While the summer road trip season is close to winding down, you still have enough time to check out some of Canada’s best sites.
There are obviously more things to see and do nationwide than there is time to take them all in before summer gives way to fall, but the following list of five great road trip ideas will give you some destination options to consider.
1. Cabot Trail
The 298-kilometre Cabot Trail is located on Cape Breton Island in Nova Scotia. If you’re looking for a place that is recognized as one of the globe’s most scenic areas, Cabot Trail is a must see. Check out the Cape Breton Highlands, enjoy a nature tour or head out to catch Atlantic salmon in Margaree River. If art galleries are your thing, visit La Bella Mona Lisa Gallery for contemporary and traditional art. Other places of interest include the Acadian Museum, La Pirogue Fisheries Museum and the Dr. Elizabeth Lefort Museum.
2. Icefields Parkway
Stretching 232 kilometres in length, the Icefields Parkway in Alberta is a great road trip option. The parkway connects the Banff and Jasper National Parks, and gets its name from the large glaciers on the Rocky Mountains. While travelling along the parkway, you’ll also have the chance to see the Weeping Wall, Sunwapta Falls, the Columbia Icefield and the Icefield Centre. If wildlife viewing is up your alley, be on the lookout for elk, caribou, goats, bears and moose. The Icefields Parkway is quite popular this time a year with as many as 100,000 vehicles accessing the parkway during July and August, according to some estimates.
3. Dempster Highway
Ever get the chance to see the Northern Lights? Exploring Dempster Highway, a 671-kilometre route that stretches from the Yukon Territory to the Northwest Territories, will give you the chance. If you’re in the region in late August, you’ll also have the opportunity to see lots of autumn colors during your great road trip. Enjoy the Richardson Mountains, take in fishing and camping opportunities in the Mackenzie Delta or navigate your car across the Arctic Circle. Bring your camera because wildlife sightings are likely.
4. Algonquin Provincial Park
Algonquin Provincial Park in Central Ontario is located between the Ottawa River and Georgian Bay. Hoping to incorporate some camping into your road trip experience? A trip to Algonquin Provincial Park is a good choice. Possible activities that will help you make the most of your great road trip adventure include fishing, biking, canoeing, backpacking, swimming and wildlife watching. You can also learn about the provincial park’s history at the Algonquin Art Centre, the Algonquin Visitor Centre and the Algonquin Logging Museum. These three facilities are stationed along the Highway 60 Corridor inside the provincial park.
5. Viking Trail
If you ever want to visit UNESCO World Heritage sites at L’Anse aux Meadows National Historic Site and Gros Morne National Park, the Viking Trail will get you there. According to the Viking Trail Tourism Association, the Viking Trail is the largest themed highway in Newfoundland and Labrador. At 487 kilometres in length, the Viking Trail isn’t something you’ll be able to fully experience in a single day. Stick around for no less than a couple of days. From whale-watching boat tours to the Red Bay National Historic Site, there’s plenty to see and do.