Condé Nast TravelerSep 4
The Most Beautiful National Parks in Canada, From the Tourist Favorites to the Hidden Gems
Whether you want to paddle across a glacier lake, hike a mountain trail, or spot moose and bison, Canada’s national parks offer stunning settings for numerous outdoor experiences.
Best for exceptional views of the park's famous lake.
24 things in this story
- Fairmont Chateau Lake LouiseHotelBest for exceptional views of the park's famous lake.
- Banff National ParkSightMost visited park with aquamarine glacier lakes.
- Lake LouiseSightHike above shoreline to leave selfie-taking tourists behind.
- Fairmont Banff SpringsHotelBest for classic opulence.
- Icefields ParkwaySightRoad trip between mountains, waterfalls, and glaciers.
- Rimrock Banff, Emblems CollectionHotelBest for a wellness getaway.
- Elsewhere
- West Coast TrailTrailTofino, CanadaBackpackers navigate over 100 ladders in rainforest.
- Long Beach Lodge ResortHotelTofino, CanadaBest for stylish beach lodgings.
- Wickaninnish InnHotelTofino, CanadaBest for oceanfront luxury.
- Pacific Rim National Park ReserveSightTofino, CanadaNine-mile sand dune is longest on Vancouver Island.
- Kwisitis Visitor CentreSightTofino, CanadaLearn about nine First Nations communities in the region.
- Broken Group IslandsSightTofino, CanadaBest explored by kayak in Barkley Sound.
- Black Rock Oceanfront ResortHotelTofino, CanadaBest for contemporary suites in the rainforest.
- Mingan Archipelago National Park ReserveSightLongue-Pointe-de-Mingan, CanadaLargest collection of stone monoliths in Canada.
- Auyuittuq National ParkSightPangnirtung, CanadaArctic wilderness park, harder to reach, less trodden.
- Yoho National ParkSightField, CanadaMountain park with waterfalls, hoodoos, and emerald lakes.
- Wapta FallsSightField, CanadaLargest cascade on the Kicking Horse River.
- Takakkaw FallsSightField, CanadaOne of Canada's highest waterfalls.
- Burgess ShaleSightField, CanadaUNESCO World Heritage Site with world's oldest fossils.
- Emerald Lake LodgeHotelField, CanadaBest for lakeside ambiance.
- Cathedral Mountain LodgeHotelField, CanadaBest for a log cabin stay.
- Edelweiss VillageHotelGolden, CanadaBest for historic Swiss chalets in nearby Golden.
- Gros Morne National ParkSightRocky Harbour, CanadaPark with cliffs, red rocks, boreal forest, wetlands.
- Seven Corners projectPlaceRocky Harbour, CanadaHighlights life in communities surrounding the park.
