Family-friendly hikes
Make happy memories on the trails!
Whether you want to go for a walk with kids in a stroller or challenge your teenagers, there's a hike for you at Parks Canada! Be inspired by our family-friendly suggestions and enjoy free admission for kids 17 and under.
Atlantic
Don't miss!
North Head Trail
Signal Hill National Historic Site, Newfoundland and Labrador
Level of difficulty: Challenging. Perfect for active parents carrying strapped on babies, or families with older children.
Length: 1.7 km
Time: 1 hour
Leave the pretty city of St John’s behind and wind your way up from the Battery to the top of Signal Hill. This trail has been in use since the 1500s. Follow in the footsteps of hundreds of thousands of hikers up steep stairs, rocky sections and narrow paths. In the summer, you may be able to see whales and icebergs, and the views across the water and harbour are spectacular. Reward yourself with a treat from the famous Newfoundland Chocolate Café!
Short hikes for little legs
Start a lifelong love of hiking with these under 40 minute hikes.
Stroller friendly hikes
Tire out teens
Gros Morne Mountain Trail
Gros Morne National Park, Newfoundland and Labrador
Newfoundland and Labrador
Tackle this all-day 16km hike through forests, up stairs and across boardwalks as a family, and make memories to last a lifetime. This trail takes you to the park’s highest point (806 meters) with breathtaking views over the Long Range Mountains and the Ten Mile Pond.
Quebec
Don't miss!
Cap de Bon Desir trail
Saguenay–St. Lawrence Marine Park
Level of difficulty: Easy. Perfect for ocean life-loving toddlers to teens
Length: 350m
Time: 15 mins
Plan a picnic and an easy wander along the main trail and boardwalk, which leads directly to the look-out over the marine park. Settle down with a sandwich and some binoculars and get ready for a magical afternoon. Your family will love spotting pods of whales out on the water. You may also spot playful seals who come close to shore!
Short hikes for little legs
Start a lifelong love of hiking with these under 40 minute hikes.
Stroller friendly hikes
Tire out teens
Forillon National Park
Bring the family together on a challenging 4-5-hour, 15.2km round trip which takes in woods and fields, and overlooks the sea and tucked-away coves. Maybe you’ll spot bears or porcupines in the bush, or even whales on the waves! Take a group photo at the solar powered lighthouse and enjoy the winding trail to the bottom of the cliff at Land’s End.
Ontario
Don't miss!
Boardwalk Beach Trail
Pukaskwa National Park
Level of difficulty: Easy; ideal for all ages from toddlers to teens
Length: 1.2km with 0.2km of boardwalk
Time: 30 minutes round-trip
Set off from the Visitor Centre and make for Pukaskwa’s famous Horseshoe Bay, where the waves crash against the granite shore and sand dune beach, fringed with spruce and pine. Stroll the boardwalk and time your visit for sunset to watch the horizon blush pink.
Short hikes for little legs
Start a lifelong love of hiking with these under 40 minute hikes.
Stroller friendly hikes
Tire out teens
Rouge National Urban Park
Take 2.5 hrs to blow off steam exploring the lush green forests and restored wetlands along the 4.5km Cedar Trail. Sections of the trail are steep and can be slippery, so watch your step! Look out for beavers and birdlife along the river. See if you can spot a snapping turtle at the Beare Wetland complex.
The Canadian Prairies
Don't miss!
Brûlé Trail
Riding Mountain National Park, Manitoba
Level of difficulty: Make it easy or medium on this loop.
Length: Short loop 2.1km, longer loop 4.2km
Time: 45/90 minutes.
Gather the family and head out on this fairly flat loop (with a few tree roots to clamber over!) that takes in lush forest, springy mossy floor, and the serene beauty of Lake Kinosao. Pick up a guide booklet from the visitor centre and see how many wood lilies and other wildflowers you can identify along the way.
Short hikes for little legs
Start a lifelong love of hiking with these under 40 minute hikes.
Stroller friendly hikes
Tire out teens
Grasslands National Park
Saskatchewan
Climb one of the highest peaks in the park on this 4.1 km challenge. Make the trip early in the morning or at dusk to watch the sun rise or set over the valley. The views from the top are unforgettable!
Western Canada
Don't miss!
Skunk Cabbage Boardwalk Trail
Mount Revelstoke National Park, British Columbia
Level of difficulty: Easy
Length: 1.2km
Time: 45 mins
Challenge the family to a fun game of I-spy on this trail with an all-access boardwalk over a swamp packed with fascinating flowers, plants and critters! Signs will help you out along the way. See if you can spot muskrats, beavers, and—of course—skunk cabbages!
Short hikes for little legs
Start a lifelong love of hiking with these under 40 minute hikes.
Stroller friendly hikes
Tire out teens
Yoho National Park
British Columbia
This 8.8km trail winds 125m high through the dense old growth forest to a waterfall where the Little Yoho and Yoho Rivers meet. A fun afternoon or morning hike with the most gorgeous views at the end!
Northern Canada
Don't miss!
Ulu Peak Trail
Auyuittuq National Park, Nunavut
Level of difficulty: Easy to moderate. Probably best for kids 10 or over who can walk a distance on uneven ground.
Length: 10km round-trip depending on tides and the drop off point.
Time: Plan for a whole day’s expedition, but the hike is on your own pace and usually takes under two hours.
Throughout July and August join the lucky group of people who’ve made the journey to visit the Pangnirtung community, 50 kilometres (31 miles) south of the Arctic Circle. Head out with a local Inuk outfitter on a 30km boat trip through the fjord to the drop-off point. Then join a Parks Canada guide to hear stories of this vast and rugged landscape.
Short hikes for little legs
Stroller friendly hikes
Tire out teens
Prince of Wales Fort National Historic Site
Manitoba
Make it an experience from the wild with a fun trip by Zodiac boat to Sloop Cove, at what was once the winter harbour for the Prince of Wales Fort. Trace the signatures of Hudson’s Bay Company men scratched into the stones. Hike in their footsteps accompanied by a knowledgeable Parks Canada guide along this 4km loop through tundra blazing with wildflowers. Look out for gleaming white beluga whales cresting the waves and birds soaring overhead.
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