Waterloo Region Record

The non-snowbird’s guide to WINTER TRAVEL IDEAS

Where to chill out at Canada’s national parks

WING SZE TANG TORONTO STAR

If you live in Canada, you’re built for all-season outdoor fun. With winter travel planning upon us, here are a few diversions you can do in our national parks come hibernation season. Bundle up.

For hot springs in the Canadian Rockies: Kootenay National Park

Where: Located in southeastern B.C. near Alberta, Kootenay National Park covers 1,406 square kilometres of the Canadian Rockies. The splashy neighbour next door (Banff National Park) tends to get more of the glamour (and clamour), but Kootenay is no slouch. Winter amusements include backcountry skiing, snowshoeing and soaking weary muscles in Radium Hot Springs, one of the park’s star attractions.

Why: Radium is one of three historic pools in the Canadian Rockies hot springs operated by Parks Canada (Banff and Jasper round out the list). The family-friendly fun is so classic, it’s part of Destination Canada’s collection of Canadian Signature Experiences. Of the trio, Radium Hot Springs is the largest facility and open seven days a week (with capacity limits at the moment). The clear, 100 per cent natural mineral water is always steamy at 37 to 40 C, so you can soak on the frostiest days.

For cross-country skiing in a UNESCO World Heritage site: Gros Morne National Park

Where: Gros Morne National Park, in Newfoundland and Labrador, is known for its dramatic landscapes (the result of continental drift and plate tectonics, to get science-y about it). Glacier-carved fjords, alpine highlands, sandy beaches and cascading falls — they’re all here in an expanse that covers 1,805 square kilometres

Why: Want plentiful powder but still (relatively) moderate cold weather? Gros Morne has a reputation for both, making it a playground for cross-country skiers, especially from January to March. There are several regularly groomed trails, most tracked for classic cross-country skiing, including some fairly flat forest options fine for beginners. There’s also backcountry skiing, for those experienced enough to handle unmarked routes in the wilderness (and the real risks involved). For multiday trips, there are two backwoods ski huts available (health restrictions permitting) for overnighting far away from it all.

For stargazing in a Dark Sky Preserve: Point Pelee National Park Where:

At the most southern point of mainland Canada, jutting sharply into Lake Erie, you’ll find Point Pelee National Park, around a 3.5-hour drive from Toronto. It’s one of the country’s most petite national parks, just about nine kilometres long, from the entrance to the daggerlike tip. But it also has the distinction of being the most ecologically diverse, abounding with butterflies in fall and birds in spring.

Why: Point Pelee National Park is designated a Dark Sky Preserve, which is a very official way of saying it’s a particularly sweet spot to stare at millions of stars, which are more visible since there’s no annoying light pollution to distract. If you want to keep gazing after the park’s closing time, overnight stays are bookable at 24 oTENTiks (Parks Canada’s hybrid cabin/tent), tucked inside the Carolinian forest.

For challenging snowshoeing in the land of lakes: La Mauricie National Park Where:

About a two-hour drive from Montreal, La Mauricie National Park is classic Laurentians, dense with forests, shaped by undulating terrain and dotted with 150 lakes. The water means summer staples like swimming, canoe camping and kayaking are a given, but come winter, the destination is also a draw for crosscountry skiers, hikers and serious snowshoers.

Why: If snowshoeing sounds like a casual walk in the park, La Mauricie makes it an endurance sport. Covering 536 square kilometres, it’s home to eight marked wilderness trails for snowshoeing — with just one rated “easy.” Five are “difficult,” an understatement given the 17-kilometre Deux-Criques will test your cardio with climbs and descents over an estimated seven hours. Shorter but not breezier is the 13.1-kilometre Lac-du-Pimbina Trail No. 15, which rewards your efforts with views of Lac Solitaire and other lookouts. In the winter season, equipment rentals are available at the Rivière à la Pêche Service Centre.

TRAVEL

en-ca

2021-10-23T07:00:00.0000000Z

2021-10-23T07:00:00.0000000Z

https://waterloorecord.pressreader.com/article/282149294516826

Toronto Star Newspapers Limited