Gros Morne National Park

After my Fleur des Lys detour, I drove to Corner Brook on the western side of Newfoundland and arrived late in the afternoon. This was close to Newfoundland’s largest, most well-known national park. Gros Morne had been established as a reserve back in 1973, then a UNESCO heritage site in 1987, and finally a national park in 2005. This was not only due to its diverse landscape, but its clear evidence of continental drift exposing plate tectonics. 

Yoho National Park

I drove through Rogers Pass with a view of snow-capped mountains on one side and a glacier on the other. After Golden I reached Canada’s second national park together with Glacier National Park—Yoho. Banff was Canada’s first national park. Yoho’s a Cree word meaning awe or wonder and that was exactly how I felt amidst its natural beauty. Originally, this park had only covered twenty-six square kilometres, but was later extended to cover more than a thousand square kilometres. Close to British Columbia’s border with Alberta, the park was situated on the western side of the Rocky Mountains. Within the park were more than twenty mountains that were over three thousand metres in height.

Nairn Falls Provincial Park

This small provincial park stretched parallel to the Sea-to Sky Highway. Located just north of Whistler and one hundred and fifty kilometres north of Vancouver, the trail by the Green River was an easy three-kilometre hike. 

A trail to a waterfall

I reached Tianxiang within Taroko National Park, and headed out of the tiny village towards the Baiyang Trail. In spite of being in a mountainous region, the trail was flat and only a little over two kilometres one way. The challenge was its eight unlit tunnels, one in particular that was difficult unless you had a flashlight.

Cheonjiyeon Falls

Jeju’s Seogwipo had a second waterfall that may not have been as dramatic as Jeongbank Falls, but the setting was more picturesque. High cliffs enclosed the valley where lush vegetation fringed the clear waters from Sombancheon River.

Jeju’s Jeongbang Falls

Within Seogwipo City along the waterfront on the southern coast of Jeju Island was Jeongbang Waterfall, claimed to be the only waterfall in Asia to plummet directly into the sea.

Hike of one hundred waterfalls

From Kibune-guchi train station north of Kyoto, a bus took visitors up the hill to the mountain temples, but that would have meant missing the countless waterfalls on the three kilometre trek. So I ploughed up the roadside where streams of cars passed. It was shady and although a warm summer day, it grew cooler as I climbed.

A Wander through Elk Falls Provincial Park

This Vancouver Island provincial Park was not far west of Campbell River. With easy walking trails and a waterfall, I was surprised there weren’t even more people on the Sunday I visited.

North Vancouver’s Twin Falls

Lynn Canyon Park’s Twin Falls was nothing spectacular, but the trail down to the falls was worth the short hike.

Troll Falls Trails

Near the Nakiska ski run west of Calgary, was a labyrinth of trails. We were headed to Troll Falls and gazed at the only sign that didn’t have that helpful “You are here” arrow to make the map useful.