Canada is one of the most picturesque countries in the world. The rest of the territory is sparsely populated. Only 10% of the population of the state lives in central and northern Canada. Therefore, human impact on nature is minimized there. Due to close cooperation with the United States, there are not many industrial enterprises here - it is more profitable to build them closer to the border.
The Government of Canada recognizes the value of North American nature. Therefore, a large number of nature reserves and national parks have been created here. They preserve rare species of plants and animals, maintain unique ecosystems. Millions of tourists visit Canada's natural attractions every year. They are attracted by picturesque forests, waterfalls and glaciers.
The best nature reserves and national parks in Canada
Banff
The most visited national park in Canada is located in the north of the country. The area of the park is over 6600 km². The park's Rocky Mountain area is home to many glaciers, lakes and coniferous forests. There are camping and mountaineering points, a ski resort is organized. Due to frequent traffic and the large highway that runs through Banff, the park's environmental situation has deteriorated over the past few years.
Wuntut
In the north of the Yukon, in the northern part of the Old Crow Plain, flat lakes are spread over a huge area. They were formed after the melting of the glacier, which smoothed out all the unevenness of the relief. The land belongs to the Indian community of Wountoot Grinch, in whose territory there is a hundred thousandth population of caribou deer, and hundreds of thousands of birds nest on the lakes every year.
Guai Haanas
Moresby Island is located not far from the Pacific coast. The southern part of the island and small islets nearby belong to the Guai Haanas Park Reservation. The main area of the park is occupied by the San Cristoval mountain range. There are many fjords and bays along the coast of the island, and more birds of prey nest in the mountains and forests than anywhere else in Canada.
Ivvavik
The park is located on the coast of the Beaufort Sea and borders on Wuntut Park. The British Mountains and the Firth River are the backbone of Ivwavik. Most of the park is occupied by tundra. The most common here are northern dwarf trees: pines, spruces or balsamic poplars. In the north, due to the winds from the ocean, fog and rain are frequent. In the south, on the contrary, there is a warmer and drier climate.
Kuttinirpaak
Canada's second largest and northernmost national park is located just 750 kilometers from the North Pole. Kuttinirpaak includes the entire island of Ellesmere and the surrounding waters. The area of the park is almost 38,000 km², it is planned to include another island in the protected area. In the conditions of the harsh Arctic climate, a unique ecosystem has developed here. The island is home to caribou deer, musk oxen, island wolves and many other polar species.
Wood Buffalo
The largest national park in Canada is located between the Athabasca lakes and the Great Slave Lakes. Over 44,000 km² of forests, prairies and valleys. Wood Buffalo is famous for having the largest herd of wild American bison on the continent. In the national park, their population is about 2500 heads. It is also home to the world's largest river delta. It is formed by the Athabasca and Peace River rivers.
Gros Morne
On the island of Newfoundland, the displacement of the continental plates can be traced. Due to the movement of tectonic plates in the earth's crust, a fault was formed here and molten rocks came to the surface. The Gros Morne Park is home to a large number of fjords, mountain plateaus, waterfalls and glaciers.
Jasper
In the national park on the eastern side of the Cordillera, there is the Athabasca Glacier, which is the oldest in the world. Its age, according to various estimates, is about 10 thousand years. Jasper Park is one of the most popular parks among tourists. There are ski slopes, golf courses and many hotels.
Yoho
The park is located in the south of Canada and was founded in 1886. Yoho is located in the Rocky Mountains. Here, numerous lakes and waterfalls coexist with high-mountain glaciers. In Yoho Park, melt water from glaciers has carved many limestone canyons and caves. A large number of prehistoric fossils have been found in them.
Clowayne
In the southwestern part of the Yukon, close to the Alaska border is Lake Kluane. It gave the name to the park reservation. Logan, Canada's tallest mountain, is located here. The Cordilleras shape Clwayne's climate in many ways. They prevent the passage of air masses from the ocean, so most of the park is located in the continental climate zone.
Kootenay
The park's motto "from cacti to glaciers" expresses the variety of landforms, flora and fauna on its territory. Kootenay is located in southeastern British Columbia. Part of the park is occupied by a mountain depression between the Rocky Mountains and the Columbia Mountains. There are both cold and hot springs.
Nahanni
The park is located in the southern part of the Mackenzie Mountains, in the South Nakhhani River Valley. On this river, in Nakhhani Park, there is Virginia Falls, over 90 meters high, and a cascade of canyons. There are many geothermal springs in Nakhkhan. Expansion of the park to 30,000 km² is planned, making it one of the largest in Canada.
Waterton Lakes
Due to the variety of terrain, the national park in the southwest of Alberta is home to many natural areas. On 505 km² subalpine forests, tundra, prairies, lakes and swamps are combined. The entire park is located at an altitude of over 1200 meters above sea level. Lake Upper Waterton, in the park, is the deepest body of water in the Rocky Mountains.
Saguenay Saint Laurent
The Marine Park is located in the southeast of Quebec. It includes maritime and coastal areas as well as the estuaries of the Saguenay and St. Lawrence rivers. Rare sturgeon species are found in the rivers of the park. Several species of whales, beluga, sea seals and porpoises live in the ocean area. It is planned to include the Saguenay fjord in the national park.
Gulf Islands
Between Vancouver Island and mainland Canada, there are many small islands that make up an entire archipelago. Part of these islets are the Gulf Islands Park Reservation. It is home to 15 endangered animal species. Porpoises, sea lions, killer whales and seals live in the water area of the park thanks to the coastal current, which rises from the bottom of cold water rich in mineral salts.
Pacific Rome
The park includes the Vancouver Island coastline, beach and coastal waters. Throughout the year in the coniferous forests on the coast, it rains abundantly, and the temperature remains stable. The coastal water area is rich in fish and shellfish, and a large number of coniferous tree species grow in the forests. The park organizes excursions to the Broken Group Islands, and conducts individual kayaking.
Glacier
The main task of the park is to protect and preserve the nature of the Columbia mountains. More than 10% of the park's area is occupied by glaciers; at the foot of the mountain ranges, there are zones of humid forests. At high altitudes, heather fields are widespread, and even higher, mainly lichens grow. Glacier Park is crossed by the Trans-Canadian Highway and the Canadian Pacific Railroad, passing through Rogers Pass. It is recognized as a National Historic Site of Canada.
Grasslands
In the province of Saskatchewan, a national park was created in 1981 to preserve the nature of the Canadian prairies.On the territory of Grasslands Park, many ancient sites of Indians, more than 10,000 years old, who lived on the prairie thanks to the bison hunting, have been discovered. By the end of the 19th century, bison in the local prairies were completely exterminated, but since 2005, a program has been underway to restore the population - 60 individuals were brought from the United States.
Auyuittuk
Almost 20,000 km² is set aside for a national park on Baffin Land. Auyuittuk is crossed by the Arctic Cordillera mountain range, and the most famous site in the park is Penny Ice, completely covered with snow and ice. Its area is over 6000 km². Auyuittuk maintains rare arctic and sub-arctic ecosystems that are being disrupted by human activities and climate change.
Beams
About 400 million years ago, the sea was located on the site of the Great Lakes and surrounding areas. Later, the sea level became much lower, due to which picturesque dolomite rocks and cliffs were formed here, carved over the years. If Brus is located on the shores of the Great Lakes, then their water area and islands belong to Fatom Five Park. Often, excursions are conducted here to both national parks at once.
Vapus
Despite the remoteness from the North Pole, an extremely cold Arctic climate has developed on the coast of Hudson Bay. Even in summer, the temperature can drop sharply here, so the local flora and fauna exist in extreme conditions. The Inuit and Cree tribes have lived in this climate for thousands of years. Nowadays, on the territory of Wapusk Park, they are allocated territories near York Factory and the Prince of Wales Fort.
Prince Edward Island
The park is based on the northern coast of the island of the same name. The main local attraction, for the protection of which the protected area was created, are the sand dunes of the coast. It is preserved thanks to the sand-lover grass, which holds the sand with its root system. It is being trampled, so special paths for visitors have been laid on the coast of the national park.
Fundy
In the park, in the province of New Brunswick, there are more than 20 waterfalls. The height of the tides here reaches 9 meters. This is one of the highest rates in the world. Not far from the park, in another part of the Bay of Fundy, it is planned to build tidal power plants. In terms of hydropower, Fundy is one of the most promising places on the planet.
Thorngut Mountains
In the province of Newfoundland, along the Torngat mountain range, the national park of the same name is located. It is the largest on the Atlantic coast - the area of the Thorngat Mountains is 9,700 km². At the foot of the park's mountains, there are many bears, caribou deer, hares and polar foxes. And on the peaks, birds of prey such as falcons or golden eagles nest.
Cape Breton Highlands
The park is located in the province of Nova Scotia, on the Atlantic coast. Most of the territory is occupied by the Cape Breton mountain plateau, on which many rivers flow. There are a large number of acid lakes in the east of the park. They were formed by a glacier thousands of years ago and have become a popular tourist attraction these days. A large number of plant species from different climatic zones grow here. About 100 species were artificially introduced by humans.
Mount Revelstoke
The national park was founded in 1914, thanks to the large number of tourists visiting southeast British Columbia. Later, one of the first Canadian ski slopes was equipped here. The local coniferous forests are mainly composed of fir and hemlock and are characterized by extremely high humidity. Most of the precipitation falls in the form of rains, and snow from the mountain peaks melts and also moistens forest soils.
Georgian bay islands
In Ontario, a unique ecosystem has formed in the Georgian Bay. It is inhabited by species characteristic of both the arctic desert zone and the temperate climatic zone. Also on the islands of the Georgian Bay Islands, traces of the presence of people in antiquity are often found. The oldest finds are 7,000 years old. Archaeologists regularly stumble upon new household items and remains of ancient people's dwellings.
Mingan Archipelago
The park includes a number of limestone and granite islands in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. The unique natural landscape was formed during the melting of the glacier. The islands sank under the water, after which the water level dropped. Sea currents carved many grottoes and caves in the rocks, and the islands rose above the ocean. For their preservation, a national park was created. Also on the territory of the archipelago, a large number of fossils left by a glacier and of high archaeological value were discovered.
Sable Island
Sable Island is located in the Atlantic Ocean off the east coast of Canada. It is a curved sand spit 1-1.3 kilometers wide. The island is an important migration point for many bird species, and long-snouted seals breed here every year. In addition, Sable Island is home to unique species of insects. The ecosystem is under threat due to the possibility of blowing and washing away the sand dunes located across most of the island.
Prince Albert
The park is located in the province of Saskatchewan, in central Canada. The main attractions of the park are associated with the history of various Indian tribes who have lived here for the past 8000 years. One of them is the House-Museum of the Gray Owl, whose real name is Archibald Bilaney. Living on the island among the Indians, he wrote novels and essays about nature and the people of Canada. The park is also famous for its rich fauna - it is home to many species of birds and the second largest population of American bison in Canada.
