Whether you’re planning to voyage across the country or just take a day trip, Canada boasts over 40 national parks that range from lowland to the top of the world. We’ve featured 25 not-to-be-missed parks along the way, as well as some of the natural highlights from each.
Choose your province or territory from the menu below.
British Columbia
Glacier National Park of Canada
- old-growth cedar rain forest
- glaciers
- wildlife to watch for: mountain caribou, mountain goat and grizzly bear
Kootenay National Park of Canada
- the famous Radium Hot Springs
Alberta
Banff National Park of Canada
- established in 1885, Canada’s first national park
- “Canadian Pacific Railway construction workers stumbled across a cave containing hot springs on the eastern slopes of Alberta’s Rocky Mountains,” says Parks Canada
Wood Buffalo National Park of Canada
- one of the largest national parks in the world; to put it in perspective, it’s larger than Switzerland
- this park’s original mission was to protect the remaining bison in northern Canada
Saskatchewan
Grasslands National Park of Canada
- watch out for: dinosaur fossils
Prince Albert National Park
- wildlife to watch out for: white pelicans and free ranging bison
Manitoba
Riding Mountain National Park of Canada
- visit the Agassiz Tower for a panoramic view of the Prairies
Wapusk National Park of Canada
- interesting fact: Wapusk means “white bear” in Cree
- wildlife to watch out for: one of the biggest polar bear denning areas in the world
Ontario
Bruce Peninsula National Park of Canada
- the largest remaining chunk of natural habitat in southern Ontario
Pukaskwa National Park of Canada
- located along the Lake Superior shoreline
- interesting fact: it’s the only wilderness national park in Ontario
Québec
La Mauricie National Park of Canada
- sun yourself at low tide beside gentle rapids, or cool off in one of the many pools at the base
- perfect for canoe and portage activities
Mingan Archipelago National Park Reserve of Canada
- 40 limestone islands and more than 1000 granitic islets and reefs worn away by the sea
- wildlife to watch for: seals, dolphins and whales
New Brunswick
Fundy National Park of Canada
- Interesting fact: this park has the world’s highest tides
Kouchibouguac National Park of Canada
- 25 kilometres of shifting sand dunes
- one of the most beautiful national parks in Canada
Nova Scotia
Cape Breton Highlands National Park of Canada
- check out the stunning cliffs along the Cabot Trail
Kejimkujik National Park of Canada
- great for canoeing and portaging
Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island National Park of Canada
- home of Green Gables, part of Lucy Maud Montgomery’s Cavendish National Historic Site
Newfoundland and Labrador
Terra Nova National Park of Canada
- check out this diverse province from rugged cliffs to sheltered inlets
Gros Morne National Park of Canada
- camp by the sea
- don’t miss the sandy beaches and waterfalls
Yukon
Kluane National Park and Reserve of Canada
- home of Canada’s highest peak
Ivvavik National Park of Canada
- calving grounds of the Porcupine caribou herd
- interesting fact: Ivvavik means “a place for giving birth, a nursery”
Northwest Territories
Nahanni National Park Reserve of Canada
- don’t miss Virginia Falls and the sulphur hot springs
Tuktut Nogait National Park of Canada
- wildlife to watch out for: Bluenose West caribou herd, wolves, grizzly bears, muskoxen, arctic char, and a high density of raptors
Nunavut
Ukkusiksalik National Park of Canada
- the stone here can be used carve pots and oil lamps
Quttinirpaaq National Park of Canada
- the most remote, and northerly lands in North America.
- some call it “the top of the world”