the banff national park, the oldest and best known of Canada's national parks
The national parks of canada are diversified protected places aiming to represent all the different natural regions of the Canada.
Understand
Canada has 45 national parks and national park reserves. In total, they cover an area of 224 466 km2, that is to say 2.2% of the total area of the country. It also includes four national marine conservation areas.
The mandate of Canada's national parks is, first, to protect the ecological integrity of parks and, second, to allow the public to explore, learn and enjoy Canada's natural spaces. In fact, the goal is to preserve places that represent all of Canada's different natural regions. To this end, Parks Canada has identified 39 different regions to represent. In its 2010-2011 report, the agency indicates that, in 2009, the network is 70% complete.
Administration
Canada's national parks are managed by Parks Canada, a federal government agency. In addition to the 45 national parks and national park reserves, Canada's national parks system includes four national marine conservation areas and one Canadian site. Parks Canada also manages 167 national historic sites.
- National parks on the official Parks Canada website – Site of Parks Canada, the agency managing Canada's national parks, offering an overview of the history of national parks in Canada in general and information on each of the national parks in particular.
Story
The idea of national parks in Canada began in 1883 with the discovery of hot springs by employees of the Canadian Pacific Railway in the Rocky Mountains. It was a dispute over their use and ownership that prompted the government to create the Banff Hot Springs Reserve in 1885 which would later become Canada's first national park, the banff national park. The purpose of the first Canadian national parks was not so much to preserve nature, but to reserve part of the territory for public use. With the Federal Forest Reserves and Parks Act from , Canada created the Dominion Parks Authority, the world's first national park service. The mandate to preserve ecological integrity was redefined in 1979 and the National Parks Act was officially changed in 1988, ending the dual mandate that also covered the recreational uses of parks.
Entrance fees
All of Canada's national parks require visitors to pay an entrance fee. Your nationality or place of residence does not change the fare since Canadian residents and foreign visitors pay the same fees. Some national parks, for example in Alberta and in British Columbia, are quite close to each other and it is possible to visit several of them in a single day. If you pay an entrance fee to a mountain park (for example, the banff national park) and visit another on the same day (for example, the yoho national park), you won't have to pay a second time. Your paid entrance fee is valid until 16 h the day after. There are annual passes valid in all Parks Canada national parks. The annual pass becomes advantageous after only seven days compared to the day passes. The annual pass also gives access to national historic sites operated by Parks Canada.
| Day pass | Annual Pass | |
|---|---|---|
| Adult (17 to 64 years old) | 9,8 $ C | 67,7 $ C |
| Senior (65 years and over) | 8,3 $ C | 57,9 $ C |
| Young (6 to 16 years old) | 4,9 $ C | 33,3 $ C |
| Family / group (2 to 7 people) | 19,6 $ C | 136,4 $ C |
Camping
- Reservation service ,
1 877-737-3783 – Service operated by Parks Canada offering reservations in more than 50 campsites in 57 parks national and historic sites (see list below). This service is also the one to contact to obtain a hiking permit for the West Coast trail of the Pacific Rim National Park Reserve, the Burgess Shale Hikes in the National Parks of Kootenay and of Yoho as well as for backcountry camping in specific locations.
- List of national parks in Canada for which camping reservations are offered by the Parks Canada Reservation Service
- in Alberta : Banff, Elk Island, Waterton Lakes
- in British Columbia : Kootenay, Gulf Islands, Pacific Rim, Yoho, Fort Rodd Hill
- to thePrince Edward Island : Prince Edward Island
- to New Brunswick : Fundy, Kouchibouguac
- in New Scotland : Cape Breton Highlands, Kejimkujik
- to Manitoba : Riding Mountain
- in Ontario : The Rideau Canal, Georgian Bay Islands, Thousand Islands, Bruce Peninsula, Waterway-Trent-Severn
- to Quebec : Forillon, Mauricie, Mingan Archipelago
- in Saskatchewan : Prince Albert
- To Newfoundland and Labrador : Gros Morne, Terra Nova
Listing
British Columbia
- 1 Glacier National Park – Park located in the Columbia mountain range protecting old cedar and hemlock forests. It includes caribou, mountain goats and grizzly bears.
- 2 Kootenay National Park (straddles the border between British Columbia and theAlberta) – National park located in Rocky Mountains. This is a site of Unesco World Heritage.
- 3 Mount Revelstoke National Park – National park located in the Selkirk mountain range protecting a portion of the interior rainforest. It includes grizzly bears and caribou.
- 4 Yoho National Park – National park located in Rocky Mountains known for its Burgess Shale. It includes grizzly bears, black bears, wolves and wolverines. This is a site of Unesco World Heritage.
- 5 Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve and Haida Heritage Site (in the archipelago Haida Gwaii) – Park protecting the south of the archipelago Haida Gwaii, a group of islands with flora and fauna different from those found on the mainland. It is also a Haida heritage site including the SG̲ang Gwaay site where we find mortuary poles of this people. This site is part of Unesco World Heritage.
- 6 Gulf Islands National Park Reserve – National park comprising 15 islands and numerous islets protecting a representative element of one of the most endangered natural regions of the country. It includes seals and shorebirds.
- 7 Pacific Rim National Park Reserve (on theVancouver Island) – Park protecting a temperate rainforest. He is known for the West Coast trail. It is a biosphere reserve.
Meadows
Bison in the Elk Island National Park in Alberta
- 8 Banff National Park (in Alberta) – The oldest national park in Canada. It is located in the Rocky Mountains. It is the most visited Canadian national park in the country. It is also a site of Unesco World Heritage.
- 9 Elk Island National Park (in Alberta) – Park protecting a parkland of trembling aspen, one of the most endangered habitats in Canada. It includes bison, moose, deer and elk in the wild.
- 10 Jasper National Park (in Alberta) – National park located in Rocky Mountains. This is a site of Unesco World Heritage.
- 11 Waterton Lakes National Park (in Alberta) – National Park of Canada twinned and adjacent to Glacier National Park from United States protecting one of the few places where the meadow comes in direct contact with Rocky Mountains. This is a site of Unesco World Heritage and a biosphere reserve.
- 12 Riding Mountain National Park (to Manitoba) – Park protecting a portion of the boreal forest in Manitoba. It includes wolves, moose, elk and black bears. It is a biosphere reserve.
- 13 Grasslands National Park (in Saskatchewan) – Park located at the southern end of the Saskatchewan protecting the mixed grassland, one of the most threatened ecosystems in the country. It is located where Sitting Bull found refuge in Canada after the Battle of Little Big Horn. Black-footed polecats and bison have been reintroduced to the park.
- 14 Prince Albert National Park (in Saskatchewan) – Park located in the center of the province of Saskatchewan protecting a portion of the boreal forest. It is known as the place where Gray Owl wrote the majority of his literary work. It includes bison and the second largest colony of white pelicans in Canada.
- 15 Wapusk National Park (to Manitoba) – Park located on the west coast of Hudson Bay protecting the largest peatland inNorth America as well as one of the most important calving grounds for polar bears. In addition to polar bears, it includes snow geese, caribou, wolves and moose.
- 16 Wood Buffalo National Park (in Alberta and to Northwest Territories) – Park straddling the border betweenAlberta and the Northwest Territories protecting the largest wild herd of bison fromAmerica as well as the only known breeding ground for the Whooping Crane. This is a site of Unesco World Heritage and it includes two Ramsar sites
Ontario
- 17 Georgian Bay Islands National Park – Park protecting 59 islands in southern Georgian Bay offering a landscape of the Canadian Shield. It is also a biosphere reserve.
- 18 Thousand Islands National Park – The smallest national park in Canada. It protects about twenty islands from Thousand Islands. It includes many species rare in Canada as well as a complex natural and human history. It is also a biosphere reserve.
- 19 Bruce Peninsula National Park – Park located on the Niagara Escarpment featuring a landscape sculpted by erosion of limestone. It includes black bears, white-tailed deer and massasaugas. It is also a biosphere reserve.
- 20 Point Pelee National Park – Park located at the southern end of Canada on the Lake Erie protecting a representative element of the Carolinian forest. It is also a Ramsar site.
- 21 Pukaskwa National Park – National park located on the northeastern shore of Lake Superior protecting a representative feature of the boreal forest of the Canadian Shield. It is the only wild park in theOntario.
Quebec
Note: This list includes only the national parks of Canada, but note that Quebec also names its provincial parks “national parks of Quebec”.
- 22 Forillon National Park (in Gaspesie) – Park protecting a representative element of the cliffs, the sea and the mountains of the Monts Notre-Dame. It includes many colonies of seabirds as well as some rare arctic plants in these latitudes.
- 23 Mauricie National Park (in Mauricie) – Park protecting a representative element of the Laurentians. It includes black bears, moose and common loons.
- 24 Mingan Archipelago National Park Reserve (on the North Coast) – Limestone archipelago off the North Coast famous for its natural monoliths carved by the sea and for its rare plants. It includes many colonies of seabirds as well as seals, dolphins and whales.
Atlantic Provinces
Western Brook Pond in the Gros Morne National Park on the island of Newfoundland
Cape Matthews in the fundy national park to New Brunswick
- 25 Fundy National Park (to New Brunswick) – Park protecting one of the last remaining wilderness sites in southern New Brunswick. It is one of the places with the strongest tidal amplitudes in the world. It is also a biosphere reserve.
- 26 Gros Morne National Park (on theNewfoundland Island) – Park located in the West ofNewfoundland Island recognized for its geological richness and the beauty of its landscapes including a good example of plate tectonics. It is one of the few places in the world where the earth's mantle is exposed to the open air. This is a site of Unesco World Heritage.
- 27 Cape Breton Highlands National Park (on theCape Breton Island) – Park protecting the coast, cliffs, capes and the northern plateau ofCape Breton Island.
- 28 Prince Edward Island National Park (on thePrince Edward Island) – Park protecting the dunes, shorelines, beaches and red sandstone cliffs of the North of thePrince Edward Island. It includes endangered species such as the St. Lawrence aster and the piping plover. It also includes two national historic sites: Green Gables and Dalvay-by-the-Sea.
- 29 Kejimkujik National Park (in New Scotland) – The only national park located inland from maritime provinces protecting an undulating landscape serving as a refuge for various wildlife species. The park, in its entirety, has also been designated as a National Historic Site for the presence of numerous archaeological sites associated with Mi'kmaq culture. It is also a biosphere reserve.
- 30 Kouchibouguac National Park (to New Brunswick) – Park protecting a range of Maritime Lowlands landscapes including a mosaic of peatlands, salt marshes, estuaries, lagoons, wasteland and forests. It includes the second largest colony of common terns on the continent as well as piping plovers, an endangered species. It also includes seals.
- 31 Torngat Mountains National Park (to Labrador) – Park comprising the highest mountains in Eastern Canada including glaciers and fjords. It includes polar bears, caribou, black bears and arctic hares.
- 32 Terra-Nova National Park (on theNewfoundland Island) – Park located in the east ofNewfoundland Island protecting a representative element of the boreal forest. It includes 12 of the 14 species of mammals on the island as well as 200 species of birds.
- 33 Sable Island National Park Reserve (on theSable Island in New Scotland) – A small island located in theAtlantic Ocean. It is a migratory bird sanctuary.
Northern canadian
Kathleen Lake in the kluane national park to Yukon
Byam Martin Mountains in the Sirmilik National Park on theBaffin Island
Pingos in the Pingo national site in the Northwest Territories
- 34 Aulavik National Park (on theBanks Island) – Park located in the North ofBanks Island comprising varied landscapes ranging from fertile river valleys to polar deserts. It also includes the Thomsen River, one of the northernmost navigable rivers in theAmerica. It also has one of the highest densities of muskoxen in the world in addition to the endangered Peary caribou.
- 35 Auyuittuq National Park (on theBaffin Island) – National park located on the edge of the Arctic Circle comprising a rugged arctic landscape including ice caps, deep valleys and fjords. It includes the Akshayuk Pass which is an important passage for arctic wildlife.
- 36 Ivvavik National Park (to Yukon) – Park protecting a representative feature of the northern Yukon and Mackenzie Delta. It includes the calving area of the Porcupine caribou herd. This is the first park created following an agreement with the natives.
- 37 Kluane National Park (to Yukon) – Park protecting a portion of the Saint-Elias mountains including Mount Logan, the highest mountain in the country. It is 82% covered by mountains and glaciers. It includes Dall's sheep, mountain goats and grizzly bears. This is a site of Unesco World Heritage. The kluane national park reserve is adjacent to Kluane National Park.
- 38 Quttinirpaaq National Park (on theEllesmere Island) – Park located in the North ofEllesmere Island protecting a landscape covered with ice caps and desert land with the exception of Lake Hazen and Tanquary Fjord which include arctic flora. It includes polar bears, Peary caribou and muskoxen.
- 39 Sirmilik National Park (on theBaffin Island) – Park divided into three distinct areas in the North ofBaffin Island : Bylot Islet, Oliver Bay and Borden Peninsula. It includes large bird colonies as well as large populations of polar bears, walruses and narwhals.
- 40 Tuktut Nogait National Park (in the Northwest Territories) – Park protecting rolling tundras, wild rivers and steep canyons. It includes the calving grounds of the western Bluenose herd caribou. It also includes wolves, grizzly bears, and muskoxen. It also includes more than 360 archaeological sites of the Thule culre.
- 41 Ukkusiksalik National Park (to Nunavut) – Park protecting the eskers, mudflats, cliffs and coastal tundra around Wager Bay which makes 100 km long. It includes many Inuit archaeological sites.
- 42 Vuntut National Park (to Yukon) – Park protecting the Old Crow Plain, which serves as a breeding ground and resting place for half a million birds, and is located within the territory of the Porcupine Caribou Herd. The park also has the largest concentration of grizzly bears in the world. It is located on the hunting grounds of the Gwitchins where there are remains of the caribou fences they used for hunting. It is also a Ramsar site.
- 43 Nááts'ihch'oh National Park Reserve (in the Northwest Territories) – Park adjacent to the Nahanni National Park Reserve. It includes the northernmost population of mountain goats as well as grizzly bears, caribou and moose.
- 44 Nahanni National Park Reserve (in the Northwest Territories) – Park protecting a section of the Mackenzie Mountains including four canyons of the South Nahanni River, Victoria Falls and thermal springs. It includes caribou, wolverines and moose. This is a site of Unesco World Heritage.
- 45 Pingo National Site – Canada's only national site. It protects a natural area comprising eight pingos (a hill of ice covered with earth) in the coastal region of theArctic ocean which contains about a quarter of the pingos in the world.
National marine conservation areas
- 46 Lac-Supérieur National Marine Conservation Area (In Ontario) – Marine area protecting the North-West of Lake Superior. It is the largest marine protected area in Canada.
- 47 Saguenay – St. Lawrence Marine Park (At Quebec) – Marine protected area located at the mouth of the Saguenay River fjord. It is contiguous by its terrestrial portion to the Saguenay Fjord National Park (a Quebec provincial park). It includes marine mammals.
- 48 Fathom Five National Marine Park (In Ontario) – The oldest and smallest national marine conservation area in Canada. The park protects the marine part of the Niagara Escarpment and Georgian Bay. It is located near the Bruce Peninsula National Park. It is also part of a biosphere reserve.
- 49 Gwaii Haanas National Marine Conservation Area Reserve and Haida Heritage Site (In British Columbia) – Protected area located in the south of the archipelago Haida Gwaii adjacent to the Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve and Haida Heritage Site.
