Getting to visit Lake O’Hara in Canada’s Yoho National Park is likely a once-in-a-lifetime experience. (Mostly because reservations are SO hard to get!) You need these Lake O’Hara packing lists to make sure you have the right gear so you can stay warm, dry and happy. I’ve been to Lake O’Hara twice: On one trip …
Canadian Rockies
I’ve done a lot of hiking around Banff and in the Canadian Rockies… and the trails at Sunshine Meadows have by far the best effort-to-reward ratio. There is literally nowhere else where you can wander through wildflower meadows, hike past alpine lakes, and enjoy mountain views while barely breaking a sweat. In the winter this …
British Columbia has tons of incredible places to go backpacking and multi-day hiking. Unfortunately, most of them require a car to get to. However, it is possible to go backpacking in BC without a car. I’ve got a list of over 35 car-free backpacking trips across BC. You can get to these overnight and multi-day …
Heads up: The Berg Lake Trail is currently closed but will fully reopen on June 26, 2025. It suffered extensive damage due to flooding in late June and early July 2021 and has been partially or completely closed since then while repairs are underway. The Berg Lake Trail in Mount Robson Provincial Park is one …
I’m not a huge water person, but I LOVE hot springs. After a day of hiking or hours in the car on a road trip, being able to sit in some warm water, outdoors, surrounded by nature… bliss. Thankfully, Western Canada has some great hot springs. In fact, all of the hot springs in Canada …
British Columbia has hundreds of options for gorgeous backpacking trips. Most are free or require a permit, but for a few special trips, you need to make reservations in advance. If you’re planning ahead of time, these are the BC backpacking reservation dates you need to know for 2025 The most spectacular trips are often …
Banff National Park’s Egypt Lake area is gorgeous: a scattering of blue glacial lakes below rugged peaks. In between, you’ll find patches of meadows, majestic alpine larch trees, and well-maintained trails. It’s a moderate hike to the Egypt Lake campground, which makes a great base camp for exploring. It’s a tough backcountry camp to reserve, …
For years I sped through Yoho National Park on Highway 1, in a hurry to get to Banff. From the road, the mountains were pretty but they didn’t entice me to stop. Oh how wrong I was! Once I finally got off the highway and saw all the things to do in Yoho National Park, …
The Yoho Valley in Yoho National Park is a special place. In the Cree language, “Yoho” is an expression of wonder or awe. It pretty much means “wow!” And while it sounds cheesy, that’s what I kept saying when I spent three days backpacking the Yoho Valley Loop including the Iceline Trail. I had been …
Note: I’ve updated my Mount Assiniboine hiking guide to include updated info for 2025 including the new requirement for reservations at Porcupine Campground. With its prominent Matterhorn shape, Mount Assiniboine is one of the most photographed peaks in the Canadian Rockies. And that makes hiking to Mount Assiniboine one of the most spectacular backpacking trips …