure you use the hashtag #Canada150 to share your (Canadian) adventures.For more content like this, follow me here.