Visitors will be able to enter Canada's national parks for free this summer as the country aims to showcase its spectacular natural sites. The Government of Canada has announced that starting from 19 June, people can visit the country's national parks for free and receive a 25 per cent discount on camping and overnight stays.
Free Admission Details
Free entry will extend to all of Canada's national historic sites and national marine conservation areas alongside the national parks operated by Parks Canada. Lockage at canals administered by Parks Canada on historic waterways will also be free to pass through. Visitors will not be required to show a ticket or seasonal pass during the free admission period, but staff will still be at the gates and visitor centres to welcome people.
Free admission will run until 7 September, when annual passes and tickets will again be required for visits during the winter months. Visitors who want to stay overnight in the parks during the free admission period will still have to pay a fee, but this will be discounted by 25 per cent. This includes tents, RVs, yurts, tipis, cabins and stays in historic buildings, among other types of camping. Guided tours, mooring, fishing licences, firewood and parking will still be subject to a full fee.
Why Free Entry Matters
Parks Canada says the complimentary entry period makes it easier for everyone, especially young people and families, to explore Canada's natural heritage. There are 37 national parks and 11 national park reserves in Canada, spanning over 115,000 square miles of land in the country. A national park reserve is an area that is managed like a national park but is subject to one or more Indigenous land claims, where Indigenous people continue to hunt, fish and trap.
Diverse Natural Wonders
Due to the large scale of the parks, visitors can experience a whole range of natural wonders, from boreal forests, tundras, lakes and glaciers. Lying on the west coast of Vancouver Island, not far from Victoria, Pacific Rim National Park Reserve features miles of long sandy beaches that are popular with surfers, as well as a 46-mile-long West Coast Trail that follows through forests, coastline and suspension bridges over streams. First Nation communities also invite visitors to discover Nuu-chah-nulth culture at the park through activities such as a self-guided walk visiting hand-carved totem poles.
Just outside of Calgary lies another popular site, Banff, which also holds the title of Canada's first national park. Banff National Park has a large stretch of the Rocky Mountains passing through its territory, providing visitors with almost 1,000 miles of dramatic alpine hiking trail views. Over in eastern Canada, Gros Morne National Park in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador is home to vast fjords, barren cliffs and waterfalls cascading from 2,000 feet. Here, visitors will also find the unique Tablelands, a rare section of the Earth's mantle pushed to the surface by tectonic plates half a billion years ago, providing a Mars-like setting.
