Canada is a big country with fantastic scenery. Thankfully, there are tons of cute small towns in Canada for outdoor adventures. I asked fellow travel writers to recommend their favourite Canadian towns for hiking, kayaking, beaches, mountain biking, skiing, and more. In this post, you’ll find personal recommendations for 22 small towns across Canada along …
British Columbia
Mount Crumpit is one of my favourite hikes in Squamish. As a local, I’ve hiked it countless times. It never disappoints since it has great views from the top and involves a walk through a beautiful forest. You can hike it year-round, and it only takes a few hours so it has a great effort …
One of my favourite places to snowshoe in Whistler is a loop along the banks of the Cheakamus River using the Farside and Riverside Trails. You’ll snowshoe through the gorgeous snowy forest, get views of the river canyon, and cross a spectacular suspension bridge. The Cheakamus River snowshoe trail is rated easy to moderate, so …
Heads up: The Juan de Fuca Trail is closed in summer 2025 due to significant storm damage. Mystic Beach and East Sombrio Beach are currently open. The full trail will re-open on July 1, 2026. The Juan de Fuca Trail covers 47 challenging kilometres along the coast of southwestern Vancouver Island. I’ve hiked the trail …
Heads up: The Juan de Fuca Trail was closed in summer 2025 due to significant storm damage. Mystic Beach and East Sombrio Beach are currently open. The full trail will re-open on July 1, 2026. The Juan de Fuca Trail is a multi-day hike along the west coast of Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada. …
Most hikes go to a mountain top, a lake or a viewpoint. Those hikes are great, but sometimes you want something different. Something a little unusual. Something off-the-beaten path. Or even something even a little bit weird. Well don’t worry: I got you! I’ve got a list of 15 unusual hikes near Vancouver. These hikes …
The North Coast Trail is a challenging 43km multi-day backpacking trip along the northern tip of Vancouver Island in British Columbia. I hiked the trail twice (to research my book, Backpacking on Vancouver Island). I’ve put together a section-by-section overview of the North Coast Trail to give you a taste of the trail and help …
The North Coast Trail is a multi-day wilderness hike across the very northern tip of Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada. It’s a challenging and remote hike through old-growth rainforest, along beaches, and across muddy coastal bogs. The 43-kilometre-long hike is difficult but beautiful. I hiked the trail twice (to research my book Backpacking on …
Mount Revelstoke National Park is one of my favourite Canadian National Parks since it doesn’t get crazy crowded and it has incredible hiking. It’s also the only place in Canada’s National Parks where you can drive to the top of a towering mountain. I like it so much I’ve actually been there three times in …
Even in the age of the internet and social media, books are still one of my favourite ways to get info about hiking trails. I’m a bit of a hiking guidebook conoisseur. I own over 100 hiking guide books, most of them for British Columbia. In this post, I’ll give you my recommendations for the …