Dreamscapes Travel & Lifestyle Magazine
Issue link: http://read.dreamscapes.ca/i/679293
DREAMSCAPES SPRING/SUMMER 2016 56 TRAVEL SLEUTH >> BY JANE STOKES DS EVEN A SMALL CITY PARK IS AN EMOTIONAL LINK TO OUR CANADIAN WILDERNESS SO NO WONDER IT'S EXHILARATING WHEN WE'RE COMPLETELY SURROUNDED BY THE GREAT OUTDOORS. TOP: Cyclists tour the Tablelands in Gros Morne National Park. Newfoundland and Labrador Tourism/Barrett & MacKay Photo ABOVE: It's low tide at Hopewell Rocks in the Bay of Fundy. Tourism New Brunswick CANADA'S UNDEVELOPED LANDSCAPES nearly cover 10 million square kilometres—an area that encompasses two mil- lion lakes, 24 per cent of the world's wetlands and nine per cent of the planet's woodlands. It is calculated there are 348 million hectares of forested land in Canada—that's 10 hectares for every person. However, most of those are so remote they have never been tread upon by anything like us. Sheer adventure is the reason outdoor enthusiasts travel from far and wide to Canada to experience idyllic hiking, camping, canoeing, rafting, sailing, cycling and kayaking con- ditions. Among Canada's most inspirational places are: GROS MORNE NATIONAL PARK Newfoundland & Labrador Head north on the west coast of New- foundland to set yourself free in mountains so pristine they are pro- tected as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. Gros Morne is the central peak of the Long Range Mountains, a place to climb towering cliffs and trek through dramatic fjord valleys, over glacial lakes and along sandy beaches, all of it formed 1.2 billion years ago. Here's a lesser-known fact: The scientific theory, plate tectonics, was validated in this park. The rocks explain how continents got their shape, how oceans exist, why volcanoes erupt, and why the Earth quakes. Outdoor sensations include hiking trails, interpretation tours, boating, cycling, swimming and camping. grosmorne.com BAY OF FUNDY BEACHCOMBING | New Brunswick and Nova Scotia Every day, due largely to the gravitational pull of our sun and moon, 160 billion tonnes of seawater flow in and out of the Bay of Fundy in a volume that breaks world records. At countless locations around the entire bay, visitors can witness the tidal phenomenon— from high to low, 6.2 hours apart. At low tide, for instance, when the tidal ebb is still a mile away, boat owners can walk to their vessels on the ocean floor. At high tide, these same boats are bobbing in seawater that is often 15 metres deep. Keep an eye out for fossils, especially in Jog- gins, Nova Scotia, where you may see remnants of Earth's first reptiles dating back 300 million years. Outdoor sensations include scenic views, hiking trails, hidden caves and camping. bayoffundytourism.com WILDERNESS IS JUST OVER THE HORIZON