Canada · best-of list
The 34 Best Outdoor Spots in Canada
All 34 outdoor spots our route editors picked in Canada, across 16 destinations, gathered in one list. 1 spot on this list appears on more than one of our routes.
Our curated picks
34 outdoor spots in Canada, grouped by destination. Destinations with the most picks come first; this is not a ranking.
Cape Breton Highlands & Cabot Trail 4 picks
Franey Trail
Cape Breton Highlands & Cabot Trail · On our Nova Scotia Coast & Cabot Trail route
Steep climb to a fire-tower lookout over Clyburn Valley and the Atlantic.
Photo: Glenn Tremblett · Google
Ingonish Beach
Cape Breton Highlands & Cabot Trail · On our Nova Scotia Coast & Cabot Trail route
Sand barrier beach with both a warm freshwater lake and the ocean.
Photo: Julien Gourribon · Google
Mary Ann Falls
Cape Breton Highlands & Cabot Trail · On our Nova Scotia Coast & Cabot Trail route
Short gravel side road to a waterfall and swimming pool in the eastern highlands.
Photo: Leonid Chukhovsky · Google
Skyline Trail
Cape Breton Highlands & Cabot Trail · On our Nova Scotia Coast & Cabot Trail route
Boardwalk hike to a headland above the Gulf of St. Lawrence; moose and whales are common.
Tip: Go for sunset and bring a headlamp for the walk out.
Photo: Tony Webster from San Francisco, California · CC BY-SA 2.0
Banff 3 picks
Bow Falls
Banff · On our Banff & Jasper Loop route
Wide falls on the Bow River below the Fairmont Banff Springs, an easy walk from town.
Tip: Walk the riverside trail from the Bow River bridge.
Photo: Ken Thomas · Public domain
Johnston Canyon
Banff · On our Banff & Jasper Loop route
Catwalks bolted into a limestone canyon lead to Lower and Upper Falls.
Tip: Arrive before 8am; parking fills quickly.
Photo: Theresa Yim · Google
Lake Minnewanka
Banff · On our Banff & Jasper Loop route
Largest lake in the park, with a lakeshore trail and boat cruises.
Tip: Take the Lake Minnewanka Cruise in summer; drive the loop past Two Jack Lake.
Photo: DXR · CC BY-SA 4.0
Jasper 3 picks
Athabasca Falls
Jasper · On our Banff & Jasper Loop route
Powerful falls squeezing through a quartzite gorge.
Tip: Walk all the viewing platforms and the old channel stairs.
Photo: Jakub Fryš · CC BY-SA 4.0
Pyramid Lake
Jasper · On our Banff & Jasper Loop route
Lake just above town with a footbridge to a small island and Pyramid Mountain behind.
Tip: Good sunset and stargazing spot.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0
Sunwapta Falls
Jasper · On our Banff & Jasper Loop route
Falls cutting through a gorge just off the Icefields Parkway.
Tip: Short walk to the lower falls is quieter.
Photo: Jon Sullivan · Public domain
Lake Louise 3 picks
Lake Louise Lakeshore Trail
Lake Louise · On our Banff & Jasper Loop route
Flat path along the turquoise lake toward Victoria Glacier.
Tip: Arrive by 7am or use the Parks Canada shuttle.
Photo: jc · Google
Moraine Lake
Lake Louise · On our Banff & Jasper Loop route
Glacier-fed lake below the Valley of the Ten Peaks; reached only by shuttle or tour.
Tip: Book the Parks Canada shuttle; private vehicles are banned.
Photo: Gorgo · Public domain
Rockpile Trail
Lake Louise · On our Banff & Jasper Loop route
Short climb at Moraine Lake to the famous postcard view.
Tip: Five minutes from the shuttle stop.
Photo: John Whitehill Jr. · Google
Charlevoix 2 picks
Hautes-Gorges-de-la-Rivière-Malbaie National Park
Charlevoix · On our Montréal, Québec City & Charlevoix route
Some of eastern Canada's highest rock walls rise above the river; hike L'Acropole-des-Draveurs or paddle.
Tip: The Acropole trail is steep; start early.
Photo: Dav2z at English Wikipedia · Public domain
Parc national des Grands-Jardins
Charlevoix · On our Montréal, Québec City & Charlevoix route
Taiga-like plateau with caribou country and the Mont du Lac des Cygnes summit trail.
Photo: Alex Garin · Google
Halifax 2 picks
Halifax Public Gardens
Halifax · On our Nova Scotia Coast & Cabot Trail route
Victorian formal gardens with ponds, a bandstand and old trees, open spring to fall.
Photo: Hayden Soloviev · CC BY 4.0
Point Pleasant Park
Halifax · On our Nova Scotia Coast & Cabot Trail route
Wooded park at the peninsula's tip with trails, fort ruins and harbour mouth views.
Photo: The Singing Badger at English Wikipedia · Public domain
Lunenburg & Mahone Bay 2 picks
Blue Rocks
Lunenburg & Mahone Bay · On our Nova Scotia Coast & Cabot Trail route
Tiny fishing hamlet of fish shacks on grey slate, great for kayaking and photos.
Photo: Lynne LeBlanc · Google
Ovens Natural Park
Lunenburg & Mahone Bay · On our Nova Scotia Coast & Cabot Trail route
Clifftop trail to sea caves that boom with the surf, plus a seasonal campground.
Photo: The Ovens Park · Google
Mont-Tremblant 2 picks
Lac Tremblant
Mont-Tremblant · On our Quebec City & Mont-Tremblant route
Long glacial lake below the mountain, frozen and snow-covered through most of winter.
Tip: Walk the lakeshore at Plage Mont-Tremblant for the view back to the ski runs.
Photo: Slava Ivanov · CC BY-SA 4.0
Parc national du Mont-Tremblant
Mont-Tremblant · On our Quebec City & Mont-Tremblant route
Quebec's oldest national park, with snowshoe and cross-country ski trails around Lac Monroe.
Tip: Rent snowshoes at the Lac-Monroe service center.
Photo: Ngasbr · CC BY-SA 4.0
Prince Edward County 2 picks
Lake on the Mountain
Prince Edward County · On our Toronto, Niagara & Prince Edward County route
Spring-fed lake perched high above the Bay of Quinte with a glassy view.
Photo: P199 · CC BY-SA 3.0
Sandbanks Provincial Park
Prince Edward County · On our Toronto, Niagara & Prince Edward County route
Freshwater dunes and long beaches on Lake Ontario, including Outlet and Dunes beaches.
Tip: Reserve a day-use pass in summer.
Photo: C. Löser · CC BY-SA 2.0 de
Québec City 2 picks
Montmorency Falls
Québec City · On our Montréal, Québec City & Charlevoix route + 1 more
Falls 30 m higher than Niagara with a suspension bridge, cable car and zipline.
Tip: Climb the panoramic staircase for spray-soaked views.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 2.5
Plains of Abraham
Québec City · On our Montréal, Québec City & Charlevoix route
Battlefields park where the 1759 battle was fought, now lawns and lookouts over the river.
Photo: Guillaume Cattiaux · CC BY-SA 2.0
Vancouver 2 picks
Grouse Mountain
Vancouver · On our Vancouver, Whistler & Victoria route
Gondola to city-and-ocean views, grizzly refuge and the steep Grouse Grind hike.
Photo: Pburka at English Wikipedia · Public domain
Kitsilano Beach
Vancouver · On our Vancouver, Whistler & Victoria route
Sandy city beach with mountain views and a long saltwater outdoor pool.
Photo: Monowar Hossain · Google
Victoria 2 picks
Butchart Gardens
Victoria · On our Vancouver, Whistler & Victoria route
Century-old gardens in a former quarry, with the Sunken Garden and summer fireworks.
Tip: Go at opening or after 3 pm to miss tour buses.
Photo: w4nn3s · CC BY-SA 3.0
Dallas Road Waterfront
Victoria · On our Vancouver, Whistler & Victoria route
Clifftop walk with Olympic Mountain views, ending near Mile Zero of the Trans-Canada.
Photo: Mariko Ishikawa · Google
Whistler 2 picks
Brandywine Falls
Whistler · On our Vancouver, Whistler & Victoria route
70-metre waterfall a short walk from the highway, with a view over Daisy Lake.
Photo: JohnHarvey at English Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 2.5
Lost Lake Park
Whistler · On our Vancouver, Whistler & Victoria route
Forest lake a short walk from the village, with swimming docks and bike trails.
Photo: Robin Alexander · Google
Montréal 1 pick
Mount Royal Park
Montréal · On our Montréal, Québec City & Charlevoix route
Olmsted-designed park with the Kondiaronk Belvedere overlooking downtown and the river.
Tip: Hike up from Avenue des Pins; Sunday tam-tams gather by the George-Étienne Cartier monument.
Photo: Augusto Ruiz · Google
Niagara Falls & Niagara-on-the-Lake 1 pick
Horseshoe Falls
Niagara Falls & Niagara-on-the-Lake · On our Toronto, Niagara & Prince Edward County route
The largest of the three falls, best seen from Table Rock on the Canadian side.
Photo: Table Rock Welcome Centre · Google
Toronto 1 pick
Toronto Islands
Toronto · On our Toronto, Niagara & Prince Edward County route
Car-free islands reached by ferry, with beaches, bike paths and skyline views.
Tip: Ride to Hanlan's Point or Ward's Island for quieter beaches.
Photo: JK Liu · CC BY-SA 4.0
How we picked these
Every entry is a stop on at least one of TripsCircle's hand-curated routes, chosen by our route editors, who wrote the reason to go shown with each place. These are our curated picks, not a scored ranking: we haven't rated or reviewed them against each other. The list is grouped by destination, and within each destination places that appear on more routes come first.
Prices ($ to $$$$) and visit lengths are rough guides from our route notes, not quotes. Check opening hours before you go.
About this list
How did you choose the outdoor spots in Canada?
Each one is a stop on a TripsCircle route that our editors built by hand, and each comes with a written reason to go. This page shows all 34 of them. They are curated picks, not a ranked score.
Which part of Canada has the most outdoor spots on this list?
Cape Breton Highlands & Cabot Trail has the most (4 of 34), followed by Banff (3) and Jasper (3).
Are any of these free?
22 picks on this list are marked free in our route notes: Bow Falls, Athabasca Falls, Lake Louise Lakeshore Trail, Lac Tremblant, Mount Royal Park, and more. Check ahead, since parking or special exhibits can cost extra.
More lists for Canada
Best outdoor spots nearby
Destinations on this list
- Cape Breton Highlands & Cabot Trail 4 on this list
- Banff 3 on this list
- Jasper 3 on this list
- Lake Louise 3 on this list
- Charlevoix 2 on this list
- Halifax 2 on this list
- Lunenburg & Mahone Bay 2 on this list
- Mont-Tremblant 2 on this list
Turn this list into a plan
Open a curated route in TripsCircle, add the spots your crew wants, vote with polls and keep everyone on one shared itinerary.