Have you ever scrolled through photos of Canadian landscapes and thought, “No way that’s real, they must have used some software to make it look better than it is.”
But honestly, Canada’s turquoise lakes actually do look like that. The mountains really are that massive. And the scenery? Somehow, it’s even better in person.
Canada’s 48 national parks and reserves spread from coast to coast to coast (yep, Canada has three coasts – Pacific, Atlantic, and Arctic), and they all look like nature’s just showing off.
Let’s talk about 10 iconic spots that absolutely need to be on your radar. Fair warning: you might end up planning your next three road trips by the time we’re done!
Columbia Icefield | Jasper National Park
The Columbia Icefield makes you feel really, really small. With 88 square miles of ice, it’s the largest in the Canadian Rockies and feeds eight major glaciers. Some of the ice has been here for 10,000+ years!
The Athabasca Glacier is the only one that’s open and accessible to the public. Park personnel offer tours using massive Ice Explorer vehicles (basically monster trucks for glaciers) that take you right onto the ice. You can walk around on a surface that’s been forming since woolly mammoths were still a thing! Wild to think about, eh?
Sadly, the glacier is melting fast. On-site markers show that its edge has retreated by nearly a mile in just 125 years, meaning Athabasca has lost over half its volume during the period.
The Columbia Icefield Skywalk is a glass platform that sticks out about 900 feet over the valley. Looking down through that glass floor? Yeah, that’s intense.
Pro Tip: Glacier tours run from April through October. The warmest (and most crowded) months are July and August.
Nearest KOA:
Hinton / Jasper KOA Holiday
Lake Louise and Moraine Lake | Banff National Park
Imagine you’re standing at the edge of a glacial lake with crazy turquoise water. Behind the lake, you see a massive glacier just hanging out on the mountain. And on the shore, there’s the Fairmont Chateau, looking fancy. Wow, you think, what a nice dream!
But it’s not a dream. It’s Lake Louise, and it’s been making people stop in their tracks since 1890. The turquoise color comes from something called “rock flour” – basically, tiny rock particles that glaciers grind down. The particles stay suspended in the water, creating the signature color that looks way too vibrant to be natural. Best time to see it? Late June through early September, when everything’s thawed.
Just 9 miles from Lake Louise is another body of water that some think is even prettier. Moraine Lake sits in a valley surrounded by 10 mountain peaks. Moraine’s Rockpile Trail extends about 2600 feet (out and back), and it’s a scramble up rocks, but from the top, you can see blue water, the 10 peaks, and some truly photogenic trees. Due to the risk of avalanches, Moraine Lake is open only from June through mid-October.
Heads Up: The Lake Louise parking lot fills up before sunrise! For less stress, take the Parks Canada shuttle or public transit from Banff instead. If visiting Moraine Lake, it’s important to know that no personal vehicles are allowed on Moraine Lake Road, and the shuttle often sells out, so you’ll want to book far in advance.
Nearest KOAs:
Hinton / Jasper KOA Holiday
Cranbrook / St. Eugene KOA Journey
Drumheller / Dinosaur Trail KOA Holiday
Takakkaw Falls | Yoho National Park
“Yoho” is a Cree word meaning “wow,” and you’ll be saying that a lot around here. Despite being one of the smaller Rocky Mountain parks, Yoho has incredibly dramatic scenery.
Takakkaw Falls is the star of this park. At about 1,200 feet and fed by the Daly Glacier, it’s one of Canada’s highest waterfalls. You can hear the roar well before you see it! The best flow is in late spring and early summer when glacial melt peaks. The mist creates amazing rainbows on sunny days!
If you’re up for it, the Iceline Trail is one of the best alpine hikes in the Rockies. You’ll go under hanging glaciers and through flower meadows and eventually reach Emerald Lake. It’s color is as beautiful as it sounds, and you can rent canoes to get right out into it.
Fun Fact: The park’s Burgess Shale fossil beds have 500-million-year-old fossils from when this area was still underwater.
Nearest KOAs:
Cranbrook / St. Eugene KOA Journey
Hinton / Jasper KOA Holiday
Western Brook Pond and the Tablelands | Gros Morne National Park
Gros Morne National Park is a geologist’s fantasy land and a UNESCO World Heritage Site! Western Brook Pond and the Tablelands are its main attractions.
Western Brook Pond is called a “pond,” even though it’s definitely not. Newfoundlanders call any still water a pond, regardless of size. This landlocked freshwater fjord features almost unbelievable water quality and 10 miles of pristine coastline that’s surrounded by 2,000-foot cliffs.
Getting there involves a two-mile hike through bogs and forest (for most, about 45 minutes), followed by a two-hour boat tour deep into the fjord. You’ll float between billion-year-old cliffs, watching waterfalls that turn to mist before hitting the water. Pissing Mare Falls (yes, really) is over 1,100 feet high, making it tallest waterfall in eastern North America.
The Tablelands looks like Mars visited Newfoundland. You can literally walk on the Earth’s mantle here – the rusty orange rocks were between 12-25 miles beneath the ocean floor until tectonic forces shoved them upward millions of years ago. Most plants won’t grow because the earth-mantle rocks contain toxic minerals.
Pro Tip: The tourist season here runs from mid-May to mid-October. To avoid sell-outs, book the Tablelands tour well in advance, but be aware that weather can cause scheduled trips to be cancelled.
Nearest KOA:
Gros Morne / Morris Point KOA Holiday
Prince of Wales Hotel and Red Rock Canyon | Waterton Lakes National Park
Waterton Lakes National Park sits in the extreme southwestern corner of Alberta, where the prairies meet the Rocky Mountains. Part of the Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park (shared with Montana’s Glacier National Park), Waterton is often called the “Crown of the Continent” for its spectacular scenery and unique location.
Perched dramatically on a windswept bluff overlooking Upper Waterton Lake, the Prince of Wales Hotel was built in 1926-27 and is now a National Historic Site. Even if you don’t stay here, the view from the hotel’s ridge is unforgettable – a sweeping panorama of the lake, mountains, and the townsite below. On a clear day, you can see all the way to the U.S. border.
Red Rock Canyon is another must-see, reached via the scenic Red Rock Parkway. The canyon is aptly named, with ancient argillite rock creating brilliant red and green formations carved by mountain streams.
Pro Tip: Waterton is known for incredible winds year-round, so be sure to pack windproof layers. The weather can change dramatically in mere minutes.
Nearest KOAs:
Cranbrook / St. Eugene KOA Journey
St. Mary / East Glacier KOA Holiday (US)
Cabot Trail | Cape Breton Highlands National Park
The Cabot Trail is one of the world’s most spectacular drives. This 185-mile loop hugs the coastline, climbs into highlands, then drops to sea level with incredible views at every turn.
The highlands section is where it gets really good – you’ll see old forests, wind-swept barrens, and clifftops dropping into the Atlantic. On clear days, you can see all the way across the Gulf of St. Lawrence.
Skyline Trail is the area’s most famous hike. It leads onto a dramatic headland where the forest ends and you’re on an exposed ridge with cliffs on three sides. Sunsets are legendary, and moose sightings are common.
Pro Tip: Time your visit for fall (late September to mid-October) for spectacular autumn colors.
Nearest KOA:
North Sydney / Cabot Trail KOA
Georgian Bay Coastline | Bruce Peninsula National Park
Bruce Peninsula National Park protects a unique Ontario coastline, Georgian Bay, where crystal-clear turquoise water meets white limestone cliffs. Don’t be surprised if being here feels in some ways more like you’re in Greece than in Canada!
For the sake of your Instagram, don’t miss The Grotto, a sea cave carved by waves over thousands of years. (Getting there means hiking along Georgian Bay’s white limestone coastline, with water so clear that you can see fish swimming.) There’s an opening in the cave roof that lets light stream in, and on sunny days, the water inside glows with a rather otherworldly turquoise light!
Here you’ll also find one of the best sections of Canada’s oldest and longest footpath, the Bruce Trail, which stretches over 550 miles from Niagara to Tobermory. There’s also Flowerpot Island (accessible by boat from Tobermory), which gets its name from bizarre rock formations that stick up out of the water like giant flowerpots.
Heads Up: Georgian Bay is cold even in summer (59-68°F), so most swimmers wear wetsuits. If you decide to swim, check out the underwater tunnel in The Grotto!
Nearest KOA:
Owen Sound KOA Journey
Red Sand Beaches | Prince Edward Island National Park
Prince Edward Island National Park protects 26 miles of North Shore beaches with the warmest water north of the Carolinas in the U.S. and sand colors ranging from white to gold to deep red (thanks to iron oxide from sandstone cliffs).
Cavendish Beach is the most popular shore, with red-gold sand and gentle surf. The Gulf of St. Lawrence reaches up to 72°F in summer, making this one of the few Atlantic coast spots in Canada where swimming without a wetsuit is pleasant.
Behind the beaches, you’ll find dunes providing habitat for endangered piping plovers. The incredible color combination – red cliffs, golden sand, green dunes, blue water – is unique to this spot!
In short, Prince Edward Island National Park boasts all the charm you’d expect from the fictional home of “Anne of Green Gables.” Fans will want to check out Green Gables Heritage Place in Cavendish.
Pro Tip: For the warmest water, visit in August or early September.
Nearest KOA:
Borden / Summerside KOA Journey
Dark Sky Preserve | Grasslands National Park
Grasslands National Park protects one of the last undisturbed prairies in North America. This is truly big sky country, with rolling hills, endless grass, and horizons that seem to stretch forever. It’s also a Dark Sky Preserve!
Stand on the Val Marie West Block plateau and see for miles and miles – nothing but grassland, buttes, and sky. Incredibly peaceful. Incredibly beautiful.
After more than a century, the bison are back at Grasslands. Watching a herd move across the prairie is unforgettable. You might also see pronghorn antelope, prairie dogs, and burrowing owls.
But to many, nighttime provides the real magic! With almost zero light pollution, stars shine so brightly they cast shadows, and the Milky Way stretches overhead in a brilliant river of light.
Heads Up: If wildflowers and baby bison are your thing, the best time to visit is May and June. For cooler weather and better stargazing, come in September.
Nearest KOA:
Moose Jaw KOA Journey
Pacific Rim Beaches | Pacific Rim National Park Reserve
Pacific Rim on Vancouver Island is a totally different Canada, where ancient rainforest meets the Pacific Ocean. It’s the country’s surfing capital, which may sound a little weird until you see that people here surf in wetsuits.
Long Beach is 10 miles of sand you can walk year-round. Summer has relatively calm water and surfers, while winter storms create massive waves that pound the rocks. Storm watching from here is actually something people plan trips around!
The rainforest lying behind the beaches feels otherworldly, with giant moss-covered trees creating a cathedral atmosphere. The Rainforest Trail has boardwalks through old-growth forest with 800-year-old trees.
The West Coast Trail is one of Canada’s most famous multi-day hikes, with over 45 miles of tough coastal hiking through beaches, rainforest, and ladders and cables. Not beginner-friendly, but definitely bucket-list worthy!
Pro Tip: Springtime is the best season to visit if you want to see migrating black bears, sea lions, and bald eagles.
Nearest KOAs:
Lynden / Bellingham KOA Journey (US)
Burlington / Anacortes KOA Holiday (US)
Making the Most of Your Canadian National Parks Adventure
These 10 iconic sights are a great introduction to Canada’s incredible national park system. With turquoise lakes, massive mountains, ocean waves, endless prairies, ancient forests, and stars that make you remember what the night sky should look like, what are you waiting for?
Leslie is a freelance travel and health/wellness writer who gets butterflies from telling stories and sharing information with readers across the globe. Her voice comes from a place filled with passion and dreams.
With over 10 years of experience in crafting words and years of embarking on travels that have taken this Montana girl to some incredible places, Leslie loves the adventures of both body and mind that her writing takes her on.
To see what Leslie’s up to in the writing and design world, visit her website here.
