The Best Hiking in Canada Throughout the Entire Country
Canada, much like the United States, is filled with lots of hiking with vast wildernesses within the different providences. There are so many stunning places from Lake Lousie, to the rocky east coast, to the many islands and National Parks. Canada really has it all, when it comes to hiking. In this post, you will learn about many different beautiful places to hike from coast to coast.
Overall, much like the United States, I would say the best time to hike in Canada is May through September. However, depending on how fast the snow melts, hiking in May might not happen. It is really important to wait for the snow to melt before starting summer hiking. April and May, sometimes June are the melting months, where you should not be hiking. Not only because it’s not fun to hike in mud, but it actually helps the terrain for people to stay off of the trails during April and May. It helps prevent early erosion.
Hiking in Canada in July is the best time to hike in Canada during the summer months. However, if you enjoy winter hiking, then December through March are the best times to hike. Lastly, for fall hiking, I would say October is the best month for this.
In this post, you will learn about the best hiking in Canada, hiking in Canadian Rockies, hikes in Canada near Vancouver, hiking in Canada near Toronto, hiking in Ontario Canada, hiking in Whistler Canada, and much more.
This post is all about hiking in Canada.
Hiking in Canada :
National Parks of Canada
Canada is filled with many national parks (46 total), that are all ran by the Canadian Federal government. Here is a great website that lists all the different national parks. There are some specific rules to follow, such as needing permits in certain parks, only camping in designated areas, and some more, that you can find here. Each park has unique permits that you might need to access the park, so be sure to do your research before planning your trip.
Akami-Uapishkᵁ-KakKasuak-Mealy Mountains
This is a great National Park where you can hike the Mealy Mountains of the northeast portion of Canada. Some of the mountains stand almost 4,000ft tall with stunning views of Lake Melville. This national park is past Quebec City and is in the northern portion of Labrador, on the Labrador Sea. These mountains are some of the best hiking in eastern Canada. More information about this park can be found here.
Auyuittuq National Park
This park is NORTH! It is passed Quebec City, passed Newfoundland and Labrador, passed the Hudson Strait, passed the town of Iqaluit, then finally a little further north, you’ll reach your destination of Auyuittuq National Park. This national park encompasses many rugged granite peaks, with glaciers, tundras, and almost touching the north pole, this is an epic place to visit for all cold lovers. Here is more information about Auyuittuq National Park.
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Banff National Park
Jumping to the middle of the country, Alberta, Canada. Banff is an incredible area, any hiking in the Canadian Rockies is incredible. Banff has BEAUTIFUL rocky peaks, being located in the heart of the Canadian Rockies, with picture perfect turquoise lakes and amazing wildlife. Banff is Canada’s first national park. You will need to purchase a ticket/permit to be able to enter Banff National Park. You can stay at one of the many camping locations within Banff (get a permit early, they fill up quickly) or you can stay in the town of Banff. Here is a website with more information about Banff.
A great place to hike within Banff National Park is the Plain of the Six Glaciers. This epic hike is in the Canadian Rockies near Lake Lousie. This hike is a total of 9.1 miles (13.8 kilometers) and is rated as a moderate hiking trail (elevation gain of about 1,929ft, about 588 meters). You will start at the famously stunning Lake Lousie then complete many different switchbacks until you reach a forest that opens up to a beautiful meadow with a cafe teahouse (cash only). Most people hike this trail in the summer, but as long as you’re prepared, it can be a great winter hike too. Here is a website with more places to hike in Banff.
Bruce Peninsula
Bruce Peninsula is located on the Georgian Bay, showing beautiful turquoise bodies of water, and impressive cliffs. The peninsula is north of Toronto and northwest of the town of Barrie. One of their famous hiking trails is, Lion’s Head. Lion’s Head is about 9 miles (18kilometers) round trip, encompassing dense forests, and intense cliffs looking down on the Georgian Bay. You will want to bring good hiking boots with good traction for this hike.
This hike has an elevation gain of about 1,404ft (about 428 meters), and is rated as a moderate to difficult hike. You will need a parking reservation for this hike as well, so please make one before you plan out your hike. Here is more information about Bruce Peninsula and here are more incredible hikes within the peninsula.
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Cape Breton Highlands
This is a beautiful park filled with beaches, huge rolling hills, ocean cliffs, marshlands, and more. Passed Nova Scotia near the town of Sydney (about an hour and a half northwest of Sydney), this east coast landmark is beautiful. It is about 2 and a half hours from Nova Scotia’s capital, Halifax. The Cabot Trail is a vast hiking trail winding through all of this park, with loads of mountains and views to see. Another famous hike to do in the Highlands is the Skyline Trail. This is a very easy/flat walk to do right on the coast of the Highlands, being about 8.2 kilometers (about 5.1 miles). Here are some more places to hike in the Highlands. Also, here is another website with further places to stay and do while you’re there.
Fundy National Park
Fundy is about 3 hours west of Halifax with more great outdoor fun. It is known for it’s HIGH tides (world’s highest tides), awesome kayaking, and great camping within its park. Here are some great places to camp. You could also stay in a yurt, or your own RV. A great walking path to see while you’re visiting Fundy is the Fundy Footpath of New Brunswick, along the Bay of Fundy.
If you want to complete this full trail, PREPARE, because for most hikers it will take an average of four days to complete. A lot of people backpack this entire trail. It goes through all of the coastlines of Fundy National Park (here is a great website with more information about this trail and how to prepare). Here are even more places to stay and how to get to Fundy National Park.
Glacier National Park
Glacier National Park, which is also partially located in America, encompasses massive mountains with epic skiing and hiking. This park is also a popular national park in the winter, for it’s backcountry alpine skiing/snowboarding (at Roger’s Pass and here are some safety regulations to know before you go), snowshoeing, and nordic skiing. Also, some great hiking can be found here and here. One of the most popular trails is the Hermit Trail. Although this is a short trail is it STEEP, you gain 2,854ft (870 meters) on your way up. Here is more information about the park, also here is another article giving you even more places to backcountry ski or snowboard at.
Grasslands National Park
The Grasslands, is located right above the state of Montana in the US, about four hours southwest of Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada, it does border Manitoba too. The grasslands contain wide open prairie/plain lands. Some of the fun activities that are popular here are camping, hiking, and star-gazing. With hardly any visitors, this park is great for people who seek solitude. Another well-known trail here is the 70 Mile Butte hike, that shows you awesome views of the French River Valley. Here is more information about the park along with more places to hike.
Gros Morne National Park
Gros Morne has diverse terrain, going from it’s vast cliff like mountains, to it’s sandy beach dunes, amazing and rare plant species, and breath-taking moose and caribou, there is so much beauty to see here. The Coastal Trail is a beautiful hike that follows a portion of the coast line of this park. Here are some more hikes to see while visiting Gros Morne.
Ivvavik National Park
Ivvavik is a great park for hiking and white water rafting. It is located in the Yukon of Canada, WAY up north, near the Alaskan border. The Porcupine Caribou herd are protected here, which you may see on one of your hikes. Ivvavik in it’s native language means “a place for giving birth.” You will need a reservation to visit/camp or whatever reason you are there to be in the park as of 2022. This is a VERY isolated national park, thus rescue services are very limited. That being said, visitors should be VERY prepared, resourceful, self-sufficient/reliant, and know what to do in case of an emergency. It may take a day or two before you get rescued if you need assistant, so again be prepared.
Jasper National Park
Jasper is the largest National Park within all of the Canadian Rockies. You can stay in the town of Jasper, Crimson (just outside of Jasper), or the ski resort town. There is a ski mountain resort, Jasper, that is EPIC for all skiers and snowboarders. The park also offers a lot of snowshoeing and hiking. A very popular trail is the Skyline Trail. It is a 44 kilometer trail (27 miles) that can easily be turned into a one night/two night – two/three day backpacking excursion or a TOUGH one day hike. Here is a website with more great hikes and here is one with more skiing.
Kejimkujik National Park & Kluane National Park
In Nova Scotia, Kejimkujik is about 2 hours from its capital, Halifax. It is known for its amazing stargazing places. It also offers great hiking and campsites to spend the night looking up at all the stars. Kluane is a great place for kayaking, hiking, backcountry skiing, snowshoeing, and much more. This national park holds the highest peak in Canada, Mount Logan. A much more manageable and similar hike within Kluane is the King’s Throne Peak Trail. This is about 13 kilometers (8 miles) round trip with an elevation gain of about 1,372 meters (4,501ft), this is a STEEP hike. The weather changes a lot up here, so bring layers, and just be prepared when hiking this summit or anywhere in Kluane.
Kootenay
Kootenay is in the middle of the Canadian Rockies, home to incredible mountains and relaxing hot springs. The park is located about an hour and forty minutes from Banff National Park, and about 2 hours from the town of Canmore, or the small town of Edgewater (about 10 minutes from Kootenay). You will find a lot of the similar features as Banff but with much less of the crowds. There is tons of backcountry hiking, camping and much more within Kootenay.
Mount Revelstoke
This is an EPIC park if you enjoy hiking and skiing. Revelstoke or Revy is one of the newest ski resorts within North America with EPIC trails. Revy is a SHOW-STOPPING park with amazing sights to see. Revelstoke also offers many different hiking trails, backcountry hiking, mountain biking, and more. The Jade’s Lake Trail is a stunning hike that goes around Jade Lake, where you can also camp at the Jade Lake campgrounds (you will need permits for this).
Naats ‘jhch’oh National Park
Naats ‘jhch’ oh is a great park for canoeing, rafting and hiking. In the heart of the mountains and in the South Nahanni River, this park is located near the Yukon-northwest borders with the state of Alaska. Many people enjoy rafting, paddlers, and more, however all of them are very experienced, as this can be a dangerous river with scary rapids, if people are not ready for them. This park is also home to a lot of wildlife, such as, grizzly bears, sheep, mountains goats, and caribou. Yes there is a lot of wildlife and bears while hiking in Canada. Hiking in Canada bears will be seen a lot.
Pacific Rim
Pacific Rim, is located on the Vancouver Islands, about 5 hours from Vancouver. Nearby cities to stay at are Nanaimo and Courtenay (both about 2 and a half hours away), or you could stay at Port Alberni, about an hour and a half away. The Pacific Rim National Park is great for surfing and hiking. One of the most famous trails in the park is the West Coast Trail. It is another great backpacking trail, being a total of 75 kilometers or 47 miles, covering beaches, beautiful coastlines, awesome caves, and much more. You do need reservations if you wish to complete this hike, so just be prepared. Also, here are some more amazing hiking places within the park.
Pukaskwa National Park
Pukaskwa is a great park for hiking, coastal canoeing, and geocatching. This park has granite coastlines, Lake Superior, breath-taking pines, impressive cliffs, black bears, moose, wetlands, and lots of ancient history. The Coastal Hiking Trail is probably the most popular within this park. This trail is a total of 76 miles as a thru hike. 37.8 miles of it are located in Pukaskwa National Park. This park is north of Michigian state, and about 3 and a half hours from Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada. Some close towns to stay near are Wawa, ON, and Marathon, Ontario. Again, Pukaskwa has some of the best hiking in eastern Canada.
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Riding Mountain
Riding Mountain National Park is great for hiking, boat/paddle boarding, and camping. It is located in Manitoba, Canada, about an hour from Brandon, Manitoba or about three hours from Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. A very popular trail to hike in Riding Mountain is the Grey Owl’s trail. There is a lot of wildlife within this park, particularly gray wolves, so just keep an eye out for claw or dirt marks on the trail and trees. This trail is about 8.7 kilometers or about 5.5 miles and is rated as moderate. Here are some more hiking trails within the park. Also, here are more places to paddle board and where to camp.
Sable Island
Sable Island is a pretty isolated place with sandy mountains, and wild horses. The island also has a pretty big seal population, which is one of the many things people do, who visit this island, is to see the wildlife. This island is located about 6 hours north of Minneapolis, Minnesota of the US. It is about 5 and a half hours southeast of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, and about 40 minutes south of the small town of Morson, ON, Canada.
Sirmilik National Park
Sirmilik is a great park for hiking glaciers, seeing wildlife, kayaking, and more. Located WAY up north, Sirmilik is in Nunavut, Canada, across from the Arctic Bay. When kayaking here, you will likely see seals, floating ice, whales, and much more. When hiking you will have to be on the lookout for polar bears, owls, walruses, cultural sites, and more. There is a list of endless sites to see within Sirmilik.
Torngat Mountains
The Torngat Mountains are beautifully located WAY up north passed Montreal, on the tip of Newfoundland and Labrador. This place encompasses A LOT of backcountry hiking, wildlife, boating, icebergs, spiritual sites, whales, tundras, caribou, bears, waterfalls, swimming, and much more. Again, this is some of the best hiking in Canada east coast.
Vuntut & Wapusk
The two parks, Vuntut and Wapusk are great parks to see polar bears, aerial tours, the subarctic and more. Vuntut is located in the Northern part of Yukon, Canada, on the border of Alaska, while Wapusk is located south of Sirmilik and the Artic Bay. Both these parks are very remote and hold lots of wildlife and cold.
Waterton
Waterton offers so much to do from, backcountry skiing to hiking, to seeing the wildflowers bloom in the springtime, to paddleboarding, snowshoeing, to cross-country skiing, and much more. The park is located just north of Glacier National Park (US part, above the state of Montana) about 2 hours from Glacier. And about 4 hours from Banff, Alberta, Canada. This is where the flat prairie lands of Alberta meets the Canadian Rockies. Waterton has beautiful clear lakes, massive waterfalls, multicolor rivers, mountains, wildlife and flowers, and much more.
Yoho
Last but not last, Yoho National Park. This national park is located on the western side of the Canadian Rockies, about 20 minutes from Banff National Park, both these places offer much of the same activities and sites to see. This park is great for hiking lovers, waterfall lovers, lake lovers, and more. A very famous hike to do, is to see the gorgeous Emerald Lake, and yes it’s called emerald for a reason.
Non-National Parks
While the National Parks are a great place to hike, Canada also has just as beautiful hikes and outdoor activities to do outside of their famous national parks. Below are some great places to hike outside of the national parks.
1. Stawamus Trail
Stawamus Trail, British Columbia, in Squamish. It is about 4.3 miles and is rated as a moderate hike. Once at the top, you will see views of the beautiful Squamish Valley.
2. East Coast Trail
The East Coast Trail, is located in Newfoundland, Canada. For all you thru hikers, this is a great option for you to see Canada. However, if you do not want to be hiking for a week on end, there are plenty of places you can hike smaller portions of this trail instead, like the Silver Mine Head Path. This is only about 4.3 total miles round trip. Or for a much harder hike, you could do the White Horse Path. This is about a 22 mile, steep hike with amazing views at every turn.
3. Grizzly Lake Trail
The Grizzly Lake Trail, is located in Yukon, CA. This is about 7 miles (11 kilometers) with an elevation about of 2,614ft (797 meters). You can camp overnight by the lake, but you will need a permit, so just prepare before you go. The lake is gorgeous, with stunning views of all the mountains and woods around you.
4. Garibaldi Lake Hike
Garibaldi Lake Hike, British Columbia. Near Vancouver and Whistler, Garibaldi Lake is one of the most pristine lakes within Canada. This is the best hiking in Canada Vancouver and hiking in Whistler Canada. It is about 11 miles (18 kilometers) round trip with an elevation gain of 2,690ft (820 meters), and is rated as a moderate hike. However, much like the Grizzly Lake hike, this trail will open up to a beautiful area of lakes and mountains all around you. Once again you can camp here, but make reservations through here.
5. The Crack Trail
The Crack Trail, is located in Ontario, Canada, and is the best hiking in Ontario, Canada. This is about 3.7 miles (6 kilometers) with an elevation gain of 1,164ft (355 meters). “The Crack,” like the name suggests, has a portion where it is hard to navigate. You will have to walk through a narrow crack of a quartzite wall, the trail also becomes very rocky with unstable footing, so again, watch yourself when you get to this point of the hike. On the other side of the rock you will see amazing views of Killarney Lake.
6. Joffre Lakes
Joffre Lakes, British Columbia is located north of Whistler ski resort, the Joffre lakes are a made up of three different turquoise lakes, accessible by a 7.7 kilometer or 4.7 mile (round trip) trail. The first part is relatively flat, then to see the second and third lakes, you will start ascending up. These lakes are beautiful but not meant to be swam in, as they get their water from the Arctic glaciers, thus they are always super cold.
7. Centennial Ridges Trail
Centennial Ridges Trail, Ontario is located in Algonquin Provincial Park, about three hours north of Toronto, this park offers great canoeing, hikes, and more. The Centennial Ridge Trail is 10.6 kilometers and 6.6 miles round trip with an elevation gain of 460 meters or 1,509ft. Nearing the summit, there will be a ridge line, which again has loose rocks, so watch your footing. It also offers great views of the surrounding area. This is some of the best hiking in Canada Toronto.
And that wraps up our list for hiking in Canada. As you can see, Canada is much like the US geographically wise. Also, Canada has a very similar landscape to the US apart from their more northern places. I hope this article was helpful to you and you found some new great places to visit on your next mountain adventure. Thank you so much for reading, take care, and go explore!
