Family-friendly beach camping in Canada

Composed of tiny islands and peninsulas, the four Atlantic provinces form a crescent-shaped bay on Canada’s eastern coast: the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Prince Edward Island National Park faces the gulf, and with its scenic coastal landscape, charming lighthouses, and sand dunes, it’s easy to see why it inspired Lucy Maud Montgomery’s famous novel, Anne of Green Gables. Meanwhile, Gros Morne National Park, a world heritage site on the west coast of Newfoundland, is an ecological kaleidoscope of misty fjords for kayaking, sea caves, and the highest waterfall in eastern North America. New Brunswick’s Fundy National Park is all about high tides, and Nova Scotia’s Cape Breton Highlands National Park covers major landscapes—think steep cliffs, rocky coastline hiking trails, and tundra-like plateaus, plus wildlife like moose, puffins, whales, and bald eagles.

The southern parts of Central Canada, bordering four of the five Great Lakes, are a camper’s dream, with green countryside, forests, and thousands of lakes and rivers. Check out the quiet coves and charming fishing villages, or find a camping spot along the rugged cliffs of Forillon National Park, set on the outer tip of Quebec’s Gaspé Peninsula. In Bruce Peninsula National Park in Ontario, just four hours north of Toronto, look out for limestone cliffs, dozens of orchid species, and a variety of wildlife—everything from white-tailed deer and otters to porcupines and even black bears. Plus, at the northern tip of Bruce Peninsula, you’ll find underwater adventure at Fathom Five National Marine Park. Dive down to explore more than 20 shipwrecks, or view them through crystal-clear water from a glass-bottomed boat. And don’t miss the astounding flowerpot rock formations caused by tidal pool erosion.

Here in the south you’ll find wide-open plains, but head north in the Prairie Provinces and you’ll see some of the most ecologically diverse landscapes in the country. With its subarctic forest, tundra, and part of North America’s largest expanse of peat bog, Manitoba’s Wapusk National Park is a prime location to see polar bears with one of the largest known maternity denning areas for the great white bears. Grasslands, forests, and lakes all come together in Riding Mountain National Park, where you can watch bison munch on grass or, if you time your trip right, view the Northern Lights. Saskatchewan’s Grasslands National Park is yet another place to spot a herd of bison grazing on the endless plain. And, of course, the Alberta province shelters quite a few gorgeous parks among the world’s premier destinations. The Crypt Lake Trail in Waterton Lakes National Park is on many hiker wishlists due to its spectacular waterfall and wildflower views. See an epic sunrise over the mirror-like water of the iconic Moraine Lake in Banff National Park, one of the most photographed locations in the entire country. You can also explore the ancient Athabasca Glacier in the Columbia Icefields while visiting the southern end of Jasper National Park.

This is one of the most mountainous areas in Canada—the Pacific Coast Mountains start around Vancouver and the Canadian Rocky Mountains lie to the east—and British Columbia provincial parks and campsites are a main draw. There’s tons to do in Pacific Rim National Park: take a surf lesson at Long Beach, go canoeing through the maze of rugged Broken Group Islands, or hike the 47-mile West Coast Trail through the rainforest for backcountry camping. Road trip to Yoho National Park in the Rocky Mountains for towering waterfalls, or hike Mount Revelstoke National Park’s trails for views of wildflower meadows, 800-year-old red cedar trees, and impressive wetlands. If you’re lucky, you might catch a glimpse of mountain caribou, pine marten, or golden eagles.

Most of the terrain in Northern Canada is rocky and barren with sparse vegetation. Hike through the Arctic at Auyuittuq National Park in the Nunavut territory for scenic fjords, rushing rivers, and huge glaciers, plus the chance to cross paths with lemmings or polar bears. If visiting the Northwest Territories’ Nahanni National Park, prepare yourself for camping sites near the epic Virginia Falls, known for being double the size of Niagara. You may encounter a bit more life by traveling west to the Yukon province, where Kluane National Park is a prime location to watch the grizzlies, caribou, and eagles who live among the backcountry peaks and sprawling valleys.