The best motorcycle roads in Canada

Canada is huge, and most of it is a long way between good bends. But three roads, one on the Atlantic and two in the west, are worth planning a holiday around.

At a glance

The Cabot Trail

The Cabot Trail loops around the northern tip of Cape Breton Island, through Cape Breton Highlands National Park. On the west side it climbs headlands high above the Gulf of St. Lawrence, then drops into fishing villages. The climbs over French Mountain, MacKenzie Mountain and North Mountain are the best of it.

Start in Baddeck, ride through the Acadian village of Chéticamp, round the top through Pleasant Bay, and down the east side to Ingonish.

Tips: riders argue about direction. Anticlockwise, from Baddeck towards Ingonish, puts you on the ocean side of the road along the west coast cliffs. You need a Parks Canada pass to stop in the national park section. Watch for moose, especially at dawn and dusk.

The Sea-to-Sky Highway

Highway 99 leaves Vancouver at Horseshoe Bay and follows the shore of Howe Sound, a fjord with mountains dropping straight into the sea, to Squamish. Then it climbs inland past the granite face of the Stawamus Chief and Shannon Falls to Whistler. The road is wide, well-surfaced and full of sweeping bends.

Tips: it's busy, especially at weekends, and police are common. Ride it early on a weekday. If you want quieter and twistier, carry on past Whistler to Pemberton and over the Duffey Lake Road to Lillooet, then loop back through the Fraser Canyon.

The Icefields Parkway

Highway 93 North runs from Lake Louise to Jasper through Banff and Jasper National Parks, along a valley lined with glaciers and peaks. It isn't twisty. It's on this list for the scenery, which is among the best of any road in the world.

Stop at Bow Lake, at the viewpoint over Peyto Lake, and at the Columbia Icefield, where the Athabasca Glacier comes down close to the road. Near Jasper, Athabasca Falls and Sunwapta Falls are short walks from the car parks.

Tips: there's very little fuel on the parkway and almost no mobile signal. Fill up in Lake Louise or Jasper, and plan for that. You need a Parks Canada pass. Bears, elk and bighorn sheep are often on or beside the road: slow down, stay on the bike and never feed them.

Good to know

• Parks Canada pass. Needed to stop in the national park on the Cabot Trail, and to ride the Icefields Parkway at all. Check the current fees and buy it before you go.
• Wildlife. Moose in the east, bears, elk and sheep in the west. Dawn and dusk are the riskiest times.
• Distances. Fuel stops can be far apart outside towns. Fill up when you can.
• Weather in the mountains changes fast, and it can snow at height even in summer. Pack warm, waterproof layers.
• Rules differ by province. Check the current helmet, insurance and licence rules for each province you'll ride in.

Season

June to September is the season. The Icefields Parkway is open all year, but outside summer it has snow and ice. The Cabot Trail is at its best in late September and early October, when the leaves turn, if the weather holds. July and August are the busiest months on all three roads.

Ride them with others

Find group rides in Canada in MotoBFF, or post your own and meet riders at the start. Use Find me a route for a loop from wherever you're staying, and see the best motorcycle roads in the USA if you're crossing the border.