Canadian hiking towns off the beaten path.
Less-touristed hiking towns in Canada, for travelers seeking fewer crowds but all the beauty.
Nelson
This photogenic little city on the western arm of Kootenay Lake in British Columbia's Selkirk Mountains, Nelson has a café and restaurant scene that punches…
Inverness
This little waterside village on Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, sits within an hour's drive of Cape Breton Highlands National Park to the north and the Can…
Norris Point
This pocket-sized waterfront village on Bonne Bay in western Newfoundland, Norris Point sits at the edge of Gros Morne National Park amid mountain terrain.
Bridgewater
This pocket-sized Nova Scotia town sits at the navigable limit of the LaHave River on Nova Scotia's South Shore, with a café and restaurant scene that is unu…
Eganville
Billed as the Ordovician Fossil Capital of Canada, this small Ontario village sits in a deep limestone valley carved by the Bonnechere River, where fossils s…
Silver Star Mountain
Ski resort in the Monashee Mountains of British Columbia, northeast of Vernon, Silver Star Mountain operates a snow season from late November to mid-April an…
Ingonish
A cluster of small settlements on Cape Breton Island's Atlantic coast, Ingonish sits within Cape Breton Highlands National Park and along the Cabot Trail sce…
Queenston
Queenston, in Ontario's Niagara wine country, sits where the Niagara River meets the Niagara Escarpment — the geological point from which the falls began car…
Schreiber
This little township on the northernmost shore of Lake Superior in Ontario, Schreiber sits in mountain terrain along Highway 17 with direct water access and…
Field
Small hamlet in Yoho National Park in southeastern British Columbia, Field sits in the Kicking Horse River valley along the Trans-Canada Highway and serves a…
Gananoque
Gateway to the Thousand Islands in the St.
Saint-Hilaire
A South Shore suburb of Montreal on the Richelieu River, Mont-Saint-Hilaire draws visitors with a mix of agrotourism — orchards, a vineyard, a cider house, a…
Clinton
The Clinton Annual Ball, first held in 1867 and one of British Columbia's longest-running continuous events, anchors this small village on the southern edge…
St. Peter's
This small Cape Breton village where a historic canal separates Bras d'Or Lake from the Atlantic Ocean, St.
Val-David
This modest Laurentian Mountains village north of Montreal with a lively food scene, a reputation as an arts community, and serious outdoor credentials: Parc…
Fermeuse
Little harbour hamlet on Newfoundland's Avalon Peninsula, Fermeuse has sheltered fishing vessels since Portuguese sailors used it as a summer station in the…
Baddeck
Tiny village on the shore of Bras d'Or Lake in Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, Baddeck holds the Alexander Graham Bell National Historic Site alongside a ha…
Riverside-Albert
This little hamlet on the Shepody River in New Brunswick, Riverside-Albert sits roughly halfway between Fundy National Park and the Hopewell Rocks, making it…
Chester Basin
Pocket-sized waterside community in Nova Scotia's Chester area, Chester Basin sits where upland country meets the Atlantic coast, making it a quiet base for…
Lower Economy
A modest Nova Scotia village set in upland country with walking-distance access to water, and a useful base for exploring the wider region's UNESCO World Her…
Lake Cowichan
A little Vancouver Island town sitting directly on its namesake lake, with easy access to upland wilderness and a modest central core of cafés and restaurant…