Canada is the site of many great trails for various uses, including hiking, mountain biking and more. Its vast expanse and diverse topography make for scenic views wherever you go. In fact, Canada is home to some of the most beautiful, postcard-perfect mountain scenery in the world - concentrated in a set of seven parks in the Canadian Rocky Mountains. Snow-capped peaks and burnished autumn leaves carpeting picturesque settings are some of the best-known images associated with a Canada hiking holiday.
So where are the best places to go for a Canada hiking holiday in the Rockies? There are four national parks to choose from - Banff, Jasper, Yoho and Kootenay - and adjoining them are three British Columbia provincial parks - Mount Robson, Mount Assiniboine and Hamber. Take your pick!
Banff National Park.
Built around the Cave and Basin Hot Springs, discovered in 1883 by Canadian Pacific Railway construction workers, Banff National Park is Canada's first and oldest park preserve. It is a UNESCO World Heritage site with a wealth of natural wonders surrounding the many trails. From short and easy hikes on gentle slopes, to long challenging trails along the jagged peaks, the region is perfect for your Canada hiking holiday. The landscape boasts glorious peaks and conifer-clad slopes, crystalline glacial streams and turquoise lakes, as well as the vast Columbia Icefield and the mystical Castleguard Caves. Banff National Park is also home to an assortment of wildlife such as elk, deer, sheep, black bears and grizzlies - so there'll be a lot to see!
Jasper National Park
Often called the glacial jewel of the Rockies, Jasper National Park, one of the country's oldest parks, was established in 1907, and offers over 1200 kilometres of trail for your Canada hiking holiday. With a wealth of campsites, cascading waterfalls, wildflowers and teeming wildlife - including elk, mule deer, bighorn sheep, wolves, wolverines and bears - Jasper National Park is one of the largest protected ecosystems in Canada and the perfect getaway from city life. Visitors will enjoy the Dark Sky Preserve- a place to forget all about the city lights and enjoy the magical beauty of nature.
Kootenay National Park
Located in the southwestern region of the Canadian Rockies, Kootenay, established in 1920, is the epitome of diversity. You can see glacial peaks along with semi-arid, cactus-covered grasslands all on the same leg of your Canada hiking holiday! The site of the famed Radium Hot Springs, it is a great place to enjoy the many colors of the nature and culture of Canada: from the green new pine forests, crystal blue glacial waters, rust and ochre mineral pools and beds of the Paint Pots- and of course, the white shaggy mountain goats that are the park's symbol.
Yoho National Park
With rock walls, glacial lakes, cascading waterfalls, snow-topped mountain peaks, and roaring rivers, Yoho National Park is aptly named: after the Cree word expressing awe. The site of Burgess Shalev is one of the world's most significant finds of soft-bodied, Middle Cambrian-age marine fossils. There are around 150 species, including some bearing no resemblance to known animals, and dating back 515 million years. Yoho's trails offer many surprises for your Canada hiking holiday- both historic and prehistoric.
Tony Maniscalco is the Sales and Marketing Manager for Ramblers Worldwide Holidays. For walking holidays Peru is a fascinating destination. Join us to experience scenic locations & landscapes at the best value pricds. We offer over 250 guided group walking holidays in over 65 different countries.
So where are the best places to go for a Canada hiking holiday in the Rockies? There are four national parks to choose from - Banff, Jasper, Yoho and Kootenay - and adjoining them are three British Columbia provincial parks - Mount Robson, Mount Assiniboine and Hamber. Take your pick!
Banff National Park.
Built around the Cave and Basin Hot Springs, discovered in 1883 by Canadian Pacific Railway construction workers, Banff National Park is Canada's first and oldest park preserve. It is a UNESCO World Heritage site with a wealth of natural wonders surrounding the many trails. From short and easy hikes on gentle slopes, to long challenging trails along the jagged peaks, the region is perfect for your Canada hiking holiday. The landscape boasts glorious peaks and conifer-clad slopes, crystalline glacial streams and turquoise lakes, as well as the vast Columbia Icefield and the mystical Castleguard Caves. Banff National Park is also home to an assortment of wildlife such as elk, deer, sheep, black bears and grizzlies - so there'll be a lot to see!
Jasper National Park
Often called the glacial jewel of the Rockies, Jasper National Park, one of the country's oldest parks, was established in 1907, and offers over 1200 kilometres of trail for your Canada hiking holiday. With a wealth of campsites, cascading waterfalls, wildflowers and teeming wildlife - including elk, mule deer, bighorn sheep, wolves, wolverines and bears - Jasper National Park is one of the largest protected ecosystems in Canada and the perfect getaway from city life. Visitors will enjoy the Dark Sky Preserve- a place to forget all about the city lights and enjoy the magical beauty of nature.
Kootenay National Park
Located in the southwestern region of the Canadian Rockies, Kootenay, established in 1920, is the epitome of diversity. You can see glacial peaks along with semi-arid, cactus-covered grasslands all on the same leg of your Canada hiking holiday! The site of the famed Radium Hot Springs, it is a great place to enjoy the many colors of the nature and culture of Canada: from the green new pine forests, crystal blue glacial waters, rust and ochre mineral pools and beds of the Paint Pots- and of course, the white shaggy mountain goats that are the park's symbol.
Yoho National Park
With rock walls, glacial lakes, cascading waterfalls, snow-topped mountain peaks, and roaring rivers, Yoho National Park is aptly named: after the Cree word expressing awe. The site of Burgess Shalev is one of the world's most significant finds of soft-bodied, Middle Cambrian-age marine fossils. There are around 150 species, including some bearing no resemblance to known animals, and dating back 515 million years. Yoho's trails offer many surprises for your Canada hiking holiday- both historic and prehistoric.
Tony Maniscalco is the Sales and Marketing Manager for Ramblers Worldwide Holidays. For walking holidays Peru is a fascinating destination. Join us to experience scenic locations & landscapes at the best value pricds. We offer over 250 guided group walking holidays in over 65 different countries.