Staff favourites

The Iceline Trail at Yoho National Park is an all-around favourite of mine. It takes you high up and really close to glaciers on one of the most scenic trails in Canada. It’s a hike to get up there, but once you’ve made the initial climb you can enjoy a long walk with mostly flat terrain and breathtaking vistas.

Sailing into Windy Bay, seeing the Legacy Pole and traditional Haida Longhouse amongst the old growth cedars and sitka spruce, I love to imagine the people and work it took to raise the pole, and protect Gwaii Haanas.

Seeing the antique skeleton key in the Big House at Fort Langley National Historic Site. Just showing it to adults and children alike turns them into wide-eyed, imaginative believers in magic. I usually let them try to lock and unlock one of the doors.

Among my personal favourites, the Burgess Shale hike takes you to one of the most scenic locations in Kootenay National Park. It’s a great location in itself with amazing views of Mounts Whymper and Stanley, and you get to learn about 505 million years of history. Right here!

The rushing water at beautiful Bear Creek Falls in Glacier National Park reminds me of the transient quality of nature. The water there makes its way through the mountains via the Columbia River to the Pacific Ocean.

My hidden gem is the lower boardwalk at Cave and Basin National Historic Site in winter. Around flowing warm springs, frosty vegetation creates a winter wonderland. In silence, you can hear the sounds of running water flowing into the marsh.

I enjoy stepping into bison territory and walking in their tracks in Elk Island National Park. Bison trails always lead to something interesting: a pond full of birds, a wonderful view, or even bison themselves!

One of my favourite things to do at Rocky Mountain House is wake up in a Métis Trapper Tent, then go for a stroll amongst the Trembling Aspens. If you’re lucky, in the early morning light the mist rises off the North Saskatchewan River, and you can imagine the hearty souls from years past paddling upstream as part of the once thriving fur trade.

I love talking with visitors and hearing their different perspectives on Canada’s history. We find so many points of connection with the story of this place, and unique ways of looking at things. Quite literally – there is a spot in one of our bastion towers where you can look out and see this long, panoramic slice of Fort Langley – I love that!

The Whirlpool Trail in Jasper National Park is a great cross-country ski trail for all abilities. I love going for a short ski to the Whirlpool River that overlooks beautiful Mount Kerkeslin, and taking a break along the shoreline to watch the American dippers as they fly in and out of the open water all winter long. I never forget to bring a picnic and enjoy the river view!

Looking out the windows of the Bar U Ranch National Historic Site Visitor Centre towards the majestic Rocky Mountains over the slowly rolling porcupine hills was a moment I soaked in and forever revisit in my mind. I felt so at home, at peace and inspired.

I love Raspberry Cove in Houston Stewart Inlet at Gwaii Haanas. The beach is really nice and a bit rocky, and when I visited a few years back it was very serene. While we were there, I saw an octopus in the intertidal zone. At first I didn’t notice but then I saw his eye. It was thrilling and creepy all at once!

While each season provides unique experiences, winter is one of my favourite times to explore Elk Island National Park. Whether watching for wildlife while skating around the islands of Astotin Lake; snowshoeing over snow-drifts; or sharing stories around a crackling campfire, a winter visit is always rewarding.