Backpacking

Discover everything you need to know about planning for your first backpacking trip, from buying appropriate gear and choosing a destination to outdoor safety, backcountry meals and more!

Magnificently mountainous Okanagan Mountain Park, British Columbia, offers incredible paddling and hiking opportunities – here’s a complete guide, with campground details, trail descriptions, safety tips and more

By the end of winter, I can’t wait to get back onto the hiking trails again. BC’s mountainous terrain, however, means that many popular backpacking routes are under snow until at least June. But not all of them! Here are 13 of the best shoulder season backpacking trips in BC

Backcountry camping is one of the most affordable and satisfying ways to fully experience the raw and rugged beauty of British Columbia. It can, however, be difficult to know where to start, especially if you’re new to BC.

Mount Assiniboine is a jewel in the crown of the Canadian Rockies and a hiker’s dream. This comprehensive hiking guide will explain everything you need to know about planning a backpacking trip to this magnificent provincial park

Lake O’Hara really is the crown jewel of the Canadian Rockies. With pristine turquoise lakes, cascading waterfalls, soaring mountain peaks, giant glaciers, hanging valleys and more (!), Lake O’Hara has it all. If you only have time to explore just one place in the Canadian Rockies, Lake O’Hara would be an excellent choice.

Have you ever walked all the way around an island? The pyramid shaped Isle of Wight, situated just off the south coast of England, is one place where you can do just that. The 36km wide and 22km tall Isle of Wight is encircled by a long distance walking trail called the Isle of Wight Coastal Path.

Subalpine meadows filled with vibrant wildflowers and backdropped by snow capped mountains. Boulderfields squeaking with impossibly cute marmots and pikas. And finally, a turquoise-coloured lake with mirror-like reflections. The Eva Lake Trail in Mount Revelstoke National Park offers all this and more!

A high alpine wonderland with wildflower filled meadows, delicate larch trees, crystal clear lakes and endless vistas of immense glaciers and jagged peaks, Monica Meadows is undoubtedly one of the most spectacular places in British Columbia.

If you want to truly experience the raw beauty of British Columbia, multi-day hiking is one of the best ways to do it. This post features 20+ short BC backpacking trips of 15km or less, perfect for an overnight adventure!

Valhalla Provincial Park, British Columbia – majestic, mysterious and magical all at once, the name of this park alone inspires wonder. The Norse equivalent of Heaven, Valhalla is exactly that if you like wild, beautiful natural areas with an absence of people. Here’s a complete guide to Valhalla Provincial Park including hiking trails, marine campgrounds and more

The Cape Scott Trail is a 47km hiking adventure through lush rainforest, sand dunes, stunning beaches and interesting history in Cape Scott Provincial Park, at the very northwestern tip of Vancouver Island. Discover everything you need to know about this spectacular multi-day hike!

Hidden in the deep green valleys of Vancouver Island’s Strathcona Park is the Della Falls trail to Canada’s highest waterfall. Read about our experience and follow the guide to visit Della Falls yourself

The Sunshine Coast Trail is an incredible 180km hut-to-hut hiking route in south-west British Columbia, Canada. Read on to discover our own experience hiking the SCT plus a comprehensive planning guide so you, too, can organise your own adventure on this magnificent trail!

Every year, reservations for the West Coast Trail disappear within minutes. The great news is that there are so many amazing alternative backpacking trails in BC to enjoy! Read on for an overview of six of them

Cape Breton’s Fishing Cove trail is a 12km out and back hike, easily accessible from the beautiful Cabot Trail. It an be completed as either a day hike (4-5 hours) or an overnight backpacking trip.

Cape Chignecto Provincial Park hosts one of the few multi-day backpacking trails in Nova Scotia. It is quality over quantity in this case, as the Cape Chignecto Coastal Trail provides a beautiful, varied and challenging hike, showcasing the power of the huge Bay of Fundy tides. This is a backpacking trip not to miss.

The Great Stones Way may just be Britain’s answer to the Inca Trail. For what it lacks in altitude, the Great Stones Way more than makes up for it with mysterious ancient sites, idyllic thatched villages and wonderous panoramic countryside views. 

The Heather Trail in Manning Park offers a near-perfect backpacking experience with stunning views, interesting terrain and great camping facilities. If you’ve only got time to do one summer hike in BC, this should be a contender!

Advice for the 160km South Downs Way from a solo female hiker, featuring safety and trail details as well as navigational and accommodation tips