Five routes you need to see to believe
These drives are full of scenic vistas, amazing experiences and the beauty of Canada
About this series: With COVID-19 restrictions expected to ease over the next few months, Wheels wants to inspire you to get ready to explore — but only when it is safe to do so. This series of daytrips, weekend drives and longer excursions highlight great experiences you can have once conditions allow and show you why Ontario, and Canada, is “Ours to Discover.”
Discovering some of Canada’s most breathtaking drives might just be one of the best ways to safely appreciate our growing freedom and support local businesses this fall. Whether you are looking to explore close to home, or go further afield, here are five itineraries that will not disappoint with their epic vistas and sweeping views.
Ontario’s Thousand Islands Parkway
A daylong road trip or easy weekend drive from Toronto, the Thousand Islands Parkway is a roughly 40kilometre stretch of road that parallels Hwy. 401 between Gananoque and the community of Butternut Bay, just west of Brockville. The “cottages” — impressive summer residences — and homes along the St. Lawrence River are jaw-droppingly beautiful. However, the best way to really explore the Thousand Islands and the river is to also get out of your car and hit the water. There are several companies that will take you out. Rockport Cruises’ Heart of the Islands excursion is a perfect 90-minute cruise that glides between the islands and offers breathtaking views, including Instagram-worthy Boldt Castle on Heart Island. It is a private mansion originally built by American hotel magnate George Boldt and is open seasonally to visitors. If you are in the historic village of Rockport around lunch time, check out Cornwall’s Pub. Its outdoor patio offers stunning views of the St. Lawrence River.
Ontario’s
Hwy. 17 along Lake Superior
I was unsure what to expect when I recently drove the 700-kilometre section of Ontario’s Hwy. 17 that connects Sault Ste. Marie in the east to Thunder Bay in the west. Rest stops with off-leash areas for my dogs, opportunities to learn about Indigenous culture and incredible views made the road trip a highlight of my summer. Whether you stop just for a leg-stretching hike, or decide to camp there overnight, Pukaskwa National Park is a must-visit along the route. It is a quick 20minute drive from Hwy. 17, just before the community of Marathon, and features some of the mostbeautiful beaches I have experienced in Canada. Pukaskwa does not take reservations for campsites, but there is usually no problem finding a spot in the fall season. The highway is part of the larger Lake Superior Circle Tour, a 2,092-kilometre self-guided tour along roadways that skirt the lake through Ontario and the Northern U.S. states of Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan.
Nova Scotia’s Cabot Trail
Stretching almost 300 kilometres around Nova Scotia’s Cape Breton Highlands National Park, the Cabot Trail remains one of the country’s most iconic drives. Having completed the drive almost two dozen times during a previous life as a tour guide, I recommend tackling it in a clockwise direction: starting and ending in the town of Baddeck, home to the Alexander Graham Bell National Historic Site. Fall is a
spectacular time to complete this drive, as the park’s maple trees explode into colour and make for huefilled vistas set against the backdrop of the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Pack your clubs and check out the amazing golf courses, such as Cabot Links, Cabot Cliffs or the Cape Breton Highland Links at Keltic Lodge. If you prefer hiking, there are plenty of options along the route, including on top of Ingonish’s Cape Smokey, a 320-metre peak that seems to rise out of the water. If you prefer not to walk to its summit, an eight-person gondola began operations in late August to shuttle visitors.
New Brunswick’s Fundy Coastal Drive
This 460-kilometre drive along a series of roadways between Aulac and St. Andrews by-the-Sea in New Brunswick edges the spectacular Bay of Fundy. Among the drive’s highlights are the world-renowned Hopewell Rocks, quaint coastal villages and Fundy National Park. Not to mention two UNESCO-designated sites, the Fundy Biosphere Reserve and Stonehammer Global Geopark. This month, a new connector road between the Fundy Trail and Fundy National Park will be completed, allowing you to maximize your time soaking in the amazing views.
Make sure to allow time to enjoy the park, including hiking to some of its pristine beaches, walking across its 84-metre suspension footbridge or having a picnic lunch as you watch the tide dramatically
fill the Bay of Fundy. A perfect option is to grab a Lumberjack Picnic from the cookhouse located next to the Visitor’s Centre at the east entrance to Fundy National Park, near the village of Alma. You can also choose from a sandwich lunch, cold plate or snack tray.
Alberta’s Icefields Parkway
If you are planning a western Canadian adventure, the Rocky Mountains provide a stunning backdrop for any drive. However, it’s hard to imagine a better experience than driving the 227-kilometre Icefields Parkway, which connects the iconic Albertan mountain towns of Banff and Lake Louise in the south to Jasper in the north.
Hwy. 93 runs parallel to the Continental Divide, taking you through mountain ranges that rise above you on all sides. This stunning alpine drive is never short on wildlife viewing either. Be prepared to possibly see elk, moose, bighorn sheep, mountain goats and the occasional bear or wolf during the drive.
Photo opportunities are endless, with Bow Lake, Athabasca Falls and Peyto Lake along the way. Peyto is among the most photographed and, while its overlook and access is currently closed for improvements, it is slated to reopen in the fall.
Set aside several hours to explore the Columbia Icefields, where you can walk out on the Athabasca Glacier, enjoy lunch at its restaurant or experience the Skywalk, a one-kilometre walkway that leads to a glassbottomed platform hovering 280 metres above the valley below.