Best drives in Canada: a top 10 list
Whether you’re looking for a day trip or a longer adventure, here are our top ten choices for the country’s most scenic routes.
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1. Vancouver Island’s Pacific Rim Highway
The island’s east-west corridor runs from Port Alberni to Tofino, and along the way, you will experience breathtaking views of rugged mountain ranges, ancient rainforests, and secluded beaches.
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2. Alberta’s Icefields Parkway
Running parallel to the Continental Divide, this 230-kilometre stretch of protected wilderness areas, waterfalls and icefields runs from Lake Louise to Jasper.
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3. New Brunswick’s Fundy Coastal Drive
The Bay of Fundy is a popular destination for whale watching, where you can also witness the world’s highest tides.
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4. Alberta’s Dinosaur Trail
Imposing cliffs, weathered rock formations, and the sheer rugged landscape along with a stop at the Royal Tyrrell Museum make for an epic adventure.
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5. Ontario’s Highway 60 Corridor
Running through the southern portion of Algonquin Park, you’ll find a lush expanse of forests, rivers, tranquil beaches and geological formations.
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6. British Columbia’s Sea to Sky Highway
The Sea to Sky Gondola and the 100-metre-long Sky Pilot Suspension Bridge are just two of the many attractions worth stopping for on your way from West Vancouver to Whistler.
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7. Quebec’s St. Lawrence Route (Route du Fleuve)
Covering the 50 kilometres between Baie-Saint-Paul and La Malbaie, here you’ll find picturesque villages and historical sites, along with dazzling views of the St. Lawrence River.
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8. Newfoundland’s Viking Trail
The trail will take you from Deer Lake to St. Anthony, with a stop at the L’Anse aux Meadows National Historic Site (home to the only authenticated Viking settlement in North America).
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9. Nova Scotia’s Cabot Trail
There’s plenty to explore in this 300-kilometre loop around the northern tip of Cape Breton Island, from old-growth forests and fishing villages to beaches and prehistoric rock formations.
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10. Quebec’s Kings Road (Chemin du Roy)
A 280-kilometre scenic route that borders the St. Lawrence river, the oldest land route in Canada extends from Quebec City to Montreal.
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