Not sorry: 6 unapologetically awesome Canadian adventures to try this summer

Too many TikTok influencers turning Aspen’s hiking trails into photo sets? Does driving through Yellowstone National Park feel more like rush hour in the Holland Tunnel? As America’s adventure tourism destinations deal with overtourism and staffing shortages, perhaps it’s time to consider a trip (slightly) further afield.How about a visit to our neighbors to the north?Canada’s adventure tourism market is booming.

In 2023, it generated over $11 billion in revenue and is expected to reach over $33 billion by 2030.And with 1.6% more land and roughly one-tenth the population of the United States, the Great White North stands only to further solidify its reputation as an outdoors playground.

Better still, Canada boasts an abundance of small operators ready to help take you where you’ve never dared before.“Our vast landscapes and low population density make it easy to escape the crowds and immerse yourself in untouched wilderness,” said Dane Tredway, experience designer for Butterfield & Robinson, a travel company that organizes active small group trips.“Rather than ticking off the same bucket-list sites as everyone else, [travelers to Canada] are seeking out hidden gems that deliver equally epic landscapes and cultural experiences without the crowds.”This summer, Air Canada alone offers more than 200 daily flights to over 45 destinations in the United States.

And with an exchange rate of around $1.35 per greenback, Canada feels even more appealing.  Chasing adventure? Point your compass north.Here’s how to experience the best of Canada’s wild side.Each year, roughly 25,000 people make the journey from Winnipeg to Churchill, a small far-northern village on the southern shores of the Hudson Bay home to the world’s highest concentration of polar bears.

This is a unique place — residents are encouraged to never lock their doors in case a pedestrian needs to spontaneously seek shelter should a bear saunter through town — but it remains on...