Discovery collection

Best Hidden Gem National Parks

The parks that don't trend on Instagram — and reward you with empty trails for the effort.

Who it's for

Repeat visitors looking for quiet trails.

Best season

Shoulder seasons reward you with empty parks.

Editor's tip

Drive an extra hour past the marquee parks — that's where it opens up.

Filter by province

PacificUNESCO

British Columbia

Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve

A co-managed Haida homeland of moss, sea otters and ancient totems.

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BorealUNESCO

Alberta / Northwest Territories

Wood Buffalo National Park

Canada's largest national park — and the world's largest dark-sky preserve.

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Arctic

Manitoba

Wapusk National Park

One of the world's largest polar bear maternity denning areas.

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Atlantic

Nova Scotia

Sable Island National Park Reserve

Wild horses on a sandbar 290 km off the Nova Scotia coast.

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Akami-Uapishkᵁ-KakKasuak-Mealy Mountains National Park Reserve

Northern

Newfoundland and Labrador (Labrador)

Akami-Uapishkᵁ-KakKasuak-Mealy Mountains National Park Reserve

Labrador's wild Mealy Mountains — co-managed with the Innu and Inuit.

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Arctic

Newfoundland and Labrador (Labrador)

Torngat Mountains National Park

Inuit homeland of jagged peaks, fjords and polar bears.

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Arctic

Yukon

Vuntut National Park

Old Crow Flats and the Porcupine caribou herd.

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Arctic

Yukon

Ivvavik National Park

Canada's first park created through a land-claim agreement.

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NorthernUNESCO

Northwest Territories

Nahanni National Park Reserve

Virginia Falls — twice as tall as Niagara — and the legendary South Nahanni River.

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Northern

Northwest Territories

Nááts'ihch'oh National Park Reserve

Headwaters of the South Nahanni — protected with the Dene of the Sahtu.

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Arctic

Northwest Territories

Aulavik National Park

Banks Island musk ox country.

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Arctic

Northwest Territories

Tuktut Nogait National Park

Calving grounds of the Bluenose-West caribou.

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Common questions

Best Hidden Gem National Parks — FAQ

What's the most underrated national park in Canada?+

Pukaskwa on Lake Superior's north shore, Kejimkujik in Nova Scotia, Wood Buffalo on the Alberta–NWT border, and Forillon at the tip of the Gaspé Peninsula all reward the effort to reach them.

Are hidden-gem parks worth the longer drive?+

If you want quiet trails, off-peak campsites and unbroken landscape, yes. They're chosen specifically because the surrounding nature is exceptional.

Other collections

Keep exploring.

Best National Parks for Camping Best National Parks for Wildlife Best National Parks for Families Best National Parks for RV Travel Best National Parks for Photography Best National Parks for Hiking National Parks by Province

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