From the flat grasslands and plains, to the rugged tundra and boreal forests, to the soaring mountains and glaciers and finally, to the roaring Pacific ocean, Canada’s National Parks showcase outstanding examples of beautiful landscapes.
Read on to learn everything you need to know about visiting National Park fees and Discovery Passes in Canada in 2022. It’s sure to help you plan your next National Park adventure!

What exactly is a National Park in Canada?
Let’s break it down before we go any further.
Canada’s National Parks
National Parks are protected areas for public enjoyment and appreciation, managed by Parks Canada. Some National Parks are small (22 sq km, Prince Edward Island) while others are much, much larger (44, 807 sq km, Wood Buffalo).
The oldest National Park in Canada is Banff in Alberta, founded in 1885. National Parks typically have viewpoints, camping opportunities, hiking trails, lake access, visitor centres and other facilities. Some of Canada’s National Parks are exceptionally remote and have few visitor services.

National Park Reserves
National Park Reserves are proposed National Parks. The intention is to have a system of national parks that represent each of Canada’s natural regions; the project is so far about 60% complete.
National Historic Sites
National Historic Sites are places of profound importance to Canada’s history. These commemorate places and events that have shaped the identity of Canada
National Marine Conservation Areas
There are a small number of National Marine Conservation Areas that are managed for sustainable use by Parks Canada.

Provincial and Territorial Parks
National Parks are different from Provincial Parks and Territorial Parks. These are also protected areas, but they are administrated by the individual governments of provinces and territories. There are many more Provincial and Territorial Parks than there are National Parks.
British Columbia, for example, has over 600 Provincial Parks. In some provinces, entry to Provincial Parks is free (BC, Nova Scotia, PEI). In other provinces, there is a daily fee much like National Parks (Ontario, Manitoba).

Where are Canada’s National Parks and National Historic Sites?
There are currently 38 National Parks and 8 National Park Reserves found across the country, with at least one Park in each province and territory. National Historic Sites are also located all around Canada.
The Parks Canada website lists all of the National Parks and National Park Reserves and National Marine Conservation Areas plus the 140 National Historic Sites that they manage.
Read Next: 42+ Amazing Things to Do in Banff in Winter: Complete Travel Guide

National Park fees in Canada
To visit most of Canada’s National Parks, Reserves, Marine Conservation Areas and National Historic Sites, there is usually an admission (entry) fee.
For the Parks, Reserves and Conservation Areas this is a daily admission fee which means visitors have to pay the admission charge for every day they spend within park boundaries.

Regular daily admission fees
National Park fees in Canada vary between parks.
For example, the entry fee per day in 2022 for Banff National Park is:
Adult: $10.50
Senior: $9.00
Children and Youth aged 17 or under: Free
Family/Group: $ 21.00 (up to seven people in a single vehicle)
What other fees are there?
The daily admission fee to Canada’s National Parks does not include:
- Any kind of camping, whether in the front country (car camping) or backcountry (accessible via foot or boat)
- Firewood at campgrounds
- Campsite reservations (mandatory for backcountry adventures)
- Access to hot springs pools managed by Parks Canada, such as Radium Hot Springs
- Guided tours and hikes not included in park admission

What is the National Park Discovery Pass?
The Discovery Pass is a pass that provides free entry to all National Parks/Reserves, Marine Conservation Areas and Parks Canada-run National Historic Sites.
A Discovery Pass pays for itself in as little as seven days of national park visitation (compared to daily admission fees).
If you’re planning to visit Canada’s Rocky Mountain National Parks (Banff, Jasper, Yoho, Kootenay) for a week or more, I’d definitely recommend getting a Discovery Pass.

Another bonus of Discovery Passes is faster entry into national parks. At road entrances into Banff National Park, for example, there is no need to stop at the Parks Canada gatehouse if you have a valid Discovery Pass displayed.
Traveling to Canada’s East Coast and love history? Consider getting a Discovery Pass for your trip, as there are so many National Historic Sites in this area.

Regular Discovery Pass prices
The price of a Parks Canada Discovery Pass in 2022 is:
Adult $72.25
Senior $61.75
Family/Group $145.25
Discovery Passes are valid for 12 full months from the date of purchase.
Each pass must be signed by the pass holder, who has to be present when the pass is used.
The Family pass includes up to 7 adults in the vehicle. It doesn’t have to be the same group of people accompanying the pass holder each time.

How to buy a Discovery Pass
It is possible to buy Discovery Passes online or in person. You can purchase a pass in person at various Parks Canada locations (list available here) or at participating MEC retail locations across Canada.
If you buy the pass online, allow plenty of time for it to arrive before your intended trip.
Read Next: Flying next to Canada’s highest mountain in Kluane National Park, Yukon

Other National Park pass options
Another option is to get a single location pass. These allows unlimited entry to a single national park. This is a great idea if you live near a national park/historic site OR have a trip planned that involves extensive travel in one park only.
Though not available for all of Canada’s national parks and historic sites, there are single location passes for many of the most popular destinations. Examples include Pacific Rim on Vancouver Island, Waterton Lakes in Alberta and Fundy National Park in New Brunswick.
Some of the passes can be purchased online, but most are obtainable in person only.
Check out these amazing Parks Canada destinations next:
Maligne Lake, Jasper National Park, Alberta
Lake O’Hara, Yoho National Park, British Columbia
Burgess Shale, Yoho National Park, British Columbia
Eva Lake, Mount Revelstoke National Park, British Columbia
Kejimkujik National Park, Nova Scotia
Mount Logan, Kluane National Park, Yukon
Mount Norquay Via Ferrata, Banff National Park, Alberta
Emerald Lake, Lake Louise, Moraine Lake Canoe Guide, Banff and Yoho National Parks

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Emily
Wednesday 10th of August 2022
Hi there
We have booked a late trip to Canada from England, too late to have the discovery pass shipped out. It says on their website that they are accepting printed copies of confirmation. Do you know if this is still the case?
Thank you
Graham Frigot
Friday 5th of August 2022
We (wife and I ) are visiting Ontario in October do we need different passes for national park and provincial parks as staying on the Bruce peninsula and near Algonquin park. Also can these be booked ahead of time as we will have a hire car so will not know it’s number plate. Thankyou.
Gemma
Sunday 7th of August 2022
Hi Graham,
Yes, national parks and provincial parks have their own pass systems. For Bruce Peninsula National Park, you'll need to pay the fees as described in this post. There's no need to know your license plate number.
Algonquin is park of Ontario's provincial park system - day use fees listed here. You can reserve a park pass in advance for Algonquin - details here.
Deb Chaytor
Thursday 7th of July 2022
Hi there:
I believe I understand about the discovery passes. I just want to clarify if we are on foot at a site where the discovery pass can be used for free entry does the family pass work the same way as if we were in the car or is it better to each have their own discovery pass? (there's only two of us)
Gemma
Monday 11th of July 2022
Hi Deb,
The passes work in the same way in person. My partner and I have a Family/Group pass and we use this for entry into National Historic Sites all the time.
yvonne
Wednesday 18th of May 2022
My daughter has her Indian status card. I am still in the works for my metis card. does her card cover the car or just her ?
Gemma
Sunday 22nd of May 2022
Hi Yvonne,
I believe it depends on your destination. For example, in Alberta and Saskatchewan, the 'Open Doors' program requires each adult to have a Métis citizenship card or specially-designed pass. In Nova Scotia, Mi'kmaq can apply for a vehicle identifier that covers up to seven people (including the driver) in one vehicle. If you let me know where you are going, I can try and do some research for you.
Saba Jabir
Friday 13th of May 2022
My husband bought a discovery pass for our family. Can I use it when he can't go with us.
Gemma
Sunday 22nd of May 2022
Hi Saba,
Yes, you can.