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autumn in canada is more than just maple leaves.

in autumn, although it is crowded everywhere due to the mid-autumn festival and national day holidays, we still can't help but walk into the crowd. who says this season is naturally suitable for traveling?

as yu dafu said, "autumn, no matter where it is, is always good", and as for the autumn in the north, "if i could keep it, i would give up two-thirds of my life in exchange for a third of it."

i don’t have the purity and determination of yu dafu. the highest level of expression i can achieve is to exchange more than 10 hours of flight and 8,000 kilometers of rush for a unique autumn inspiration.

that’s right, my destination is in the northern country on the other side of the earth - canada.

01

this life must drive, the most relaxing

vancouver, the largest city in british columbia (hereinafter referred to as "bc"), canada, has been rated as one of the "most livable cities in the world" by the economist intelligence unit for many years in a row.

vancouver. (photo/destination vancouver/albert normandin)

because it is located on the west coast of canada, close to east asia, and has a large chinese population, vancouver has always been a preferred stopover for chinese tourists entering north america.

although the latitude is a little higher than harbin, the temperate marine climate shields the extreme cold, making vancouver warm all year round. the only regret is that autumn here only begins in october. therefore, i decided to drive further away and take a trip from the rainforest to the rockies.

yoho national park. (photo/destination bc)

there are three mainstream routes: the route starting from vancouver and heading east along trans-canada highway 1 to the canadian rockies is known as the "classic road".

the route from whistler, kamloops and other places to mount robson is known as the "wild road".

the route from crowsnest highway to fernie is known as the "winding road", a route that combines scenery, culture and food.

british columbia has a total area of ​​about 950,000 square kilometers and a population of only 5.64 million. compared with beijing, which has a total area of ​​less than 20,000 square kilometers and a population of more than 20 million, and guangzhou, which has a total area of ​​less than 10,000 square kilometers and a population of nearly 19 million, it can be said that the land is vast and the population is sparse.

therefore, the traffic volume on bc highways is not heavy, and the road conditions on most roads are good, so there is basically no threshold for self-driving.

you can choose a route, or combine the most interesting parts of different routes, or even drive in the opposite direction, or develop your own new branch line while playing. the main feature is a flexible and thrifty experience, which perfectly meets the urban people's demand for a relaxing feeling during the journey.

i like to go off the beaten path and i am also passionate about photography and outdoor activities, so i selected some highlights from the mainstream routes, combined them together, and planned to act on my own and explore some new branches along the way.

stanley park in vancouver. (photo/destination vancouver/hubert kang)

the journey starts from the sea-to-sky highway, which connects vancouver and whistler. it is part of canada highway 99, with the coast mountains on one side and the magnificent fjord on the other. it was once rated as one of the "top five land journeys in the world" by the guardian and is on the "must-drive list of this lifetime" for countless people.

sea to sky highway. (photo/destination british columbia)

starting from vancouver, you can see the temperate rainforest of stanley park and the romantic sunset of the lions gate bridge. you can pass through the fjords and coastal mountains and enjoy the magnificent scenery where the sea and sky meet. you can also park your car and go into the forest to feel the coolness of the mist under the waterfall, or experience outdoor activities such as the "sea to sky cable car" and via ferrata.

sea to sky gondola. (photo/destination bc/blake jorgenson)

in the mountains of whistler, the longest zipline in north america, with a maximum speed of 150 kilometers per hour, released my nature. although this city is famous for skiing, the autumn travel experience is no less than winter and is favored by travelers around the world.

"the autumn sun shines through sparse clouds, onto the golden and red treetops, covering the earth with a warm coat." as the zipline slowed down, i used my mobile phone to take a dynamic version of this description by novelist russell banks.

02

unmanned secret place, every inch is picturesque

as i got further and further away from human habitation, the surrounding scenery became more and more beautiful. some people say that the most beautiful scenery is in places where few people go. in british columbia, there are not only many beautiful scenery that are rarely visited, but most of them are free.

for example, the rainbow i saw at the end of highway 99 was the closest, largest, and most spectacular rainbow i have ever seen.

at that time, "the sun rises in the east and the rain falls in the west". just after leaving the mountain pass, it landed behind me. there was no one or car around, and the colorful streamers were within reach, just like a fairyland. any device can take a photo of life at this time, but none of them can fully present its beauty.

there is also a mountain hot spring located along highway 93.

on the hot springs circle route, hot spring resorts such as fairmont hot springs resort and radium hot springs have their own unique features and are very attractive.

hot spring experience facing kootenay lake. (photo/destination bc/kari medig)

the hot spring i wanted to experience was rarely visited by tourists, it was natural and free! because it was too niche, the navigation could not accurately guide me, so i relied on the guidance of the locals to find it by the river.

the layers of rocks formed a hot spring pool, where the geothermal hot springs gushed out continuously, and the cool river water flowing into the pool adjusted the temperature to just the right level. sliding into the pool, my fatigue from the long journey instantly dissipated between the valley and the snow-capped peaks.

after resting for a night nearby, i headed north to golden, then east along highway 1 to yoho national park.

yoho national park is located in the western foothills of the rocky mountains, bordering kootenay national park in the south and banff national park in alberta in the east. in the cree language, "yoho" means "awe", which shows how shocked the ancestors who named the park were by nature.

driving into the park, the sight before us proves that our ancestors were not deceiving us: nearly 30 peaks with an altitude of more than 3,000 meters are rising and falling, the takakkaw falls with a vertical drop of 373 meters roars like a beast, the emerald lake is crystal clear, and the glaciers have sealed the fossils from 500 million years ago.

yoho national park. (photo/destination bc/dave heath)

"in the northern forests, trees soar as if they want to touch the sky, and lakes are like the eyes of the earth, crystal clear." canadian writer margaret atwood's writing is a precise depiction of this scene.

west of golden, glacier national park, the birthplace of north american mountaineering, is also not to be missed.

90 glacier-capped peaks dot the park, forming a clearly layered landscape: the upper layer is snow-capped peaks, the middle layer is mountain forests, and the lower layer is lakes formed by glacial meltwater. they are inlaid between the mountains like gems, reflecting colorful light.

glacier national park. (photo/kootenay rockies tourism/mitch)

someone once described canada’s autumn like this: “as autumn deepens, maple leaves turn from green to yellow and then to deep red, like nature’s palette, and each tree becomes a colorful story.”

autumn is also the most beautiful and photogenic season in glacier national park. when the warm tones of the vegetation blend with the azure blue of the sky, the emerald green of the water, and the silvery white of the snow, a highly saturated picture emerges.

in this area, many limited edition and unique beauties can only be seen in summer and autumn. leave the car and choose a suitable hiking route according to the instructions on the sign. at an altitude of hundreds or thousands of meters, the autumn scenery like an oil painting is only for you.

03

bear sniffs puffball, everything is cute

british columbia has diverse landforms and pristine ecosystems. nearly 15% of its land is protected, including various provincial parks, national parks and unesco world heritage sites. it is one of the regions with the largest proportion of protected areas in the world and has a very high content of nature.

in the reserve, all kinds of wild animals are free and you never know when they will appear in your field of vision. in my opinion, it is these lovely creatures that make the autumn in british columbia and even canada truly worth a thousand gold.

bighorn sheep. (photo/destination bc/kari medig)

within a few kilometers of the radium hot springs resort, bighorn sheep with powerful auras often stroll on the streets. they travel in groups, not afraid of people or cars, and some of them are very camera-savvy. in kootenay national park, a young couple’s itinerary was disrupted by a deer, and i was fascinated by an encounter with a brown bear.

it was a "high altitude paradise" with capricious weather and fantastic landscapes. at dusk, a brown bear suddenly appeared on the side of the road. i turned off the engine, followed local laws and regulations, stayed in the car, and took a lot of photos with my "long gun and short gun".

when it turned around to look for dandelions to eat, my only wish was that it would turn back again. but this spiritual animal gave me a surprise: not only did it turn back, but there was also a small yellow flower in its mouth! i immediately gave up my fear of bears, and my heart was melted by its cuteness.

a black bear fishing. (photo/destination canada/momme halbe)

not only in the rocky mountains, but also in central and northern british columbia, there is an excellent place to watch bears: the great bear rainforest, the largest pristine temperate rainforest on earth.

the great bear rainforest stretches 400 kilometers from north to south, covering an area of ​​64,000 square kilometers. it is the best-preserved temperate rainforest on earth, home to north american black bears, brown bears, and the extremely rare "white spirit bear" kermode bear, which can only be seen in the great bear rainforest. from may to october, tourists can participate in the bear watching tour project and witness the "best view of bc" certified by the bbc.

the great bear rainforest "white spirit bear". (photo/destination bc/yuri choufour)

in autumn, you can take the bc ferry from north vancouver to vancouver island and see the stunning sight of the salmon migration.

goldstream provincial park is a 25-minute drive from downtown victoria, where you can see the amazing spectacle of life - salmon migration. the best time to see it is from october to december, when you can see different salmon species, including king salmon, dog salmon, silver salmon, etc.

salmon migration. (photo/@photo_niklas)

osoyoos, an important stop on the "winding road", is where i tasted canadian wine and visited the pocket desert. it is also a good place for bird watching.

in the south okanagan reserve, bobolinks, long-billed curlews, and white-headed woodpeckers fly over your head from time to time, and if you are lucky, you can also see the rare yellow-breasted starling. you can stay at the watermark beach resort and participate in an ecological bird watching tour led by scholars.

there are many bird watching spots in british columbia. (photo/bc bird trail)

not far from the reserve, penticton is home to the summer resort of skaha lake. at sunset, deer run to the shore, adding a bit of playfulness to the tranquil lake and mountain scenery.

the main route of the "from the rainforest to the rocky mountains" trip ends at vancouver or field, adjacent to alberta. the return ticket forced me to drive back to vancouver on time, but i knew deeply that there were countless magical inspirations worth exploring in canada's autumn.

04

the vast world, the boundless autumn

“as night falls, the stars shine and the northern lights dance across the sky like ghostly lights.” if you haven’t seen enough wildlife, follow in jack london’s footsteps and continue your encounters in canada’s vast wilderness.

churchill, a small town in northern manitoba, canada, is close to the arctic circle and is known as the "polar bear capital of the world". the aurora can be seen more than 300 days a year. the best time to watch polar bears is october to november.

aurora in the northwest territories. (photo/destination canada)

take a fall adventure with frontiers north adventures, spend the night in a tundra vehicle, and get a chance to hear a polar bear's "morning call."

the vast northwest territories is a great place to see reindeer, musk oxen and other arctic animals. join a wildlife viewing tour or photography tour organized by a local organization, and use accommodations such as andrew lake lodge & camps as your base camp to explore the autumn in the north with the animals!

if you haven’t had enough of the off-the-beaten-path beauty, canada has more than 40 national parks and reserves to satisfy your cravings.

in the banff national park mentioned above, glaciers, forests, rivers, valleys and clear lakes dotted around the country unfold a magnificent picture. in addition to enjoying the limited-edition autumn scenery, you can also experience a variety of land and water activities.

gros morne national park。（图/Newfoundland and Labrador Tourism）

gros morne national park in newfoundland and labrador is perhaps the closest place to "jurassic park", with 485 million years of natural creation leaving behind a breathtaking spectacle. if you are looking for autumn photography and hiking experiences, this is your dream place.

self-driving enthusiasts, are you still not satisfied after returning from the "rain forest to the rocky mountains"? in september, in the east coast province of nova scotia, the world-famous cabot trail on cape breton island has been waiting for a long time.

cabot trail. (photo/tourism nova scotia /tom cochrane)

i have experienced the stunning views of the french and mackenzie mountains and the atlantic ocean on this route, and the seafood, beer and golf experiences along the way have further enhanced the fun of the journey.

polar bears in churchill. (photo/travel manitoba)

if you go in october, you can catch the celtic colours international festival and gain musical inspiration.

in ontario, oxford county, just over an hour's drive from toronto, has a cheese trail that includes 24 stops. it must be very novel to enjoy the pastoral scenery while visiting cheese factories, local food producers, cheese museums, and experience handicraft workshops and entertainment venues.

canada's autumn is worth visiting many times. (photo/destination canada)

someone said: "autumn in canada is short, but it is so brilliant, like nature's last show before a long hibernation."

however, canada has the second largest land area in the world and spans six time zones, so autumn comes at different times in different places. if you connect the autumns in different places, it will be a long season.

if you are as curious as i am and seek relaxation, then there is no need to hesitate. an unconventional canadian autumn trip that is more than just maple leaves is definitely worth it.