The natural wonders of Canada
By: Vincent Tran
Published on: September 25th, 2023
Canada is a country full of nature and is known for its vast amounts of land and beautiful landscapes. This couldn’t be any more true when looking through some of the sights that Canada has to offer.
Some locations in Canada are absolutely spectacular and could be added to your own list of places to visit.
There are many places all across the country that are popular for their natural beauty, so here’s a list of one natural wonder from each province and territory in Canada. These places are here for you to explore, so if you ever have a chance, pay them a visit and experience it for yourself!
Alberta – Banff National Park
Without a doubt one of the most scenic places throughout the whole country, Banff National Park is a popular destination amongst Canadians and tourists alike.
One of the main attractions of Banff National Park is Moraine Lake, a lake with incredible blue water and a jaw-dropping background of the mountain range that will surely spice up your camera roll. However, there are many different lakes and rivers all throughout Banff National Park that will surely take your breath away.
There are many hiking and walking trails all over Banff National Park that are there for you to explore, so if you’re ever in the area, you definitely will not want to miss out on the opportunity to take a hike along one of these trails.
British Columbia – Okanagan Valley
Home to many vast forest ranges and mountains, British Columbia is chock-full of beautiful landscapes and scenery, however Okanagan Valley offers a slight change of pace to all of that.
Okanagan Valley also has mountains and forests, but is well-known for its many vineyards. If you’re interested in wine, Okanagan Valley is home to many different wineries and is one of the leading producers of wine in British Columbia.
You can enjoy wine tasting, festivals, and much more in the region. You can of course go on hikes and walks in the area, but you can also go boating on Okanagan Lake.
Manitoba – Clearwater Lake
Manitoba is home to more than 100,000 lakes, but one of the standouts has to be Clearwater Lake. This lake indeed lives up to its name, with it being transparent, you are able to see the bottom of the lake at 11-metres.
There are also hiking trails along the Clearwater Lake Provincial Park that will take you through the surrounding area of Clearwater Lake. One of these trails leads to a place known as “the caves,” which are not actual caves but rather deep crevices.
Clearwater Lake offers a picturesque scene for visitors and is a great location for canoeing and boating. The serene waters at Clearwater Lake offer a great place for relaxation and is a place you will definitely want to see.
New Brunswick – Hopewell Rocks Provincial Park
One of the key qualities of the east coast of Canada is the Bay of Fundy which is home to a unique attraction known as the Hopewell Rocks. These interestingly-shaped rocks are a result of water eroding the rocks there, which produced the rounded look of the rocks.
These sloped and curved rock formations are dotted all along the coast of Hopewell Cape and are a main feature of what makes this location so special. Just one look at the Hopewell Rocks and you’ll understand how they really are an amazing feat of nature.
The Hopewell Rocks Provincial Park also includes multiple trails for further exploration around the area or a direct shuttle to the main attraction.
Newfoundland and Labrador – Gros Morne National Park
Before doing anything, search up the Gros Morne National Park on the internet and the images will surely leave you amazed. This incredible national park has some truly awe-inspiring visuals and places that will leave you stunned at the beauty of Canada.
One of the main features of the Gros Morne National Park has to be the winding waters of the ponds in the area with the surrounding mountain range as its backdrop.
There are many things to do at the Gros Morne National Park including boat tours, long hiking trails, and camping locations. All of these activities provide you many options to immerse yourself in one of the most wonderful locations in Newfoundland and Labrador.
Northwest Territories – Nahanni National Park Reserve
One of the most popular attractions in the Northwest Territories, the Nahanni National Park Reserve features mind-blowing canyons and massive mountains all around.
The Nahanni National Park Reserve consists of four canyons each with their own distinct features and covers a massive area of land, spanning over 30,000 square kilometres.
There are also waterfalls present at the Nahanni National Park Reserve with one of the most popular waterfalls being the Victoria Falls, which is the beginning of the fourth canyon.
The wide range of breathtaking sights and sounds present at the Nahanni National Park Reserve are surely something that will make you consider visiting the Northwest Territories to experience all that Canada has to offer.
Nova Scotia – Cape Breton Highlands National Park
The Cape Breton Highlands National Park puts the east coast’s beautiful nature on display through its lush forests and tall mountains.
The sights at the Cape Breton Highlands National Park are predominant features of the east coast with its green forests and winding roads and trails. During the autumn, the trees in the surrounding area turn into a beautiful mixture of red, orange, and yellow that create a picture-perfect scene.
This national park also features 26 hiking trails which allows you many opportunities to explore the whole area and learn more about the coastline. There are eight designated campgrounds, so, if you’re up for it, try camping with your friends and family and become immersed in the landscape around you.
Nunavut – Auyuittuq National Park
At first glance, Auyuittuq National Park looks like something out of a movie and is quite hard to fathom as being something real.
Located on Baffin Island’s Cumberland Peninsula, Auyuittuq National Park features massive mountains with deep valleys in between them. Two of the biggest mountains at Auyuittuq National Park include Mount Asgard and Mount Thor, being 2,015 metres and 1,675 metres high respectively.
Auyuittuq National Park is also one of Canada’s largest national parks with a size of over 21,000 square kilometres. Auyuittuq National Park also has many areas for hiking and skiing, with one of the most popular being the Akshayuk Pass, a 97-kilometre area between the mountains that offers a very scenic path through the national park.
If you are really up for exploration, Auyuittuq National Park is a place you should add to your list as the sights are surely something you will remember for the rest of your life.
Ontario – Niagara Falls
Quite possibly the first image that comes to mind when you think of Canada, it’s hard to envision another natural wonder as grand and iconic as the Niagara Falls.
Each year, many people in and outside of Canada flock to Niagara Falls to see the incredible waterfalls in action. Niagara Falls measures in at 670 metres wide and 57 metres tall, making it one of the biggest waterfalls in the world.
There are many things you could do at Niagara Falls. You could take a boat ride close to the falls or you can feel the mist from the falls cascading down on you when you walk along the walkway. There’s also a gift shop for you to buy all sorts of souvenirs as well as restaurants in the surrounding area.
Niagara Falls is a staple of Canada and Canadian culture, and is a destination that you should visit at least once in your lifetime.
Prince Edward Island (P.E.I.) – Prince Edward Island National Park
In a way, Prince Edward Island National Park encapsulates everything that makes P.E.I. so special. From Greenwich Beach to the iconic red sand and greenery all around, there seems to be a little bit of P.E.I. sprinkled everywhere in this national park.
There’s even the real-life recreation of the Green Gables house as part of the popular 1908 novel Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery, a Canadian author from Prince Edward Island.
Like with many other national parks, there are walkways and hiking trails that take you through the sights and nature of Prince Edward Island National Park. There’s a pedestrian walkway that runs throughout the national park and can be a good way to see all the sights of Prince Edward Island National Park.
Québec – Parc de la Chute-Montmorency
Located a few minutes from downtown Québec City, Parc de la Chute-Montmorency is only one of many beautiful locations in Québec and it really lives up to expectations.
The park has many trees and walkways to venture through, but the main feature of Parc de la Chute-Montmorency is an 83-metre high waterfall. Montmorency Falls is around 30-metres taller than Niagara Falls and is scenic both during the summer and winter.
There is a bridge that spans across the passage above the falls that allows for an intimate and close experience to Montmorency Falls that you may not experience anywhere else.
There are many activities all around Parc de la Chute-Montmorency like ziplines, walking tours, and cable cars. All of this seems like it would make for a great experience, so be sure to keep this location in mind as you may be in for a very fun time.
Saskatchewan – Big Muddy Badlands/Castle Butte
The Big Muddy Badlands are truly a unique landscape that is not very similar to many other places in Canada.
It is found in southern Saskatchewan near the border with the U.S. state of Montana; and features a 60-metre high clay and sandstone formation, with a 500-metre circumference known as Castle Butte.
There are tours that you can book to view Castle Butte or the surrounding areas such as the Outlaw Caves or the Avonlea Heritage Museum. There are many areas for you to walk around and take in the sights.
The Big Muddy Badlands are very different from anything else you might see in Canada so that should make this a place for you to consider visiting in the future.
Yukon – Kluane National Park and Reserve
The Kluane National Park and Reserve truly shows off the wide range of nature that Canada has to offer. This national park has a mix of glaciers and mountains that come with stunning scenery.
You can go kayaking or boating on Lake Kathleen, set up camp at one of the campsites at the park or enjoy a stroll along the walking and hiking trails available.
Apart from its incredible views, Kluane National Park and Reserve is also a great place to view the northern lights, or aurora borealis.
The best chance to see the northern lights is in the first few weeks of winter, so if you ever get the chance, try to visit in December or January. The northern lights are also likely to show up from 10 p.m. to 3 a.m., so you may want to get ready to stay up to witness these beautiful sights.