Few countries can match Canada for sheer natural variety. Within one nation lie the ice-capped Rockies, the world's highest tides, boreal forests, Arctic tundra, freshwater seas and red-cliff coasts. This guide travels through Canada's finest parks and wild places, and closes with practical notes on conservation and staying safe among wildlife.
The national parks of the Rocky Mountains
Banff, established in 1885, is Canada's oldest national park and the heart of the Rockies. With neighbouring Jasper, it protects a landscape of glaciers, jade-green lakes and hanging valleys. The Icefields Parkway links the two, passing the Columbia Icefield — a remnant of the last ice age that still feeds rivers flowing to three oceans.
Lakes, glaciers and peaks
The mountain lakes owe their unearthly colour to glacial silt, or rock flour. Trails climb to alpine meadows and turquoise tarns, while wildlife — bighorn sheep, mountain goats, marmots — thrives along the way. In summer, the meadows bloom; in winter, the parks become a realm of frozen waterfalls and powder snow.
The coasts: Pacific Rim, Gros Morne and Fundy
Pacific Rim, British Columbia
On Vancouver Island, Pacific Rim National Park Reserve guards a wild Pacific edge of long surf beaches, rainforest and drifting fog. Long Beach draws surfers and storm-watchers alike, while the temperate rainforest drips with moss and ancient cedars.
Gros Morne, Newfoundland
A UNESCO World Heritage Site, Gros Morne reveals the Earth's mantle at the Tablelands, a barren orange plateau of rock normally hidden deep underground. Fjords carved by glaciers, such as Western Brook Pond, cut through soaring cliffs.
The Bay of Fundy and the world's highest tides
Between Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, the Bay of Fundy experiences the highest tides on Earth — the water can rise and fall by up to sixteen metres twice a day. At Fundy National Park and Hopewell Rocks, you can walk the sea floor at low tide, then watch it vanish beneath the returning ocean hours later.
Wildlife: bears, moose, whales and polar bears
Canada is one of the last great strongholds of large wild animals. Black bears and grizzlies roam the mountains and forests; moose wade through northern wetlands; herds of caribou cross the tundra.
Whales of the Atlantic and Pacific
The nutrient-rich waters off both coasts host humpback, minke, fin and even the rare right whale. The St. Lawrence estuary and the Bay of Fundy are among the world's finest whale-watching grounds.
Polar bears of Churchill
Churchill, on the shores of Hudson Bay in Manitoba, is called the polar bear capital of the world. Each autumn the bears gather to await the sea ice, offering a rare chance to see the Arctic's greatest predator.
Freshwater seas and red-sand shores
The beaches of the Great Lakes
The Great Lakes are so vast they feel like inland oceans. Ontario's shores hold long freshwater beaches — Sandbanks and Wasaga Beach among them — with dunes, warm shallows and summer crowds.
The red sands of Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island is ringed by beaches of soft red sand, coloured by iron-rich soil. Prince Edward Island National Park protects dunes, salt marshes and gentle surf along the Gulf of St. Lawrence.
Conservation and safety
Canada's parks exist to protect these landscapes for the future. Follow Leave No Trace principles: stay on trails, pack out all rubbish and never feed wildlife. For safety among wild animals:
- Keep a large distance from bears, moose and elk — at least 100 metres from bears.
- Carry bear spray in the backcountry and make noise as you hike so you don't surprise an animal.
- Store food securely and never leave it in your tent.
- Respect tide charts on the Fundy coast; the returning water is faster than you expect.
- Check weather and trail conditions, and tell someone your route before setting out.
Treated with respect, Canada's wild places offer some of the most profound encounters with nature anywhere on Earth.