Lace up your hiking boots and join us as we trek across the breathtaking landscapes of Canada! From the misty coastal paths of British Columbia to the craggy eastern shores of Newfoundland, we're exploring ten of Canada's most spectacular hiking trails that belong on every outdoor enthusiast's bucket list.
Our journey begins with the legendary West Coast Trail in BC, where we share insights from friends who conquered this challenging 75km adventure featuring cable cars, ladders, and incredible wildlife viewing opportunities. The trail's lottery system makes it exclusive, but we'll tell you why it's worth trying your luck. We then head east to Alberta's mountain wonderland, exploring both the glacier-studded Berg Lake Trail beneath towering Mount Robson and the ridge-walking paradise of Jasper's Skyline Trail, where snow lingers into June but rewards summer hikers with breathtaking alpine vistas.
Not every remarkable Canadian trail requires expert-level skills. We highlight the accessible Plain of Six Glaciers near Lake Louise with its historic tea house, the culturally significant Grey Owl's Cabin Trail in Manitoba, and the moderate Les Loops Trail offering spectacular views near Quebec City. For those seeking true wilderness challenges, we venture into the remote Arctic landscape of Akshayuk Pass in Nunavut, where towering peaks and extreme conditions create an unforgettable 97km adventure available only during the brief summer window. The maritime provinces shine with New Brunswick's Fundy Footpath tracing the world's highest tides and Newfoundland's extensive East Coast Trail showcasing puffin colonies, icebergs, and the easternmost point in North America.
Whether you're planning your next backpacking expedition or simply dreaming of Canada's natural wonders, these trails showcase the remarkable diversity of our outdoor playground. Each path offers unique experiences, from wildlife encounters to historical connections like the La Cloche trail that inspired Group of Seven painters. Have you hiked any of these Canadian gems? Email us at hi@supergoodcamping.com to share your own trail tales or questions about exploring the great Canadian wilderness.
CONNECT WITH US AT SUPER GOOD CAMPING:
Support the podcast & buy super cool SWAG: https://store.skgroupinc.com/super_good_camping/shop/home
EMAIL: hi@supergoodcamping.com
WEBSITE: www.supergoodcamping.com
YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqFDJbFJyJ5Y-NHhFseENsQ
INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/super_good_camping/
TWITTER: https://twitter.com/SuperGoodCampin
FACEBOOK GROUP: https://www.facebook.com/groups/SuperGoodCamping/
TIKTOK: https://www.tiktok.com/@supergoodcamping
Episode Transcript
Hello and good day.
Welcome to the Super GoodCamping podcast.
My name is Pamela, I'm Tim.
And we are fromsupergoodcampingcom.
We're here because we're on amission to inspire other people
to get outside and enjoy campingadventures such as we have as a
family.
Today's episode, we'recontinuing our series in our
best hikes ever.
This one, this particularepisode, will be about best
(00:22):
hikes in Canada, so if someonetells you to go take a hike, you
know where to go.
First on our list is the WestCoast Trail in BC.
Our friends Tense and Timberdid this particular one, and so
if you want to check out theirdetails about that particular
hike, it sounds like it was veryepic.
(00:43):
It's located on the Pacific Rimrim national park in on
vancouver island in bc.
The trailheads are at pachinabay we're probably not saying
that, right and gordon river.
Uh, the distance is a 75kilometer one-way loop.
So, uh, you need to really planthis one out, make sure that
you know what you're doing, andyou have to.
Actually, it's a lottery system, I think, in terms of being
(01:05):
able to be able to do this.
They only allow so many peopleon the trail at one given time,
so you need to get yourself onthe list of being able to do it.
The difficulty is very difficult.
The best time to do it is Mayto September.
You do require a permit and thetrails are closed in the
wintertime because there aresome very treacherous spots on
(01:27):
the trails.
So the reason why you mightwant to do it is it's a
legendary coastal trek, hasstunning ocean views, waterfalls
, sandy beaches, old growthforests and wildlife like sea
lions, whales and bears.
The trail includes ladders,cable cars and river crossing,
so it's an epic challenge forexperienced hikers.
(01:48):
I remember with ourconversation with 10th and
Timber, they said the ladderswere sometimes slippery, it was
damp and so it could bedifficult.
And also you also have to keepin mind the tides, because that
was a whole other aspect ofhiking that had been a factor
for them before.
Speaker 2 (02:07):
Go check out their socials.
It sounds like.
I mean, I so wish I was intohiking, because I would do
something like that 75kilometers.
Okay, maybe I do.
Speaker 1 (02:17):
No, you can't, you have to do the whole thing.
Speaker 2 (02:19):
It's not an option.
Number two on the list BergLake Trail, number two on the
(02:44):
list Coast Trail, for sure.
Best time to go is late June toSeptember.
And why?
It's one of Canada's mostscenic alpine hikes.
It features glaciers,waterfalls, turquoiseburg Lake
You've seen pictures of it,stunning views of Mount Robson,
the highest peak in the CanadianRockies.
Sounds pretty cool.
Speaker 1 (03:03):
Yeah, absolutely Glaciers.
I want to see glaciers.
Speaker 2 (03:07):
They won't be around for much longer, so you could
get out and see them while youcan.
Speaker 1 (03:11):
They may be extinct.
They may.
Third on our list is theSkyline Trail in Alberta.
It's located in Jasper NationalPark.
The trailhead is at Malign Lake.
Shuttle or car drop-off isneeded.
It's moderate to difficult andthe best time is July to
September.
The snow lingers into June.
(03:32):
No thank you.
Why hike it?
This trail runs along an alpineridge for much of its length,
offering breathtaking views ofthe Rocky Mountains.
Wildlife sightings mightinclude caribou bears and
mountain goats.
Speaker 2 (03:48):
I'm thinking about the snow lingers into June.
We're recording this in.
Speaker 1 (03:53):
May the 4th be with you.
Speaker 2 (03:54):
May the 4th be with you.
Happy Star Wars Day.
You'll hear this two days afterthat.
No, you'll hear this one dayafter that day late and all the
short the.
I think I said here, likealgonquin pipe park it was very
recent I'm just starting to seepeople doing doing paddling
things.
But lunatics like evan the fivehe's out all the time anyhow,
(04:16):
doesn't he?
He paddles on snow, he doesn'tcare.
But but yeah, I'm seeing peoplejust starting to do a little
bit of tripping and and thatsort of jazz.
So, yay, we don't have snowinto June.
Sounds like an album.
Speaker 1 (04:29):
Snow into.
Speaker 2 (04:29):
June.
Snow in June?
Yeah, it'll come to me.
We're on to hike number four,plane of Six Glaciers Trail.
It's in Alberta, a BanffNational Park.
The trailhead is at Lake Louiseparking lot.
That'll make life easy.
It's about a 14 kilometer roundtrip.
(04:50):
Difficulty is moderate.
June to September is your besttime to go, and it has stunning
mountain and glacier views.
Banff National Park man Endingat a historic tea house.
It offers a quieter alternativeto the popular Lake Agnes Trail
, while still showcasing LakeLouise's famous scenery.
Speaker 1 (05:12):
That one sounds a bit more doable for us.
It does too 14 kilometers.
Speaker 2 (05:15):
I can probably pull that off.
Speaker 1 (05:18):
Number five is Grey Owl's Cabin Trail in Manitoba
Way.
Way back one of our earlyepisodes we talked to Pete Park
who was doing um, he was workingon a documentary about gray owl
, which sounds like it would befascinating.
I don't know if it evermanifested, but uh, grail is an
interesting character.
Um, somewhat controversial.
(05:39):
He posed himself as aindigenous person where in fact
he was not an indigenous person.
He was, however, a famousconservationist, so kind of
mixed feelings.
Kudos for that, super goodthanks, and just not as himself
uh location of this particulartrail is in riding mountain
(05:59):
national park in manitoba.
The axis is the trailhead atkingsway road near Wasagaming.
I got all the good words Iusually get it.
The distance is a 17-kilometerone-way, difficulty is moderate
and best time is spring to fall.
Why you would do this is it's apeaceful backcountry trail
(06:19):
leading to the cabin of Gray Owl, who was an early
conservationist butcontroversial figure, features
rolling forest lakes andpotential wildlife spottings,
including moose and beavers.
Speaker 2 (06:32):
There you go.
So let's here we go here's.
Here's one that I get to do.
That's difficult.
Akshayuk, akshayuk, passNunavut.
Oh, there's a good luck withthis one.
Speaker 1 (06:45):
Oh cool, a lot of vowels and consonants.
Speaker 2 (06:45):
Nunavut oh, there's a good luck with this one.
Speaker 1 (06:47):
Oh cool a lot of vowels and consonants.
Speaker 2 (06:51):
O-U-T-U-G, o-u-t-u-g, t-u-k, o-u-t-u-g.
Sure, let's go with that.
National Park, baffin Island inNunavut.
What are you doing to me this?
This is you totally plannedthis, killing me.
Your axis is what are you doingto me?
You totally planned this,killing me.
(07:12):
Your axis is to fly to PangnirTung.
Pangnir Tung, then take a boatto the trailhead.
Yeah, Pardon the laugh trackhere it's 97 kilometers one way.
It's very difficult and youliterally have July and August
is when you want to do it.
It'd be north.
(07:32):
You probably wouldn't besurprised to see snow in July.
A true arctic adventure,featuring towering granite peaks
, glaciers and vast tundra.
The trail passes the famousMount Asgard.
Speaker 1 (07:43):
Sounds like it's going to tokenly Lord of the
Rings, lord of the.
Speaker 2 (07:46):
Rings And's Lord of the Rings, and requires river
crossings and self-sufficiencyin extreme conditions.
Speaker 1 (07:51):
Well, 97 kilometers.
You're not going to do that ina day, so it's going to be a
multi-day trip.
Seventh on our list is FundyFootpath, which is in New
Brunswick.
It's in Fundy National Park andtrailheads are at Goose River
and Big Salmon River.
Distance is a 41 kilometer trek.
It's one way and it's difficult.
It's from June to October andthis is a challenging coastal
(08:14):
trail.
It follows the world's highesttides along the Bay of Fundy,
including cliffs, waterfalls andremote wilderness.
I have not done this particularhike, but Brandon and I did do
a New Brunswick trip and we gotto see the.
What are they called?
The teapots, I think they'recalled the flower pots.
That's what it is flower pots.
And so, yeah, we're down alongthe ocean.
(08:37):
We were at an ocean there, orsea, but it's pretty spectacular
, at least the bits that we saw.
Speaker 2 (08:47):
There you go, number eight on the list and these are
in no particular order.
It's the eighth of the ten thatwe're doing.
East Coast Trail it's inNewfoundland and Labrador, the
Avalon Peninsula in particular.
Various trailheads are alongthe coast, including St John's
yeah, you're not doing this one,are you?
It's 336 kilometers total,divided into sections.
(09:10):
Okay, depending on the section,it's either easy it can run
anywhere from easy to difficultMay through October is your best
time to hike it and it's arugged coastal trail with
dramatic cliffs, sea stacks,puffin colonies and icebergs.
Cape Spear section includes theeasternmost point in North
(09:33):
America.
Speaker 1 (09:34):
All right, wow.
And then La Cloche.
So we've mentioned La Clochebefore.
This is a.
It gets a second call out.
It's in Cologne Provincial Parkand the trailhead is near
George Lake Campground.
It's a 78 kilometer loop.
It's very difficult and thebest time is June to September,
why you would hike it.
It's a back country loopthrough Quartzsite Mountains so
(09:54):
those are those beautiful whiterock mountains and offers remote
lakes, rocky ridges, a wildwildlife like black bears and
moose.
It's a backcountry loop throughquartzite mountains, those
beautiful white mountains,offering remote lakes, rocky
ridges and wildlife like blackbears and moose.
Uh, it is well, it.
It inspired.
(10:15):
Group of Seven painter AYJackson.
Speaker 2 (10:19):
Yeah, yes, there's lots of places in Columbia that
have inspired a Group of Sevenfolks.
And last on our list Les Loops,les Loops, les Loops Trail in
Quebec, the Jacques CartierNational Park.
The trailhead is off Highway175.
Oh, I know where that is.
North of Quebec City.
Distance is 10 kilometer roundtrip.
(10:41):
It's a moderately difficulttrail.
Spring right through to fall isyour best time.
It offers breathtaking viewsover the Jacques Carcher Valley
with a mix of forest and rockoutcrops.
A great day hike near QuebecCity with a mix of elevation and
rock outcrops.
A great day hike near QuebecCity with a mix of elevation and
scenery.
Speaker 1 (10:59):
Beauty.
Speaker 2 (11:00):
Yeah, I want to do some camping in Quebec.
Speaker 1 (11:03):
Yeah, I've heard some good things.
We've heard good things.
Who do we know that's been?
Speaker 2 (11:07):
camping in Quebec.
Camper.
Speaker 1 (11:09):
Christina has been Kevin said recently he and
Christina loved that Went in Yep, yep.
Speaker 2 (11:17):
I'd be willing to bet that we talked briefly with
Evan Lefebvre about that as well, because he lives very close to
the border.
I think, Marty Morissette yeah.
Speaker 1 (11:27):
Anyway, take it on good authority that camping in
Quebec is good.
Any of these hikes, feel freeto find yourself somewhere to
camp.
Then you'll be camping on someof them anyway, because they're
multi-day hikes, you can't justdo it.
Speaker 2 (11:40):
What was that one?
336 kilometers?
Speaker 1 (11:44):
Yeah, that's not happening.
The East Coast Trail.
Yeah, that's it for us fortoday.
Thank you so much for listening.
Please do check us outeverywhere that you get your
podcasts, and or on YouTube.
We would love it if you liked,subscribed, shared, and if you
want to talk to us anytime, youcan always email us at hi at
supergoodcampingcom.
That's hi atsupergoodcampingcom, and shout
(12:05):
out to the UK, because we got afan mail from the UK saying that
we were such an easy podcast tolisten to, so we appreciate
that so much.
Please do send feedback, goodor bad, we love to hear it.
Popular Podcasts
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.
Ridiculous History
History is beautiful, brutal and, often, ridiculous. Join Ben Bowlin and Noel Brown as they dive into some of the weirdest stories from across the span of human civilization in Ridiculous History, a podcast by iHeartRadio.