Hiking used to be the cheap holiday. Not anymore, argues a recent opinion piece from Explore Magazine, which asks a pointed question: are rising costs putting the outdoors out of reach for ordinary Canadians?
The concern taps into something anyone who has planned a trip into the countryside lately will recognise. Gear prices keep climbing, fuel makes the drive to a trailhead expensive before you've laced your boots, and accommodation anywhere near a popular park can rival a city hotel. Even activities once considered free — a day walk, a weekend camp — now come stacked with park pass fees, reservation system charges and equipment you're told you need before you go.
What makes this worth attention is the knock-on effect. When the price of entry rises, the outdoors quietly becomes a hobby for people who can afford it, and everyone else stays home. That's a real loss, because time outside is one of the few reliably affordable ways to holiday well, especially in a country like Canada where some of the best experiences — alpine trails, lakes, backcountry campsites — sit on public land. If a family has to spend several hundred dollars before anyone sets foot on a path, the barrier isn't the wilderness. It's everything wrapped around it.
There's also a broader inclusivity angle here, and it's one Explore has been pressing across its recent coverage, from wheelchair-accessible trails near Vancouver to stories about who feels welcome in outdoor spaces. Cost and belonging are linked: if you already feel like the outdoors isn't for you, a high price tag confirms it.
For travellers, the practical takeaway is that a nature-based trip in Canada still can be done on a budget, but it takes more planning than it used to. Booking campsites the moment reservations open, choosing less famous parks over the marquee names, sharing fuel and gear costs with a group, and borrowing or buying second-hand equipment all close the gap. Provincial parks often cost less and see fewer crowds than the headliners, and shoulder-season trips slash both accommodation prices and competition for sites.
The bigger question the piece raises — who gets to access the outdoors — isn't going away. As demand for outdoor holidays keeps growing and supply of affordable beds, campsites and transport doesn't, expect the debate over fees, reservations and access to get louder, in Canada and well beyond it.
Story via Explore Magazine.
