There must be something about Canada that produced hotties like Ryan Gosling, Ryan Reynolds, Drake, and Rachel McAdams, among others. Or it could be the poutine and maple syrup. But people are not the only thing hot in Canada, so are the natural attractions.
With a land area of 9.98 million square kilometers (2,466,111,707 acres), making it the second-largest country by land area, Canada is home to 48 national parks. The country has 10 provinces and three territories, and each of these 13 regions has at least one national park. The first national park was created as early as 1885. The Rocky Mountains Park was purportedly modeled after the Yellowstone National Park. The first national park of the U.S. Canada’s Rocky Mountains was meant to protect the Cave and Basin Hot Springs so that it will not be sold for private development.
Parks are among the most favored spots that locals and tourists want to explore because of the opportunity to enjoy various activities, with nature as the backdrop. Canada is a popular destination but it is too huge, so visiting tourists are mostly confined to the country’s most popular cities when they try to explore the country. But here is a list of 10 parks that people should consider visiting when in Canada.
1. Aulavik National Park
Most parks around the world are abundant in trees and vegetation, but not this park, which is on Banks Island in the Northwest Territories of Canada. The park is known as a completely treeless area. Not only is it treeless, but the polar desert is also not accessible by vehicle. Tourists have to charter a flight.
So why do tourists visit this park despite the great inaccessibility? Because it provides a great escape from the stress in life. The park has access to the Thomsen River, which is a famous canoeing venue in North America. So that’s one thing adventurers love to do in the park. Some also camp in the area. Campers can create a sleeping space in almost any nook of the 12,274-square-kilometer (3,032,971 acres) park except in areas, which have been identified as archeological sites.
Hiking is the most popular activity in the park even if there are no established trails. Hiking, after all, is just a more strenuous type of sightseeing. And the sights in the park are impressive, such as the colorful wildflowers during spring. But one popular sight in the park is the muskox, a hoofed animal with a thick coat. The park has the highest concentration of muskoxen in the world. Some 15,000 muskoxen are believed to be residents of the park.
There are also caribou species in the park: the common barren-ground caribou and the endangered Peary caribou.
2. Fundy National Park
This park was established as early as July 29, 1950. It is noted for its abundance in waterfalls—there are 25 of them in the park. The best way to see these waterfalls is through hiking. There are around 25 hiking trails in the park, and each one showing different vistas in this 207-square-kilometer (51,150 acres) area.
During low tide, tourists can wade on the ocean floor and check out various marine resources like dog whelks, periwinkles, and seaweed. Those who love golf are in for a treat as this is one of the few parks in the world that has a golf course. There is also a heated swimming pool for those who prefer a hot soak. There are also three campgrounds for those who prefer to sleep under the stars.
The park doesn’t close during winter but tourists are warned about the dangers of staying outdoors in winter. People seek out the park to ski, snowshoe, toboggan, and winter walk.
Among the trees and plants found in the park are balsam, beech, fir, red and sugar maples, red spruce and yellow birch. Among the rare plants found in the park are the bird’s-eye primrose, fir clubmoss, green spleenwort, rare sedge, spikemoss, and squashberry. Animal residents are beavers, black bears, chipmunks, cormorants, coyotes, little brown bats, moose, peregrine falcons, pileated woodpeckers, red squirrels, snowshoe hares, and white-tailed deer, among others.
3. Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve
The park is located in the southernmost part of Haida Gwaii, formerly the Queen Charlotte Islands. Gwaii Haanas translates to Islands of Beauty—and the park was aptly named. As an island, Gwaii Haanas has been included in the tentative list of future World Heritage Sites.
The area is home to many trees, which made it a target among loggers in the 1970s and 1980s. In 1985, the Haida Nation declared the area as a “Haida Heritage Site” to thwart developers from logging trees in the territory. It wasn’t enough to stop logging, though.
Finally, the area was established as a park in 1988 to block any plans of logging.
The park is only accessible by plane or boat. But visitors need a permit before they visit the park. Some tourists may kayak their way to the park. The National Geographic Traveler magazine named Gwaii Haanas as the number one park, in terms of pristine environment and sustainable management practices among all parks in the U.S. and Canada.
4. Gros Morne National Park
Aside from being a national park, Gros Morne is also a world heritage site. It is named after the country’s second-highest mountain peak. Gros Morne is also part of the Long Range Mountains. The park has evidence of continental drift.
Aside from Gros Morne, among the natural gems in the area is the Western Brook Pond, a freshwater fjord carved out by glaciers in the last part of the Ice Age. This fjord received the highest rating in terms of purity from international authorities. Related to this pond is another popular water body in the park: Pissing Mare Falls. This is one of the highest waterfalls in the world, and it flows into the Western Brook Pond.
The most popular animal resident of the park is the moose. Tourists may also spot some black bears, caribou, foxes, lynxes, river otters, and squirrels. Also found in the major waters of the park are harbor seals and whales.
5. Kluane National Park and Preserve
This park is near the Alaskan border. The centerpiece of the park is Canada’s highest mountain, Mount Logan, which is 19,551 feet. Mount Kennedy also stands tall in the park. It was named after the late American President John F. Kennedy a month after his assassination. The park is mostly mountains and glaciers, which means beautiful and serene landscapes. But trees and plants are still abundant, especially in the lowlands. There are balsam poplars, trembling aspens, and white spruces than line the foothills of the mountains.
When it comes to animals, the park is home to close to 200 northern mountain caribou. Other residents are the arctic ground squirrels, bears, coyotes, Dall sheep, lynxes, marmots, minks, muskrats, red foxes, river otters, snowshoe hares, Yukon moose, and Yukon wolves.
The amazing icefield in the park was responsible for making Kluane a UNESCO World Heritage Site, along with other protected lands in the U.S.
6. Ivvavik National Park
This is where caribou breeds and that is how the park got its name. The park, which is located in Yukon, was initially called Northern Yukon National Park when it was established in 1984. It was later changed in 1992 to Ivvavik, which means the birthplace in Inuvialuktun. The area, after all, is significant as the calving place of the caribou.
In terms of landscape, the park houses the British Mountains and the Brooks Range. From the British, Mountains runs the oldest river in Canada: Firth River. It is also a popular river for rafting. As far as wildlife goes, aside from the caribou, residents include bears, Dall sheep, foxes, gyrfalcons, lemmings, muskoxen, wolverines, Yukon moose, and Yukon wolves.
The park is also known as the first national park in Canada to be created because of aboriginal claims. There are cultural sites in the park that are important to the indigenous peoples: Inuit and Indian. To continue protecting the calving grounds of the caribou herd, only a handful of people are allowed to visit the park every year.
7. Mingan Archipelago National Park
The Mingan Archipelago has at least 40 islands. These islands form part of the Mingan Archipelago National Park. The islands, according to studies, were a result of the last glaciation wherein the continent rose up. The limestone rocks experienced erosion from the surrounding waters. This so-called erosion naturally carved the most beautiful limestone sculptures. The area has the most number of monoliths in a single location in all of Canada.
Among the most popular residents of the park are the bats, beavers, ermines, muskrats, red foxes, red squirrels, river otters, silver foxes, and snowshoe hares. Various birds nest in the park’s trees as well as the shores. Tourists may also spot dolphins, porpoises, seals, and whales.
8. Naats’ihch’oh National Park Reserve
Stands like a porcupine—this is what the name means in the language of the aboriginal Dene people. As the name suggests, the park takes on a unique shape—sharp and pointed peaks. The park is located within the mountain range Mackenzie Mountains. The mountains in the park are complemented by the South Nahanni River and the Broken Skull River.
The park is the homeland of the aboriginal Dene and the Metis, who claim to be the first settlers. Government, Dene and Metis leaders want to make sure that the park is protected from any developments in the area. The area is rich in minerals, and mining companies wanted to take advantage of it. So the agreement among the leaders was to allow the mining of about 70% of the area with mineral potential. However, 70% of the area where grizzly bears live is protected and integrated into a park. Miners ensured the leaders concerned that mining practices will be carried out in an environment-friendly manner.
9. Prince Edward Island National Park
The park is only 60 square kilometers (14,826 acres) but it is already protecting so many natural resources: beaches, freshwater wetlands, salt marshes, and sand dunes. Part of the reason why the beaches on the island need to be protected is the piping plover, a small shore bird. The piping plover nests in the park. But there are dozens of species more that consider the park their home, which is why the park has also been designated as an Important Bird Area.
For those familiar with the book “Anne of Green Gables,” it was inspired by a real farm. Green Gables is in this park. Among the wildlife that could be spotted in the park are the beavers, coyotes, minks, raccoons, red foxes and weasels.
There is a need to protect the island park because the Canadian Nature Federation described the park as the most endangered—based on human impact—among all the national park system. It was also noted that the park is experiencing severe coastal erosion because of the combination of winter storms and vulnerable shorelines.
10. Qausuittuq National Park
The name, when translated from Inuktitut, means “place where the sun does not rise.” The name was chosen through a contest. The name won for its appropriateness as the park is used to experiencing darkness for months. It is among the newest parks established in Canada. It is also among the parks that are not just rich in natural resources, but in historical and cultural stories as well.
The park is mostly composed of frozen islands, which provide a certain kind of serenity among its visitors. The snow-covered mountains make for a picturesque landscape. The Peary caribou also provides a great opportunity for tourists to gawk. The animal is considered endangered. This type of caribou has among the most beautiful horns, among the horned animals. Aside from the caribou, the park is also home to some polar bears. The park is just north of the Polar Bear Pass National Wildlife Area.
While vegetation may be limited in the area, it does have some thriving plants like dwarf willows, grasses, lichens, mosses, purple saxifrages, and sedges.