8 best North American destinations for diverse wildlife
Gawp at grizzly bears, be awed by wolves, watch bison on the move and marvel at the wingspan of bald eagles and breaching whales. The vast and varied protected wilderness areas in the US and Canada are home to magnificent creatures – big and small. Explore with Journeyscape’s expert guides to admire them in their natural habitats, in a safe and sustainable way.
1: Yellowstone National Park
Extending across Wyoming, Montana and Idaho, Yellowstone is the oldest national park in the states. Home to bubbling mud pools, steaming hot springs and gushing geysers along with a full cast of creatures, including bears, elk and bald eagles. This preserved wilderness is the only place in the US where bison have existed since prehistoric times. Native to the Great Plains and important to indigenous cultures, bison nearly went extinct in the 1880s but now thrive on the grasslands here. Learn about the iconic national animal on Journeyscape’s Yellowstone Wildlife Adventure with expert-led expeditions to Hayden Valley among other parts of the park. Gray wolves also roam Yellowstone’s rugged ranges. The enthralling apex predators were reintroduced in the nineties after they were hunted to near extinction and there are now 10 packs.
Explore Yellowstone National Park and more on a Journeyscape holiday
2: Denali National Park
Remote, rugged and untouched, Alaska’s Denali National Park sweeps over 2.4 million hectares of protected wilderness that ranges from dense forests and tundra to snow-capped mountains – including North America’s tallest peak – and winding rivers. Denali’s diverse ecosystems are also home to an abundance of wildlife including grizzly bears, wolves, moose, caribou and Dall sheep. Increase your chances of seeing some of Alaska’s so-called ‘big five” and its other smaller (but no less enthralling) inhabitants by joining an expert guide on Journeyscape’s Wilderness and Wildlife of Alaska tour, making the most of their knowledge of the animals and habitats. The park is home to 39 species of mammals (including arctic ground squirrels, red fox and marmots), 169 species of birds (including American kestrels and golden eagles), 14 species of fish, and just one species of amphibian, the hardy wood frog.
Discover Denali National Park and more on a Journeyscape holiday
3: Everglades National Park
A 1.5 million-acre steamy subtropical wetland ecosystem in south Florida, the Everglades National Park teems with life. Most famously alligators and crocodiles lurk in its swamplands – it’s the only place in the world where the reptiles co-exist – along with turtles and many bird species. It’s also home to another stealth-like predator, the critically endangered Florida panther. Explore the UNESCO World Heritage Site and International Biosphere Reserve by vehicle, on foot or on the water, keeping a lookout for critters as you explore. The Everglades has nine distinct ecosystems including cypress and pine forests, mangroves and coastal lowlands, with beaches and islands, including the Ten Thousand Islands archipelago, where dolphins and manatees can be spotted. Experience the diversity of the park and Sunshine State in general on Journeyscape’s Miami and Florida Keys holiday.
Explore the Everglades National Park and more on a Journeyscape holiday
4: Great Smoky Mountains National Park
There is good reason this swathe of mountainous wilderness that spans North Carolina and Tennessee is the country’s most visited national park. With forested mountains, lakes, rivers and caves, wildlife abounds in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. It also has a rich history, steeped in Southern Appalachian Mountain culture. A great way to explore it is on Journeyscape’s Rhythms of the South by Motorhome trip which allows you to combine Deep South cities with natural wonders. Hike one of the many trails that thread through the biodiverse park and you’ll soon spy some of its inhabitants. Sweeping lookouts and crashing waterfalls stop hikers in their tracks, as do common sightings of the American black bear. There are around roughly 1,900 of these bears living all around the park. Follow safety advice and you can enjoy watching them in their natural habitat. Elk, coyote and white-tailed deer thrive here too, as do salamanders in the many mountain streams. In fact, the Great Smokies is considered the ‘Salamander Capital of the World’ with the hellbender species being the largest.
Have an adventure in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and more on a Journeyscape holiday
5: Great Bear Rainforest
Towering trees, fjords, islands and creatures that are found nowhere else on Earth, this 15.8-million acre coastal ecosystem on Canada’s Pacific Coast is hard to get to and all the more incredible for it. One of its many remarkable inhabitants is the elusive spirit or Kermode bear, a white furred subspecies of the black bear and the rarest bear in the world. Arrive by floatplane on Journeyscape’s Bears and Wilderness of British Columbia tour to immerse yourself in the wonders of the Great Bear Rainforest, traditional lands of Coastal First Nations. Its old-growth forests are home to grizzlies and black bears too while its waters teem with sea otters, whales and orcas. Spring and summer are a prime time for seeing bear cubs while late summer marks the annual salmon run. Journeyscape’s guided tours, many of which are led by the island’s Indigenous communities, provide insightful perspectives on the wildlife and cultural importance of the land.
Uncover the Great Bear Rainforest and more on a Journeyscape holiday
6: Churchill
Just south of the Arctic Circle in northern Manitoba, Churchill is known as the ‘Polar Bear Capital of the World’. The isolated town sits on the migratory path of these beasts with between 900 and 1,000 thought to inhabit the western Hudson Bay area. You can watch these awe-inspiring apex predators in Canada’s wild tundra landscape, safely, on specialist tours. Journeyscape’s Churchill Polar Bear Adventure takes visitors into the Churchill Wildlife Management Area on the Arctic Crawler, an all-terrain vehicle, in the autumn to view these ‘Lords of the Arctic’ up close while they wait for the winter icepack to freeze on Hudson Bay. These curious creatures have been known to go right up to peer inside the vehicle. Beluga whales also migrate through the bay. Set off on guided kayaking excursions to paddle alongside a pod of them in the Churchill River. Belugas are naturally sociable cetaceans, so you may well find a new friend or two following your kayak.
Witness polar bears in Churchill and more on a Journeyscape holiday
7: Banff National Park
Wild views, mountainous landscapes and bears aplenty are just a few reasons to visit Banff, Canada’s first and most famous national park. Swoon-worthy lookouts over the Canadian Rockies include the observation deck at the summit of Sulphur Mountain – accessed by the Banff Gondola – where you can gaze across the park’s peaks, lakes and forests. Among these lush valleys and jagged peaks roam a star-studded cast of Canadian wildlife. There are grizzly and black bears, moose, elk, wolves, cougars and lynx. The park’s rich ecosystem also includes bighorn sheep, wolverines, golden-mantled squirrels and American pine Martens. Banff also supports magnificent bird life from osprey and gold eagles to tiny hummingbirds. For the best chance of spying the park’s wild residents join a wildlife safari led by a knowledgeable guide, included on Journeyscape’s Rockies, Whales and Bears holiday.
Explore Banff National Park and more on a Journeyscape holiday
8: Saguenay–St. Lawrence Marine Park
With the longest coastline in the world, Canada has some of the world’s best whale-watching experiences. And Tadoussac in Quebec province tops them. The waters of Saguenay–St. Lawrence Marine Park, where the Saguenay River meets the maritime estuary of the St Lawrence River, are home to no less than 13 species of whale including the beluga and blue whale. Book Journeyscape’s Classic Quebec tour between May and October and your chances of seeing whale activity are especially high. Humpback whales can travel right into the depths of Saguenay Fjord from June to September while playful and intelligent orcas come here to hunt fish and krill in the summer and early autumn. You’ll also likely spot porpoises, seals, and dolphins along this stretch of Canada’s east coast. Whether you head out on a cruise on the glacier-carved fjord or stay on land (Tadoussac’s has two onshore whale viewpoints), you will be in a prime position for admiring Canada’s dazzling marine life.
Discover Saguenay−St.Lawrence Marine Park and more on a Journeyscape holiday
