BLISTERS & BLISS
Canada has amazing multi-way backpacking trails
Whales were spouting just off shore as my husband, son and I cooked our dinner over an open fire in a waterfront campground on British Columbia’s legendary West Coast Trail. We were halfway through our six-day hike and to be honest, my knees were a little sore. The West Coast Trail is no cakewalk, but it’s worth a few blisters and stiff muscles to experience the rugged beauty of Vancouver Island’s coast. As I watched the whales and ate my dinner, I realized the effort to get there had been completely worth it. No hotel room could ever beat the view we had from our tent door.
Backpacking is slow travel in the truest sense. It’s a way to really explore and connect with a landscape. It’s also a great way to experience a new place while still maintaining some social distance. Backpacking trails are seldom crowded.
You could say that trails are part of the fabric and culture of Canada. The Great Trail (formerly called the Trans-canada Trail) stretches across the country and is the longest recreational trail in the world. But it’s not the only exceptional trail in the nation.
The country is criss-crossed with thousands of stunning pathways, including some of the best multi-way backpacking trails on the planet. The most popular backpacking trails must be reserved a full year in advance, and even when reservations are not required, advance planning and preparation are essential to a successful backpacking trip. Following are some amazing multi-way backpacking trails to add to your bucket list.
WEST COAST TRAIL, B.C.
In British Columbia’s Pacific Rim National Park Reserve, the 75-kilometre West Coast Trail (WCT) is a bucket-list hike. Over three to seven days, hikers ascend more than 100 ladders, wade through rivers, ride a ferry, cross bridges and walk across logs suspended over deep ravines to complete this challenging expedition. Scenery surrounding the trail includes gorgeous beaches, old-growth forests, a lighthouse and beautiful waterfalls. Hikers often see whales and other sea life along the way, and a tide table is essential when hiking here. Parks Canada maintains and operates the trail in co-operation with local Indigenous groups, and you have to reserve early if you want to hike it between May and September, when it’s open.
Trail rating: Difficult
CHILKOOT TRAIL NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE, B.C.,
AND ALASKA (U.S.)
In some ways, a hike along the 53-kilometre Chilkoot Trail is a journey through time. Originally used as a trading route by the coastal Tlingit People, it became the primary passageway for thousands of prospectors and fortune seekers to reach the Yukon during the Klondike gold rush. It’s a beautiful and extremely challenging hike over the Chilkoot Pass. Most people begin the hike outside Skagway at Dyea, Alaska, and end at the train station in Bennett, B.C. The White Pass and Yukon Route railway transports hikers back to Skagway. Since the trail crosses the border between Canada and the United States, it is co-operatively managed by Parks Canada and the U.S. National Park Service.
Trail rating: Difficult
SKYLINE TRAIL, ALTA.
The 44.1-kilometre Skyline Trail is quite possibly the most scenic trail in Jasper National Park. Almost 25 kilometres of the trail is above the treeline, and the high elevation in the Canadian Rockies provides amazing views of craggy mountain peaks, windswept ridges and lush meadows. The trail crosses three mountain passes and can only be hiked between July 1 and Oct. 1. Even then, some parts of the trail can be snow-covered and impassable. Most hikers reserve well in advance and take two to four days to complete the hike — depending on how much time they want to spend exploring the high alpine.
Trail rating: Difficult
THE BRUCE TRAIL, ONT.
Southern Ontario’s Bruce Trail is the oldest and longest marked hiking trail in Canada. Stretching from the Niagara River to the tip of Tobermory, the trail covers an incredible 890 kilometres of the Niagara Escarpment, a UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve. Hikers can enjoy old-growth forests, badlands, rivers, streams, waterfalls, birds and other wildlife on day hikes or multi-way hikes along sections of the trail. There are campgrounds along the trail, but you may have to book a hotel or B&B for some sections. Besides the main trail, there are more than 400 kilometres of side trails, including one that leads to Niagara Falls.
Trail rating: Easy to moderate
FUNDY FOOTPATH, N.B.
The 41-km Fundy Footpath extends from the Fundy Trail Parkway Visitor Centre in
St. Martins, N.B., to the edge of Fundy National Park. This challenging trail leads hikers along the jagged cliffs and mixed forests of the Bay of Fundy, which is home to the world’s highest tides. The rugged trail and primitive campsites are maintained by volunteers. Most people take three to four days to hike this trail, and for safety reasons, all hikers must register at the visitor centre.
Trail Rating: Difficult
EAST COAST TRAIL, N.L.
Newfoundland’s East Coast Trail spans 300 kms along North
America’s easternmost coastline, from Portugal Cove to Cape
St. Francis and on to Cappahayden. A total of 26 wilderness paths make up the trail, which passes through more than 30 historic communities along towering cliffs and past lighthouses, ecological reserves and national historic sites. Hikers may see whales, icebergs, seabirds and the world’s southernmost caribou herd as they travel the pathway. Reservations are not required, but donations are appreciated. There are several designated campsites along the trail, and hikers can also stay in B&BS or hotels.
Trail rating: Easy to moderate Debbie Olsen is an award-winning writer and photographer and a national bestselling author.
The country is criss-crossed with thousands of stunning pathways, including some of the best multi-way backpacking trails on the planet. Debbie Olsen, award-winning writer and photographer and a national bestselling author