You want to fill up your gas tank and pack up your car, so you can take in the great sights that the country has to offer. Here are three unforgettable national parks that you should include as stopovers or main destinations on your adventurous road trip.
Cape Breton Highlands
If you want to get an excellent view of the crashing waves and the sun shimmering on the horizon, you should go to the Highlands National Park — it’s believed to be one of the best parks in Canada because it includes a long portion of Cabot Trail so that visitors can take in brilliant views of ocean and lush forest.
This is a wonderful stop to make on your road trip, especially if you want to get out of your cramped car and stretch your legs. If you want to stay for more than a minute, here are some of the sports and activities that you can do when you get there:
- Birdwatching
- Paddling
- Dog walking
- Golfing
- Stargazing
Banff
If you are planning a trip to see the Rocky Mountains, you should mark down this park as a stop along the way. There is a reason why this Banff National Park is so popular with campers and day-trippers from around the world — the beauty of the wilderness is so breathtaking that pictures can barely do it justice.
Some even describe the view to be other-worldly, like it was pulled from a fantasy book from a shelf or a scene of a television show. The fan website Game of Canada has compared the location to the mystical and alluring land of Dorne from the show Game of Thrones and the book series A Song of Ice and Fire by author George RR Martin.
These are a handful of activities that you can do when you make your way to this natural wonder:
- Canoeing
- Kayaking
- Swimming
- Boat tours
- Horseback riding
Yoho
The moment you take in these gorgeous landscapes, you will know why this spot is named after the Cree expression for awe and wonder. The national park is prized for its majestic waterfalls, vertical rock walls and a fossil bed that’s half a billion year’s old.
One of the other reasons why it’s believed to be one of the top national parks you should visit is that it’s less crowded with tourists than famous stops like Banff — it’s estimated over four million people visited the site between 2017 and 2018 alone. Consider Yoho to be one of the country’s best kept secrets that you and your family can enjoy to yourselves.
Here is a quick list of exciting activities and sports that you can do, depending on the time of year:
- Mountain biking
- Ice climbing
- Cross country skiing
- Fossil hikes
- Fishing
There is something romantic about hitting the open road and driving to a spot far off from cities and suburbs. When you add these stunning parks on your itinerary, you can pull away from the hectic world and get back to nature.