Canada is filled with beautiful destinations to explore, and all kinds of ways to discover them. Whether hiking, cycling or paddling, get out and share an adventurous expedition this summer, with ideas to inspire your excursions no matter where you are in Canada!
There are many provincial parks throughout British Columbia and the mountains of Alberta. While some places for weary travelers to pitch a tent for the night, others offer group campsites, comfort stations and hiking trails. Alice Lake Provincial Park, Golden Ears Provincial Park and Garibaldi Provincial Park are all only a short drive from Vancouver, while Goldstream Provincial Park and Ruckle Provincial Park are convenient options for Colonies and Packs in Victoria.
If you’re in Calgary, why not plan an overnight adventure to Peter Lougheed Provincial Park in beautiful Kananaskis Country?
Colonies and Packs in Saskatchewan will enjoy the hiking, cycling, fishing and swimming at Good Spirit Lake Provincial Park.
If you’re in Thompson, Manitoba, why not visit Paint Lake Provincial Park and paddle the lake’s maze of islands? Colonies and Packs in southern Manitoba should visit the unique, sandy prairie protected in Spruce Woods Provincial Park. While there, take a hike and check out the Devil’s Punch Bowl.
Bon Echo Provincial Park in southeastern Ontario offers a variety of campsite options, including drive-up, walk-in and paddle-in. The latter two can be an exciting way for Beavers and Cubs to take their camping adventure to the next level! The park also has hiking trails worth exploring.
Gatineau Park in Quebec has a number of group campsites and a wide variety of hiking trails. The park also offers some of the best beaches in the Ottawa area! Parc national des Monts-Valin (250 km north of Quebec City) offers group camping. It also offers great fishing, paddling and hiking – and spectacular scenery!
Sugarloaf Provincial Park and Mount Carleton Provincial Park are two great New Brunswick destinations for camping and hiking.
Across the border, Acadia National Park in Maine offers a wide variety of summer adventure activities, including cycling, hiking, swimming, fishing and tidepooling!
Cycle:
The Kettle Valley Railway is an old railbed in southern British Columbia offers hundreds of kilometres of mountain biking, suitable for beginners.
Paddle:
The Bowron Lakes Canoe Circuit is located in Bowron Lake Provincial Park in eastern British Columbia, and is a rare opportunity for a canoe trip in the mountains.
The Powell Forest Canoe Route is a rare opportunity for a canoe trip in the mountains – and it’s conveniently located on British Columbia’s Sunshine Coast.
Hike:
Hike (or paddle) the West Coast Trail. Located in Pacific Rim National Park Reserve on the west coast of Vancouver Island, the West Coast Trail (75 kilometres in length) is the hike of a lifetime!
The Juan de Fuca Marine Trail (47kms in length) traces the southwestern shore of Vancouver Island in Juan de Fuca Provincial Park, and it offers fantastic views of Juan de Fuca Strait and the Olympic Mountains.
Explore ocean shorelines and old-growth forests on the Sunshine Coast Trail—18kms of hut-to-hut adventure!
Paddle:
While the Bloodvein River is not easy to get to (fly in, paddle and portage in, or put in from Ontario), paddlers willing to make their way to the Bloodvein River are rewarded with rugged wilderness scenery and outstanding fishing in Manitoba’s Atikaki Provincial Park.
Experience Alberta’s badlands from a unique perspective on the water along the Red Deer River.
Explore historic fur-trading routes in Saskatchewan’s Lac La Ronge Provincial Park on the Churchill River.
Hike:
The Mantario Hiking Trail, located in Whiteshell Provincial Park in eastern Manitoba, offers rugged wilderness scenery and fantastic opportunities to spot wildlife.
Ontario is a paddler’s paradise. The province offers countless canoeing opportunities for day paddles, weekend trips or longer expeditions. If your Troop, Company or Crew is looking for a great canoeing adventure, consider Algonquin Provincial Park, Quetico Provincial Park, Wabakimi Provincial Park and Killarney Provincial Park.
The canoeing opportunities aren’t all in Ontario, of course! Check out the 2015 Amory Adventure Award log from the 31st Burlington Venturer Company and get inspired to head out on a paddling adventure of your own in western Quebec.
Summer is a great season for hiking, and there are wonderful hiking trails in Central Canada. The Bruce Trail runs nearly 900 km across southwestern Ontario, so chances are there’s a stretch your Troop, Company or Crew hasn’t yet explored. If you want to hike in a more remote part of Ontario, consider the Coastal Trail in Lake Superior Provincial Park.
Head out on a cycling adventure! The Confederation Trail is an old railbed that runs across Prince Edward Island and it’s a great introduction to cycle touring.
Newfoundland has some of the best hiking in Atlantic Canada. The East Coast Trail offers great tramping just outside of St. John’s, while the Long Range Traverse in Gros Morne National Park is an epic backcountry adventure.
The Dobson Trail runs from the town of Riverview (near Moncton) to the edge of Fundy National Park. It is part of the Trans Canada Trail, and runs through a variety of terrains. Camping is permitted all along the trail, but hikers need to think carefully about the best water sources along the way—just ask the 1st Westfield Venturer Company!
Across the border, the Allagash Wilderness Waterway in northwestern Maine is a chain of lakes and tributaries surrounding the Allagash River, itself a tributary of the Saint John River. From one end to the other, the Wilderness is nearly 150 kilometres long, and traveling the entire length by canoe can take over a week.
The Appalachian Trail is one of the world’s famous long hikes, and the 100-Mile Wilderness in Maine is one of the trail’s most challenging stretches – perfect for a summer adventure!
