8 Hut-to-Hut Hiking Trails to Canada's Mountains and Coasts

Sandy path through green bushes leading to beach (L); white lighthouse with red top (R) — The 435-mile Island Walk circles Prince Edward Island, revealing beaches, lighthouses, and more.

This article is part of a series celebrating communities, culture, traditions, and adventure throughout Canada. We’re spotlighting exciting people and places across the country’s provinces, from British Columbia in the west to Newfoundland and Labrador in the east. Read more stories at afar.com/canada.

Shells and shards of sea glass glitter across the red-sand beach like a jewel-encrusted mantle. I tread the shoreline, watched by the dark, wet eyes of harbor seals bobbing in the ocean, a lighthouse standing sentinel in the distance ahead. It’s a scene anyone who lives on Prince Edward Island would be familiar with, and it captures the maritime beauty that draws travelers to Canada’s smallest province.

I’m on P.E.I. to hike a four-day section of the Island Walk, a 435-mile trail around the island’s perimeter punctuated by historic inns and family-run bed-and-breakfasts. While trekkers might associate Canada with backpacking routes that require pitching a tent, such as Vancouver Island’s West Coast Trail, hut-to-hut and inn-to-inn hikes like the Island Walk offer a more comfortable way to explore. They also help support communities when hikers stay at locally owned properties. As Bill Kendrick, founder of Go For a Walk PEI, points out, “The Island Walk weaves through areas that don’t traditionally see a lot of tourism.”

Whether you’re seeking small-town charm or a remote wilderness experience, here are eight of the best treks in the country where you can stop along the way at small inns or rustic huts.

Hut with stairs at entry and peaked green roof on mountain overlooking valley — The mountaintop Tin Hat Hut sits at roughly the midpoint of British Columbia’s 112-mile Sunshine Coast Trail.

1. Sunshine Coast Trail, British Columbia

Level: Moderate to difficult
Distance: 112-mile thru-hike; 10 days
Where to stay: Backcountry huts

Threading through old-growth forest on the southwest coast of British Columbia, the Sunshine Coast Trail is Canada’s longest—and only free—hut-to-hut hike. Thru-hiking the entire trail from Sarah Point in Desolation Sound to Saltery Bay takes most people about 10 days, but there are plenty of shorter 2-to-6-day sections to choose from (Sarah Point to Powell River is popular), all of them weaving through ancient cedar forests and along rocky beaches and windswept ridges. The route is studded with 14 communal, first-come, first-served wilderness huts—tiny, peak-roofed houses that sleep between 3 to 10 people in basic but cozy sleeping lofts, with picnic tables and firepits. Hikers are required to pack their own sleeping bag, food, and cooking gear.

Rear view of three hikers crossing meadow, with snow-dusted mountain peaks in distance — The Valkyr Traverse gives hikers an up-close look at the mostly untouched Southern Selkirk Mountains.

2. Valkyr Traverse, British Columbia

Level: Moderate
Distance: 10–12 miles (plus day hikes); 7 days
Where to stay: Backcountry lodges

Deep in the Southern Selkirk Mountains, where snow-veined peaks of the Valkyr Range cast shadows over wildflower-laden meadows and glassy lakes, the week-long Valkyr Traverse (US$2,220 per person) connects three mountain lodges owned and operated by Valkyr Adventures. A helicopter transfer drops travelers at Valkyr Lodge, a cozy bunkhouse in an alpine basin at 7,250 feet. From there, they’ll hike to the other two lodges—seven miles to Hilda Hut, and another four miles to the Mount Lequereux Outpost. (The reverse route, starting at the Outpost, is also an option, as is a four-day, two-lodge trip that’s $1,640 per person.) “Before we started our business, the Valkyr Range was largely unexplored,” says Valkyr Adventures founder Shelly Glasheen. “There’s no easy access, and we always felt that B.C. needed more traverse options.” Trekkers spend two nights at each lodge, with countless day hikes to explore from each. In the evenings, fully outfitted kitchens offer hot meals (either self-prepared or catered, depending on which package you book), and saunas await to help ease sore muscles.

Three hikers in large blue ice cave — Hiking the Wapta Icefields takes trekkers through ice caves and over the Continental Divide in Banff National Park.

3. Wapta Ice Hike, Alberta

Level: Moderate
Distance: 12 miles; 3 days
Where to stay: Backcountry huts

The Wapta Icefields in Alberta’s Banff National Park are home to one of North America’s most iconic ski touring routes, the Wapta Traverse. During the summer months, the signature way to see the area is on a three-day Wapta Ice Hike (US$675). The exhilarating trek travels over the Bow and Peyto glaciers—and requires crampons, harnesses, and ropes, plus the help of an expert mountaineering guide. The route also winds through luminous blue ice caves and across forested slopes, gaining up to 1,800 feet of elevation per day. Nights are spent in two different backcountry huts, with communal sleeping areas and basic supplies, although hikers will want to spend as much time as possible outside, stargazing under the brilliant night sky.

Long and high wooden pedestrian bridge with green trees on either side — The Menesetung Bridge in Goderich, Ontario, is one of many scenic spans on the G2G trail.

4. Goderich to Guelph Rail Trail, Ontario

Level: Easy
Distance: 82-mile thru-hike; 7 days
Where to stay: Inns and bed-and-breakfasts

Running from the southeast shore of Lake Huron to the city of Guelph in Ontario, the Goderich to Guelph Rail Trail, or G2G, is a historic path that follows an abandoned 1907 railway line. The route is part of the Trans Canada Trail and runs through 13 different communities, including the bucolic small towns of Blyth, St. Jacobs, and Listowel. Contemporary cabins, historic inns, and apartment rentals right along the trail offer peaceful places to rest and can be booked independently. The terrain is mostly flat (sunbaked farmland, green woods, old bridges) with easy walking and abundant birding opportunities, so listen for the songs of Acadian flycatchers and cerulean warblers. Be sure to stop at one of the farms and bakeries along the way, such as Anna Mae’s, for a taste of southwestern Ontario’s Mennonite culture.

River valley lined with bright orange and yellow fall foliage — The St. Lawrence River cuts through Charlevoix, which is known for its spectacular fall foliage.

5. Charlevoix Traverse, Québec

Level: Moderate to difficult
Distance: 65-mile thru-hike; 7 days
Where to stay: Backcountry huts

The landscape of Charlevoix, Québec, an hour’s drive northeast from Québec City, was sculpted by a massive meteorite impact 450 million years ago. Two national parks, a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, and swaths of mountains and boreal forest make the region a dream for hikers, particularly those who choose to do the week-long Charlevoix Traverse. The trail is challenging, with a total elevation gain of nearly 11,000 feet, but the rewards include bridge crossings, mirrored blue lakes, rocky summits with views of rounded mountains and the St. Lawrence River, and dense woods that are truly spectacular when the foliage peaks in autumn. (A three-to-four-day half-crossing is also an option.) The seven huts along the route have sleeping lofts and basic kitchen facilities, must be booked in advance, and cost $30 per person.

Natural stone bridge among evergreens frames window to choppy sea — The East Coast Trail offers stunning seaside views, including a look at the Atlantic through the Berry Head Arch.

6. East Coast Trail, Newfoundland and Labrador

Level: Moderate to difficult
Distance: 208-mile thru-hike; 16 days
Where to stay: Inns, bed-and-breakfasts, cottages

This trail snakes along North America’s easternmost coastline, in Newfoundland and Labrador, for 208 miles. The route connects 25 different footpaths (which can also be hiked in sections) with up to 500 feet of daily elevation gain, and winds through 30 historic communities, offering both dynamic scenery and comfortable inns—such as Belle Maison or Cliff’s Edge Retreat—B&Bs, and seaside cottages. While trekking along craggy headlands, emerald bays, and deep fjords, hikers may spy whales, icebergs, and the world’s southernmost caribou herd. Breaks in small towns are set to the soundtrack of Celtic music drifting out from hotels and restaurants, and travelers can also learn about local crafts through the workshops offered at Food Culture Place. The route passes two archaeological sites: UNESCO-designated Mistaken Point Ecological Reserve is home to some of the oldest fossils on Earth, dating to the Ediacaran Period, and the Colony of Avalon is an active dig at a 17th-century English colonial settlement.

Jagged rock formations beside ocean, with pine trees on bluffs at left distance — The Cape Chignecto Coastal Loop travels along the Bay of Fundy, where the tides can rise and fall more than 50 feet, creating fascinating rock formations.

7. Cape Chignecto Coastal Loop, Nova Scotia

Level: Difficult
Distance: 32-mile loop; 3 days
Where to stay: Backcountry cabins

Located within Cape Chignecto Provincial Park, this 32-mile hike takes travelers through some of Nova Scotia’s most spectacular scenery. Hikers follow a trail that winds along quiet coves and the vertiginous cliffs of the Bay of Fundy, which has the world’s highest tides. Before setting out, spend a night at the Wild Caraway Restaurant & Rooms in Advocate Harbour, which serves a five-course dinner that’s one of the best in the province, featuring dishes such as local flounder in elderflower beurre blanc. Once on the trail, there’s a bunkhouse in Eatonville and cabins in Big Bald Rock, Carey Brook, and Arch Gulch, which can be reserved online for $40 per night. These rustic shelters have either single or double bunk beds, and hikers must bring all their own gear. Be prepared: Tides along the coast here rise and fall at a rate of one inch per minute, so a tidal chart is essential for navigating the route safely.

Green, grassy bluffs leading, with blue ocean in distance — The famous red sand dunes of Prince Edward Island are topped with a dense type of beachgrass known as marram grass.

8. The Island Walk, Prince Edward Island

Level: Easy to moderate
Distance: 435-mile thru-hike; one month
Where to stay: Inns and bed-and-breakfasts

The Island Walk takes travelers to P.E.I.’s most arresting landscapes, including grassy dunes carved by seaside breezes and red beaches fronting the ocean. The trail also acts as a Maritime cultural immersion, as it meanders through small towns, where you can refuel with a cold beer and a fresh, buttery lobster roll at lunch (Richard’s Fresh Seafood at Covehead Wharf is an institution) or peruse artisan shops and galleries, such as the Dunes Studio Gallery & Cafe in Brackley Beach. End each day at family-owned or historic properties, such as Dalvay by the Sea, an 1895 building that served as the White Sands Hotel in the Anne of Green Gables films. Tackling the full thru-hike requires about a month, but there are a wide variety of shorter multiday sections, such as a three-day hike from Brackley Beach (not far from Dalvay by the Sea) to Morell, where you can check into Mysa Nordic Spa on your last night and unwind with thermal baths and farm-to-table fare. For the most part, the terrain is gentle, following countryside dirt roads and sandy beaches.

Chloe Bergé

Chloe Bergé is a Vancouver-based journalist and writer specializing in travel, culture, conservation, and the outdoors. Her work explores the relationship between people and place, with stories that highlight adventure, sustainability, and the natural world.