Canada is home to a mini Iceland with breathtaking waterfalls and azure lakes

If you've ever dreamed of exploring the dramatic waterfalls, turquoise lakes and rugged landscapes of Iceland, you might not need to leave Canada to get the same kind of experience.

Tucked away in southern B.C., you can visit a sprawling wilderness filled with jaw-dropping natural scenery that feels like a mini version of Iceland.

Located in Clearwater, Wells Gray Park is a spectacular destination hidden in the Cariboo Mountains of east-central British Columbia.

B.C.'s fourth-largest provincial park, Wells Gray is known for its old-growth rainforest, alpine meadows, and many waterfalls; it offers boundless, beautiful nature in every season.

With 42 named waterfalls, expansive lakes, powerful rivers, and soaring mountain peaks, the area could easily be mistaken for the rugged waterfall-laden landscapes of Iceland, rather than a park here in the True North.

In fact, visitors often refer to the park as a miniature version of Iceland. Also known as “Canada's Waterfalls Park," Wells Gray is also home to Canada’s fourth-highest waterfall, Helmcken Falls, a cascade that's 141 metres high.

Here, you can explore an untouched, natural world with over 200 kilometres of trails, high mountain ranges, and two major lake chains.

The park offers a range of sights and activities, including hiking, canoeing and kayaking, river rafting, cycling, wildlife viewing, horseback riding, and more.

For a day-hiking trail that provides excellent examples of the park's waterfalls, visit the Mahood Lake area of the park. Here, you'll find short, easy trails to Mahood, Canim, and Deception Falls in the park. Canim, Mahood, and Deception are all less than a 30-minute walk from the road.

The Canim River Trail is also a 30-minute walk. Whale Lake also offers good fishing at the end of a 4-kilometre hiking trail, according to BC Parks.

Visit the Clearwater/Azure Marine area to find several trailheads along the shore that lead to some of the park’s lesser-known waterfalls and viewpoints.

One of the trails leads to Rainbow Falls at the east end of Azure Lake. Another, which starts at Divers Bluff Campground on Clearwater Lake, takes you to the Eagle Viewpoint, which delivers spectacular views of the park.

When the weather allows, the park also offers swimming opportunities in Mahood Lake and Murtle Lake. The shore of Mahood Lake offers the best swimming opportunities in the park, with 220 metres of swimming spots, including beaches.

Known for its beautiful sandy beaches, Murtle Lake also has some ideal swimming spots, with the shallow waters of the lake’s west arm making for some of the best swimming conditions.

You can also find swimming opportunities in the Clearwater/Azure Marine Corridor of the park -- however, most of the bodies of water you'll find here are fed by a glacier, meaning the water is very cold, year-round. If you do swim here, prepare for it to be chilly -- and stay clear of rapids.

Home to one of the most unique ecosystems in all of British Columbia, Wells Gray Park provides exceptional wildlife viewing and bird-watching opportunities.

You might spot black bears in the spring, Chinook salmon during the autumn, and wolves and moose in winter.

The park is a bit of a road trip from Vancouver, with a drive of just under 5 hours. If you’re planning a drive from Vancouver to the Rocky Mountains and Jasper National Park, Wells Gray is also an easy detour on the route.

Home to more than 40 waterfalls, azure lakes and volcano-borne wilderness, the park is like a little taste of the rugged wilderness of Iceland, right here in Canada.

Before you get going, check out our Responsible Travel Guide so you can be informed, be safe, be smart, and most of all, be respectful on your adventure.