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 explored by kayak in Barkley Sound.
24 things in this story
- West Coast TrailTrailBackpackers navigate over 100 ladders in rainforest.
- Long Beach Lodge ResortHotelBest for stylish beach lodgings.
- Wickaninnish InnHotelBest for oceanfront luxury.
- Pacific Rim National Park ReserveSightNine-mile sand dune is longest on Vancouver Island.
- Kwisitis Visitor CentreSightLearn about nine First Nations communities in the region.
- Broken Group IslandsSightBest explored by kayak in Barkley Sound.
- Black Rock Oceanfront ResortHotelBest for contemporary suites in the rainforest.
- Elsewhere
- Fairmont Chateau Lake LouiseHotelBanff, CanadaBest for exceptional views of the park's famous lake.
- Banff National ParkSightBanff, CanadaMost visited park with aquamarine glacier lakes.
- Lake LouiseSightBanff, CanadaHike above shoreline to leave selfie-taking tourists behind.
- Fairmont Banff SpringsHotelBanff, CanadaBest for classic opulence.
- 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.
- Icefields ParkwaySightBanff, CanadaRoad trip between mountains, waterfalls, and glaciers.
- Rimrock Banff, Emblems CollectionHotelBanff, CanadaBest for a wellness getaway.
- 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.