Niagara Falls, Ontario
Ironically, two of the three waterfalls that make up Canada’s best-known natural wonder are on the US side of the border. But long before international boundaries, this seismic water feature was crafted out of melting glaciers and a giant fault in the riverbed some 10,000 years ago. Today this trio forms a massive U-shape that pours 3160 tons of water into the Niagara Gorge every second — best seen from the Canadian side.
Moraine Lake, Alberta
While Lake Louise has had its fair share of limelight, just south is less crowded (and arguably more beautiful) Moraine Lake. Set in the rugged Valley of Ten Peaks, this vivid turquoise lake is the centrepiece amid jagged mountains, waterfalls and rock piles. Its colour is the result of “rock flour”, caused by rocks grinding underneath ice as the nearby glacier moves. When the fine flour reaches the lake, it reflects sunlight to create an unreal shade of blue.
Head Smashed In Buffalo Jump, Alberta
This gruesomely named UNESCO World Heritage Site appears as merely a clifftop overlooking Alberta’s prairies. However, as the nearby museum celebrates, this was once a strategic hunting ground for First Nations people, involving generations of ingenuity and precision to herd bison over the clifftop in an annual mass slaughter. It was a gory but necessary custom with such cultural, archaeological and scientific significance it earned its UNESCO status.
Bear Rock Sinkhole, Northwest Territories
Deep in the wilds, dozens of sinkholes pit the dense forest, appearing like vibrant cerulean pools amid a blanket of green. The most photogenic of these is the bewildering Bear Rock Sinkhole, formed by the collapse of a vast cave under the earth’s surface, between the towns of Tulita and Norman Wells.
Ellesmere Island, Nunavat
In the far northern reaches of Nunavut, cosying up to Greenland in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, it seems unfathomable that 55 million years ago, Ellesmere Island was a wetland forest. While the palm trees and warm weather have long gone, ancient tree stumps remain in an incredible fossil forest, which has helped scientists understand the Arctic before the Ice Age.
Canadian Rockies, Alberta and BC
Shimmering glaciers and vibrant lakes, jagged ice-capped peaks, dense forest and alpine meadows, not to mention the major wildlife roaming within — the Canadian Rockies delivers a montage of landscapes as quintessentially Canadian as maple syrup. Spanning British Columbia and Alberta, this immense UNESCO World Heritage Site encompasses a vast array of natural wonders.
Iceberg Alley, Newfoundland
Every year the stretch of water along the coast of Newfoundland and Labrador is transformed into a dramatic seascape of massive icebergs, which have broken off ancient glaciers further north in the Arctic and floated down en route to the open sea. While its treacherous territory for sailors, it’s spectacular to photograph.
Hopewell Rocks, New Brunswick
Time and tide have carved the majestic Hopewell Rocks into these bizarre sandstone formations, topped with trees. No wonder they’re also known as Flowerpot Rocks. Situated on the upper reaches of the Bay of Fundy, famous for its extreme tidal range, you can walk around these unique formations at low tide.
Aurora Borealis, Yukon
Thanks to a phenomenon where the sun’s electrically charged particles collide with gases in Earth’s atmosphere to create a glow, parts of Canada are often treated to a display of purple, green, blue and red ribbons streaming across the night sky. The aurora borealis (aka Northern Lights) can be seen in many countries, but Canada’s proximity to the North Pole and particularly dark, clear skies in the Yukon, Nunavut and the Northwest Territories intensify the spectacle.
Waterton Lakes National Park, Alberta
Sprawling along the Alberta-Montana border, Waterton is an official Biosphere Reserve, World Heritage Site and the first multinational dark sky park in the world, committed to stargazing. During the day, explore the park’s vast lakes (including the deepest one in the Canadian Rockies), and the unique rock formations that surround, featuring some of the oldest exposed sedimentary rock in the Canadian Rockies.
Cathedral Grove, BC
You’ll find this endangered remnant of an ancient Douglas fir ecosystem within MacMillan Provincial Park, 175km north of Victoria (BC’s capital city) on Vancouver Island. This biological treasure was thousands of years in the making, with some remaining trees estimated to be 800 years old, towering 75m high and nine metres in circumference. It’s just a slice of what BC’s west coast looked like before the arrival of European settlers.
Haida Gwaii, British Columbia
Also known as the Queen Charlotte Islands, the remote Haida Gwaii archipelago is off northern mainland BC. Characterised by pristine stretches of temperate rainforests, alpine mountains and long sandy beaches, there are 40 unique species and subspecies of plants and animals here. It’s also home to Haida communities who continue to protect the region’s rich First Nations culture.
Mistaken Point Ecological Reserve, Newfoundland and Labrador
While this protected wilderness area is accessible only via guided tour or permit, it’s worth the extra effort to see one of the world’s most significant fossil sites. Expect to see 500 million-year-old fossils embedded into planes of rock within this UNESCO World Heritage Site. Picture: Wayne Barrett
Red Sands Shore, Prince Edward Island
Thanks to high iron content in the soil, parts of Prince Edward Island’s coastline are emblazoned with red sandstone cliffs, red clay roads and rose-tinted sand beaches. Cavendish Beach is a popular hangout for beachgoers, who can walk around the vibrant cliffs or just take in the views from the shoreline.
Spotted Lake, BC
Situated 380km east of Vancouver in Osoyoos, Canada’s only true desert environment, this bizarre lake seems like a roadside mirage. However, it’s the result of mineral-rich water, much of which evaporates during the hot summer months, leaving behind a concentration of these minerals that form the lake’s ‘spots’. They even shift in size and colour throughout the warmer months as the mineral ratios change with further evaporation.
Dinosaur Provincial Park, Alberta
Seventy-five million years ago, Dinosaur Provincial Park was a subtropical paradise thick with jumbo palms and ferns and, you guessed it, dinosaurs. Today it’s a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site 220km east of Calgary, where more than 150 full dinosaur skeletons have been unearthed. With more still being discovered, you can also fossick for Jurassic remains in the park, no palaeontology degree required.
Cave and Basin Historic Site, Alberta
Just beyond Banff’s bustling town centre is this steamy cavern flanking Sulphur Mountain, celebrated as the birthplace of Canada’s national parks. In 1883, railway workers stumbled across the cave and its thermal waters, which resulted in Canada’s first national park, cementing it as a culturally and historically significant natural wonder for all. Picture: Graham Twoney
Athabasca Glacier, Alberta
As one of many natural wonders along the iconic Icefields Parkway in the Canadian Rockies, Athabasca Glacier is a highlight as one of the most accessible glaciers in the world. Spanning six kilometres long and almost one kilometre wide, the tongue of the glacier is just a short stroll from the iconic highway.
Gros Morne National Park, Newfoundland
While hikers love this UNESCO World Heritage Site for its spectacular scenery, from pristine lakes and flat-topped mountains to deep forests, geologists are particularly enamoured by its tablelands. Here you walk on the earth’s mantle — bronze-coloured rock from deep within the earth’s crust. Nowhere is this material so accessible, which has helped scientists understand the geology of our planet.
Wood Buffalo National Park, Alberta
As the largest national park in Canada, Wood Buffalo National Park is all about jumbo-sized accomplishments. It’s home to the largest land mammal native to North America (wood bison), the continent’s largest bird (whooping crane), one of the largest freshwater delta ecosystems, and now this UNESCO World Heritage Site claims to have the world’s largest beaver dam.
