Gwaii Hannas in the Queen Charlotte Islands named best National Park
by National Geographic July/August 2005

Queen Charlotte Islands, British Columbia - National Geographic Sustainable Destinations Resources Center recently organized a panel of 300 experts who surveyed 55 national parks in the U.S. and Canada and chose British Columbia's Gwaii Haanas National Park and Haida Heritage Site as the number 1 National Park! Enviormental conditions and cultural integrity were factors in the judging. Gwaii Hannas is known for its relationship with the local Haida nation and its ancient native village, Ninstints, a World Heritage Site on tiny Anthony Island (the location of the largest original group of totem poles in the world). Because of the park's abundent flora and fauna it's been refered to as 'the Galpagos of the north'. Six of the top 16-ranked parks in the survey are located in Canada. The survey appears in the July/August 2005 issue of National Geographic Traveler magazine. Ninstints photo: Tourism British Columbia

Where: The Queen Charlotte Islands can be reached by air, or six-hour ferry trip from Prince Rupert on the British Columbia mainland. Located in the Southern Queen Charlotte Islands, the park is visited by only about 3000 people per year, who all have to get there by boat or float plane.

In The News: On Dec. 11, 2009 Premier Gordon Campbell announced that the Queen Charlotte Islands will be officially renamed Haida Gwaii.

Canada’s Coolest:

Welcome to a new feature on Canada Cool. I'll be presenting different 'Coolest' lists with my favorites and I encourage you to nominate suggestions from your own experiences. You can Twitter @CanadaCool or email [email protected]. Let me know what makes your suggestion exceptionally cool. Remember, by contributing your comments you are giving Canada Cool permission to quote you. Only a selection of submissions will be included, but all comments and submissions are greatly appreciated!

The first feature is: Canada's Coolest Single Day Scenic Drives

Here are some of my favorites...

The Icefields Parkway, Jasper National Park, Alberta - This 229 km (142 mi) Rocky Mountain route from Banff/Lake Louise to Jasper passes 100 frozen rivers and nudges the base of the Athabasca Glacier - the most accessible glacier in the world. You can stop and explore it. It spills down from the Columbia Icefield, an area of ice so massive that you could fit the entire population of North America on it with each person getting at least a square metre of space.

The Corridor, Algonquin Park, Ontario – this 56-km stretch of Hwy 60 cuts through the southwest section of Algonquin Park. Less than three hours north of Toronto the park is a nature-lover's paradise with 7,725 km of lakes, rivers, forest, trails, camping, comfortable lodges and 2000 km of canoe routes. Offers hiking trails to stop and enjoy, but what makes it really cool is that it’s one of the best places in North America to spot moose (especially in May and June). And, on Thursday nights in August up to 600 cars will gather to listen to wolves howl.

The Cabot Trail, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia – Driving this 303 km (187 mile) route is like riding a roller-coaster: the road snakes around hairpin turns, rises to heights over 365 metres (1200 ft), weaves around headlands revealing spectacular coastal scenery, and plunges down to sea level taking you into the heart of small fishing communities. The most dramatic scenery is between the Cape Breton Highlands National Park entrance near Cheticamp and Pleasant Bay, so go slow. And, plan some flexibility into your schedule, so you can drive it on a clear day.

And here are some of your nominations for 'Canada's Coolest Single Day Scenic Drives'...

More from Canada’s Coolest

'Canada's Coolest' topics we'll be publishing in the future:

• Golf Course Features
• Haunted Hotels
• Hotel Special Services

Send your suggestions to [email protected]

Recent 'Canada's Coolest' topics: