Outdoor Adventure

Photograph mama polar bears and their little cubs sunning on icebergs around seldom-visited Baffin Island, one of the world’s largest. Arctic Kingdom’s intrepid tent camp-based spring safari gives pro and amateur photographers rare glimpses of wildlife and untamed nature in the High Arctic. At night, capture the Aurora Borealis flickering above the North Pole.

When May turns into June, it’s iceberg-watching time along Newfoundland’s northern coast. Take a guided Zodiac tour at hot spots Bonavista, Cape Spear, Twillingate and Witless Bay to see and hear the monolithic, bluish 10,000-year-old floating glacier hunks. Check Iceberg Finder to see where most have been spotted.

Climb or ski-mountaineer 19,551-foot Mt. Logan for an epic guided adventure. It is Canada’s highest peak, North America’s second tallest after Mt. McKinley and the world’s most extensive non-polar icefield. This challenging mountain in southwest Yukon is spectacular and remote — a UNESCO World Heritage Site — and spring is the time to tackle it.

Dig in to a hearty dinner of barbecued steak, garlic bread and salad over cowboy poetry, then ride Saskatchewan’s picturesque Cypress Hills near the Alberta border. Century-old, family-run Historic Reesor Ranch leads relaxed Sunset Supper Rides, ideal for adventurous couples in the quiet off-peak season. Look for newborn fawns, birds and wild orchids.

Just outside Calgary, there are scenic early-season treks to get into the mountains with panoramic views of the Rockies and sweeping Bow Valley. Layer up and tackle Heart Mountain near Canmore for its big vistas; family-friendly, wild-flower-filled Lake Minnewanka, the largest and deepest lake in Banff National Park; and the top-of-the-world Ha Ling Peak Hike.

In Canada’s North, spring is actually the best time for snow activities — with the benefit of milder temperatures. See the Aurora Borealis just outside Yellowknife, tour the snowy landscape on cross-country skis and try kite skiing on vast, reliably windy Great Slave Lake. A local guide can get you outfitted and out on the ice.