16 of the Absolute Best Day Hikes In Canada

Lions Binkert Trail, Vancouver

By Emma of Forever Lost in Travel

From Vancouver, you can see the North Shore mountains of Seymour, Grouse, and Cypress. Look a little closer and you’ll see The Lions, two peaks tucked just behind the more prominent trio of mountains. This is one of the more fun and challenging hikes around Vancouver, but the views are out of this world. 

This 12.4 km moderately difficult hike starts in Lions Bay, along the Sea to Sky Highway a short drive past West Vancouver. From downtown Vancouver, it takes about 30 minutes to drive there, which is the easiest way to get to this trail. Arrive early to find some free parking along Mountain Drive, a residential street. Otherwise, the overflow further down the hill will add to your hiking time.

The trail starts off moderately enough, ascending along a logging road that eventually turns into more of a forested trail. The first part of the hike isn’t too technical although there are some rocky areas of the trail as well as plenty of roots to watch out for. The second part involves a lot more scrambling over large rocks, up rough terrain, and a substantial increase in elevation (approximately 1200 meters over the entire 7-8 hour trail). Eventually, you will reach the plateau with views of the West Lion, incredible panoramic views of the North Shore mountain range, and Howe Sound. You may choose to continue to hike up the West Lion for a further 1-1.5 hours before retracing your steps to the start of the trail.

Pack plenty of water and snacks, if not a light lunch, as this is an all-day trail and is quite the workout. Plan to take some time at the plateau to admire the view and rest. But despite how tough this hike was, it’s one of the best views I’ve seen on my many hikes around Vancouver.

Emerald Lake Circuit, Yoho National Park

By Karen of Big Adventures for Little Feet

The Canadian Rocky Mountains are a hiker’s paradise and home to many of the best day hikes in Canada. If you are looking for a place to hike that has spectacular mountain scenery but fewer tourists then consider the Emerald Lake Circuit hike. Like the rest of the Rockies, Emerald Lake can be very busy, however, you can largely avoid the crowds by either visiting right at sunrise or later in the afternoon. This is when the tour buses are not about and you can find your bit of serenity at this truly magical lake.

The Emerald Lake hike is a super scenic and mostly flat 5.3-kilometer loop which will only take a maximum of two hours. Take your time and stop regularly to savour the beauty of this place though. We walked this very late in the afternoon and had almost the entire loop to ourselves which was really amazing.

The walk is pretty straightforward with easy navigation but enough quirky challenges to keep it interesting. It can be quite damp and slippery depending on how rainy it has been, so in parts, you can have fun balancing on logs and climbing through sections to avoid the sludge.

The trailhead itself captures the Emerald Lake Lodge and the lake with backing mountain views in one perfect breathtaking shot. The trail is forested in parts and has some stunning open areas in other spots. At the far end of the lake, you can enjoy uninterrupted views of the mountains, observe the obvious areas where landslides have occurred, and take in the emerald colour of the water as the lake’s name suggests. This striking colour is a result of the glacial silt in the water illuminating it with pretty bright colours. 

Check out this itinerary for a Rocky Mountain road trip with kids!

Garibaldi Lake Hike, Garibaldi Provincial Park

By Campbell and Alya of Stingy Nomads

The Garibaldi Lake hike is a beautiful route in the Garibaldi National Park in British Columbia, Canada, located between Whistler and Vancouver. It is a challenging 18 km day hike with a total elevation gain of 900m. The trail starts at the trailhead in the Rubble Creek parking area and climbs for 9 kilometers to the beautiful Garibaldi Lake located at an altitude of 1450m.

The route is well maintained and well-marked with kilometer markers along the way, even walking alone it is unlikely that you will get lost. The series of switchbacks at the start of the trail is the steepest part and it keeps winding through a forest of mostly Western Red Cedar and Douglas Fir trees to Garibaldi Lake, a spectacular turquoise glacial lake, surrounded by snow-capped mountains and alpine meadows.

Garibaldi Lake is a large lake, 5 km long and 4 km wide that can only be reached on foot. Swimming in this beautiful lake is possible and jumping in the cool water is very refreshing after a long uphill hike. The 18km return hike takes most people around 6 hours to complete. It is a popular day hike from Vancouver.

There is a nice campsite with basic facilities at the lake. It is popular to combine the Garibaldi Lake hike with the Black Tusk or Panorama Route hiking trails over two days and camp at the lake for one night.  The trail is easy to reach by car from either Vancouver (70 km away), Whistler (35 km), or Squamish (38 km). The trailhead at Rubble Creek can also be reached by public transport from Downtown Vancouver by making use of the Parkbus.

Quarry Rock, Vancouver

By Greta of Greta’s Travels

If you’re looking for the best day hikes in Canada, then you have to add Quarry Rock in Deep Cove, Vancouver, to your bucket list. Located a short drive away from Downtown Vancouver, it’s one of the most easily accessible day hikes.

Quarry Rock is a 3.8 km round trip hike, with only about 100 metres of elevation. It’s classified online as an “Easy” trail and usually takes around 2 hours.

There are some challenging sections, but overall it’s an easy trail. The trail is well-marked and easy to follow. The terrain is also very easy to walk on, except for some small sections where there are steps or rocks to walk over. The majority of the trail goes through a tall pine tree forest, opening up only towards the end over an awesome viewpoint.

As you reach the end of the trail (or midpoint if you consider also the return journey) you will emerge from the woods to an area of flat rocks. Here you will get to enjoy a beautiful view of the water and the surrounding hills. 

Since trees shade the majority of the trail you can hike Quarry Rock at any time of day, without the risk of getting too hot. You can also hike it at any time of the year, but make sure to check the latest status of the terrain to make sure it’s not covered in snow or slippery.

The balance between the difficulty of the hike, the ease of reaching it from Vancouver, and the epic views you get as a payoff make Quarry Rock, in my opinion, one of the best hikes in Vancouver and Canada.

Lake Agnes Trail, Banff

By Michelle of The Wandering Queen

One of the best day hikes in Alberta, Canada, is the famous Lake Agnes Trail, located in Banff, Canada. It is one of the most popular hikes in the park and for a good reason. It features a stunning lake and a cute tea house. The hike is an out-and-back trail that is 4.7 miles and an elevation gain of 1,420 ft. It is considered a moderate trail.

The trailhead is located at Lake Louise Lake, so it is recommended to get there early. Parking is always a problem in the late morning or early afternoon. The trail has a few switchbacks through the woods and even features a pretty lake called Mirror Lake.  Make sure to take a picture of the lake and Big Beehive!

When you get to Lake Agnes, make sure to grab lunch at the Tea House. They feature some yummy sandwiches and fantastic flavored tea. Please note that you might have to wait in line for a while, but the wait is worth it!  If you are up to adding another viewpoint to this trail, Little Beehive Viewpoint is a great trail. It features fantastic Lake Louise views. 

Valley of the Five Lakes, Jasper National Park

It’s no secret that Jasper National Park is filled with incredible hikes through mountains and around pristine lakes. Valley of the Five Lakes Hike is definitely one of the most scenic and amazing day hikes in Canada to go on with the whole family. The low to moderate-intensity hike brings you around 5 lakes, featuring varying shades of turquoise blue and emerald green waters.

The Long Loop is around 8 kilometers and takes about 3-4 hours roundtrip. This trail brings you all the way around the largest of the 5 lakes – First Lake.

The Short Loop is around 4 kilometers and takes about 2 hours to walk. It is perfect for those who wish to head on another hike on the same day. You will still see all 5 of the amazing lakes, but turn to head back to the trailhead right as you reach First Lake.

Jasper is home to many of the best day hikes in Canada, and is definitely a must-have on your Canada bucket list!

Wasootch Ridge, Kananaskis

By Josefine Kraemer and Dominik Kropacek of Red White Adventures

There are many reasons why Wasootch Ridge is one of our favourite hikes in Alberta if not in all of Canada. Kananaskis Country is one of the most beautiful places to hike in the world and Wasootch Ridge is right at the entrance of Kananaskis Country. 

One of our favourite parts of Wasootch Ridge is that for the majority of the hike, you’re walking along the ridge of the mountain instead of through the forest. This way you get stunning panoramic views all the way to the top. On this hike, you get 360 views of Kanaskis and the Alberta Prairies the whole way to the top and that’s something you don’t get on many hikes. 

So as you walk along the ridge you’ll be going up and down like you’re walking on a camel’s back until you reach a cairn on the path. This is an excellent point to turn back if you’ve been challenged enough. If you feel brave, you can hike/scramble to the top of Wasootch Mountain which is what we did. It does add a few hours to the hike but it was so worth it for us. By having two different endpoints you can choose to hike to the cairn or to the peak but both views are remarkable.

If you’re looking for a moderate to hard hike you can stop at the cairn and that should take about 3.5 – 4.5 hours. If you decide to hike all the way to the peak it can take up to 7 hours so just be prepared. Hiking to the peak is also very challenging as there is a lot of scramble and some steep edges. We only recommend this to experienced hikers with proper gear.

Plain of Six Glaciers Trail, Lake Louise

By Cecily of Groovy Mashed Potatoes

Lake Louise is one of the most picturesque places in the world with its vibrant turquoise-colored lake and Victoria Glacier in the background. There are many hikes you can take around the area to see the best of nature in the Canadian Rockies. The Plain of Six Glaciers Trail is one of the best day hikes in Canada with its gorgeous lake and glacier views. A bonus is having lunch or tea halfway through your hike at the Plain of Six Glaciers Teahouse.

The hike is of moderate difficulty with a hiking distance of 14.6 km and an ascent of 460 m. Give yourself five hours to complete the hike. The first part of the hike is flat as you walk along the perimeter of Lake Louise. Once past the lake, you will start to ascend up the rugged landscape to the wooden teahouse. After your tea break, it’s an additional 130 m ascent to the Six Glaciers Viewpoint. You will be rewarded with stellar views of Lake Louise and the Fairmont Chateau.

To see the famous blue-green color of the lake, you will need to hike during summertime between the end of June to mid-September. Outside of this time, the colour may be less vivid or frozen over!

Consider adding Lake Agnes Tea House and Big Beehive onto your hike. You will see an additional two alpine lakes, another tea house, and a spectacular birds-eye view of Lake Louise. It will add an additional 6 km to your hiking itinerary.

Colline De L’anse A La Barque, Tadoussac

By Christin of christinhasfernweh.com

Tadoussac is the village in Quebec where the Saguenay Fjord meets the St. Lawrence River. It’s famous for whale watching, especially for Beluga whales. The best time to visit Tadoussac is in early fall when the foliage changes color and the busy summer tourist season fades out.

Several hikes around this area are worth exploring. The fjord trail, Mount Adéla-Lessard, and Colline De L’anse A La Barque can all be accessed from the same trailhead near the fish farm on rue du Beateau-Passeur. A large parking lot is located across the street. The trails are well-marked and easy to find. Free maps are available online or in hotels in Tadoussac.

Colline De L’anse A La Barque trail is 4.5km long with an elevation gain of 132m. It’s considered a moderate out-and-back trail, but there is a small loop at the peak of the hill. The first part of the trail leads you along the lake Lac de l’Anse á l’eau. Later, you will have panoramic views over this lake and the village of Tadoussac from the top. At the fork at the end of the lake take a left instead of keeping straight towards Mont Adéla-Lessard.

You will then ascend to where you can see the Fjord of Saguenay on the other side of the Fjord-du-Saguenay National Park. At this point, the trail leads you around the peak, so that you can enjoy the views over the water, foliage, and village from every angle. At the end of the loop, you will then retrace your steps back down to the parking lot.

Alexander Murray Hiking Trail, Newfoundland

By Lora of Explore with Lora

Newfoundland is full of amazing hiking trails ranging from easy walks to multi-day backpacking expeditions. One of the best day hikes to go on is the Alexander Murray Trail Trail in King’s Point, which is just outside of Springdale. It’s one of the best adventures in Central Newfoundland!

The trail is named after Sir Alexander Murray, who made the first geological map of Newfoundland. The total distance is only 8km, but the hike is challenging as it’s almost all uphill with a lot of stairs to climb. Precisely, it’s 2200 stairs up and down. You can expect the hike to take around three hours in total with stops.

The hard work is all worth it though, the views at the top of the Alexander Murray Hiking Trail are incredible. The summit offers 360 views of the surrounding area which are just breathtaking. Along the trail, there are also several canyons and waterfalls to admire. What’s great about this trail is that’s just off the main highway through Newfoundland, so it makes an excellent stop if you’re road tripping through the province. 

For beautiful hikes in New Brunswick, check out the best things to do in New Brunswick!

King’s Throne, Yukon

By Natasha of Great Ocean Road Collective

If you enjoy unique, stunning hikes but don’t want to deal with masses of people, head to the Yukon in northern Canada. The area offers pristine natural beauty and abundant wildlife including bears, moose, caribou, and bison. Our favorite day hike is The King’s Throne, a beautiful trail roughly 2.5 hours from the capital of Whitehorse. Hikers may choose to hike to the ‘seat’ of the throne, which is 10-kilometers return (4-6 hours), or to the summit, which is 16-kilometers return (8-10 hours).

The trail starts off leisurely, following an old mining road for the first 2 km or so before turning onto the King’s Throne trail. You’ll start to climb through a forested area, gaining elevation until you reach the alpine. The trail continues to zigzag through the sub-alpine until you reach the ‘seat’ of the throne, an alpine cirque formed by glacial erosion. From the seat, you’ll be rewarded with incredible views of the crystal clear lake below surrounded by huge, snow-capped mountains. The maintained portion of the trail ends here, though many people chose to continue to the summit.

The hike is considered difficult and can be quite steep in some areas. Solid footwear is required as the trails can be narrow and slippery at times, even in dry weather. Bear sightings are common in this area, so visitors should always carry bear spray and be well aware of bear safety.