125 Nature Hot Spots in Alberta
A guide to the best places in Alberta to connect with the natural world.
Since the first travelers visited the hot springs in Banff during the railway era of tourism, Alberta has been a compelling destination for visitors worldwide. Banff became Canada’s first national park in 1885 and it remains one of the most popular destinations in the nation with towering mountain peaks, massive glaciers, impossibly blue lakes and abundant wildlife. The mountain parks are just one part of a province that is filled with spectacular landscapes. Canada’s fourth largest province is also blessed with thick forests, sparkling lakes and mysterious badlands that conceal the fossilized remains of dinosaurs.
125 Nature Hot Spots in Alberta is a reader-friendly guidebook that explores this remarkable splendor and natural diversity. Organized by region, each hot spot entry includes a descriptive destination profile, a colour photograph and a sidebar of at-a-glance information about special features and location.
Here are a few examples of the destinations:
- Whitehorse Wildland — one of the few places in Alberta where you can drive to an alpine meadow
- Wood Buffalo National Park — free-roaming bison and the world’s largest dark sky preserve
- Writing-on-Stone/andAacute;andiacute;sinai’pi — national historic site containing petroglyphs and pictographs
- Columbia Icefields — the largest icefield in the Rocky Mountains of North America
- Waterton Lakes National Park — one of the best mountain parks to view bears and other wildlife
- Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park — highest point between the Rocky Mountains and Labrador.
Travel Alberta reports that the province had a record-breaking 16 million visitors in 2016, the vast majority from the United States, the UK, Australia, Germany and Asia. This book provides fresh insights on popular spots and valuable information about lesser-known destinations that are equally worthy of a visit. 125 Nature Hot Spots in Alberta is an essential selection for libraries, tourism offices, travel agents, and bookstores.
BIO
Leigh McAdam found her way to her home in Calgary, Alberta after growing up in Ottawa and living in Nova Scotia, Ontario, Colorado and British Columbia. She is the author of Discover Canada – 100 Inspiring Outdoor Adventures and the creator and founder of the popular blog www.hikebiketravel.com.
Debbie Olsen is an award-winning Alberta-based writer who loves to travel and explore natural areas around the world. She is an expert on travel within Canada and has contributed to nine Fodor’s guidebooks about Alberta. She writes a regular travel column for the Calgary Herald.
100 Nature Hot Spots in British Columbia
An illustrated guide to British Columbia’s most popular nature getaways and best-kept secrets.
The well-known slogan for Canada’s westernmost province is “Super, Natural British Columbia,” a fitting tribute to its legendary natural beauty. The entire province is richly blessed with lush rainforests, snow-capped mountains, rugged coastlines and unique wildlife.
100 Nature Hot Spots in British Columbia is a beautifully illustrated guidebook that explores this province’s remarkable splendor and natural diversity. Each entry includes a descriptive destination profile, beautiful four-color photographs and at-a-glance information about special features and their locations.
The hot spots are divided into six chapters — Vancouver Island and the Coast; Central British Columbia; Lower Mainland; Okanagan, Similkameen and the Surrounding Area; Kootenay Region; and Northern British Columbia. Here are just some of the destinations:
- Bowen Island
- Enderby Cliffs Provincial Park
- Garibaldi (Provincial) Park
- Hot Springs Cove
- Othello Tunnels
- Botanical Beach
- Haida Gwaii
- Top of the World Provincial Park
- Whistler Olympic Park
- Desolation Sound Marine Protected Area
- George C. Reifel Migratory Bird Sanctuary
- Saturna Island
- Bear and Salmon Glaciers
- Bella Coola Valley
The locations have been carefully selected to appeal to a wide audience, from locals and visitors to families and outdoor enthusiasts. Anyone who is eager to discover new places in British Columbia to hike, photograph wildlife, camp and paddle, whether going on a day trip, a weekend getaway or an extended holiday will welcome this thorough guidebook.
British Columbia is an increasingly popular global destination, with over nine million visitors in 2016.
BIO
Lyndsay Fraser is the curator and content developer of environmental education programs and exhibits at Science World British Columbia in Vancouver. She is a writer and content advisor for K-12 student and teacher resources on British Columbia’s natural history and environmental education.
Christina Smyth is a secondary school science teacher from Princeton, British Columbia. She has worked as an interpretive naturalist and outdoor educator and is published in the Journal of Experimental Marine Biology for her work with marine isopods.
110 Nature Hot Spots in Ontario
An expanded guide to the best places in Ontario to connect with the natural world.
The best-selling 100 Nature Hot Spots in Ontario now features 10 additional destinations. This reader-friendly guide explores the remarkable splendor and diversity of the province, from its soaring clifftops, subterranean caves and thundering cataracts to the province’s tallest white pine, the oldest rocks on Earth and the warbler capital of North America.
The guide is organized by region, and each destination includes a descriptive profile illustrated with color photographs and at-a-glance information about special features and contact details. Regional maps showcase locations. Some of these hot spots are surprisingly close to towns and cities, some are hidden urban treasures, and many are ideal for a day trip.
All new in this edition — a how-to guide with tips on finding and experiencing nature in your own backyard.
The ten new hot spots include:
Central Ontario South — The York Region Forest, 2,300 hectares of protected land with 120 kilometers of nature-rich trails.
Eastern Ontario — Mattawa River Provincial Park, with gorgeous waterfalls, granite cliffs, forests and wetlands; Meisel Woods Conservation Area, offering five kilometers of trails that provide stunning views of Crow Lake and a forest rich with animals and plants; Perth Wildlife Reserve Conservation Area, a 275-hectare reserve, home to diverse plant and wildlife species; and Thousand Islands National Park, a dramatic granite landscape largely accessible only by boat.
Other destinations include:
Southwestern Ontario — Rock Glen Conservation’s fossil beds, trails and Carolinian forest; Luther Marsh Wildlife Management Area’s northern flying squirrels, Butler’s garter snakes, and spotted turtles; Pelee Island’s breeding marsh birds and world-renowned annual songbird migration.
Niagara Region — The dramatic lower and upper waterfalls at Ball’s Fall’s Conservation Area; passerine bird watching in the Woodend Conservation Area; the Niagara Glen Nature Reserve’s unique microclimate and plants.
Central Ontario South — The Scarborough Bluffs’ rock formations; the Minesing Wetlands’ network of sensitive flora and fauna; Toronto’s unusual lakeside reserve, Tommy Thompson park.
Central Ontario North — The towering cedars and cliffs of Bruce Peninsula Park; Flowerpot Island’s orchids; Huckleberry Rock, some of the oldest rock in the world; the peaceful idyll that is Silent Lake Provincial Park; three unforgettable trails in Algonquin Park.
Eastern Ontario — Wintertime sightings of snowy owls, hawks and coyotes on Amherst Island; geological eras collide in Frontenac Provincial Park; spectacular views of lakes and forests from Foley Mountain and Rock Dunder.
Northwestern Ontario — The iconic Sleeping Giant in Sleeping Giant Provincial Park; windswept Pukaskwa National Park; Ouimet Canyon with rare arctic plants growing at its base; spectacular 130 feet (40 m) plummet of Kakabeka Falls.
These family-friendly destinations will appeal to naturalists, budding botanists and biologists, photographers, hikers, campers and paddlers.
BIO
Chris Earley is the interpretive biologist at the University of Guelph Arboretum. His kids’ books that encourage youngsters to “find and identify your own” have been very popular.
Tracy C. Read is a writer and editor in Kingston, Ontario, and the author of Firefly’s children’s natural history series, Exploring the World of Cougars, Foxes, Owls and many others.
Top 60 Canoe Routes of Ontario
A new edition of the best-selling guide, expanded with 10 more routes over 48 more pages.
Ontario is blessed with some of the most scenic and enjoyable lakes and rivers in the world — it truly is a paddler’s paradise. Like the first edition of this book, this updated and expanded second edition is destined to become the classic guide to the very best canoeing the province has to offer.
Top 60 Canoe Routes of Ontario includes 10 more of Kevin Callan’s favorite canoe excursions. While some of these routes are well known to paddlers province-wide, such as the Bonnechere River, others are hidden secrets, like the ambitious and magical Woodland Caribou Park. The routes range from two-day paddles to week-long expeditions and are divided amongst nine regions: Southern Ontario, Cottage Country, Algonquin, Central Ontario, Eastern Ontario, Temagami, Ontario’s Near North, Northern Ontario and Northwestern Ontario.
Kevin gives paddlers all the information they need to complete each route, including accurate maps of all access points, portage lengths, important river features and campsites — all embellished with historical notes and Kevin’s trademark humor. He also includes a detailed “Before You Go” section in which he shares the expertise that has earned him the title of Canada’s Happy Camper.
BIO
Kevin Callan is the author of 15 books, including his incredibly popular series of paddling guides. He has been a key speaker at major outdoor events for over 25 years in Canada, the U.S. and the U.K. He is a regular contributor and columnist for Explore and CanoeRoots Magazine, is listed as one of the top 100 modern-day explorers by the Canadian Geographical Society, is a recipient of a National Magazine Award and is a Patron Paddler for Paddle Canada. He is a recurring guest on nationally broadcast television and radio programs and maintains his own very popular “Happy Camper” YouTube channel, drawing thousands of viewers.
Unforgettable Ontario – 100 Destinations
Unforgettable Ontario explores Ontario at its best.
This beautifully illustrated guide celebrates 100 of the communities, events and festivals that help to make a visit to Ontario unforgettable. Author Noel Hudson reflects the province’s rich cultural and geographic diversity as he travels Ontario’s countryside, from its villages, towns and cities to cottage country and the north. Each entry offers a fascinating glimpse into Ontario’s dynamic past and present, its spectacular landscape and the spirit of its citizens.
Among the 100 destinations:
- Agawa Canyon Wilderness Park, 114 miles (183 km) northwest of Sault Ste. Marie, is accessible only by trail or aboard the historic Algoma Central Railway, a memorable 10-hour round-trip excursion with stops to view the waterfalls and climb to the Lookout 250 feet (76 m) above the canyon floor. The well-appointed train features a GPS-activated tour commentary in English, French, German, Japanese and Mandarin.
- Goderich is well known for its breathtaking sunsets, beaches, parks and historical museums. You can wander the main street lined with heritage buildings, stroll the boardwalk that connects the three beaches, visit the Marine Museum and the Huron County Museum and Gaol built in 1841 and catch a play at the Livery Theater.
- The village of Perth is nestled along the Tay River in Lanark County, and its picturesque downtown boasts craft stores, antique stores, specialty shops and restaurants, as well as some of the finest examples of heritage buildings in the province.
- Toronto’s Bata Shoe Museum possesses what may be the world’s most comprehensive collection of footwear — over 13,000 artifacts spanning 4,500 years of history: Ancient Egyptian sandals, French chestnut-crushing boots, a Japanese samurai’s bear-fur shoes, Native American footwear, celebrity and royal shoes, sneakers — it’s all here.
- Aga Khan Museum and the Ismaili Centre in North York holds over 1,000 artifacts and works of art — including manuscripts, drawings, paintings, ceramics, metalwork, garments and tapestries — dating from the 8th century to the 21st century. Music and dance performances delight visitors and contribute to a deeper understanding of the values, culture and heritage of Ismaili Muslims.
With the exchange rate still favorable for Americans and Canada still high on the must-see list for overseas travelers, Unforgettable Ontario: 100 Destinations is the perfect reference for travelers in search of a single guide to the province’s many attractions.
BIO
Noel Hudson has published fiction and non-fiction in books, magazines and newspapers and has written for television and radio as well. The well-traveled author of Unforgettable Canada: 115 Destinations has edited more than 300 books on every aspect of Ontario life. Hudson makes his home in Guelph, Ontario.
