Canadian lakeside and river towns off the beaten path.
Less-touristed lakeside and river towns in Canada, for travelers seeking fewer crowds but all the beauty.
Dawson City's frontier-era boardwalks and a vintage sternwheeler frozen in time at the confluence of the Yukon and Klondike rivers set the tone for what this list delivers across Canada: 132 towns where water shaped everything. From Kaslo's silver-boom streetscapes on Kootenay Lake to Kamloops at the fork of the Thompson Rivers — birthplace of freeride mountain biking — to Merritt's bronze-lined streets where the Nicola and Coldwater meet, each place here grew around its water and stayed.
Kaslo
Photogenic village on the west shore of Kootenay Lake in southeastern British Columbia, Kaslo has a small but real café and restaurant scene for its size.
Revelstoke
This compact city in southeastern British Columbia where the Columbia River meets the Illecillewaet, Revelstoke sits at the foot of the Selkirk Mountains wit…
Nelson
This photogenic little city on the western arm of Kootenay Lake in British Columbia's Selkirk Mountains, Nelson has a café and restaurant scene that punches…
Chase
Sitting at the outlet of Little Shuswap Lake where it becomes the South Thompson River, Chase is a compact village in British Columbia's Interior with mounta…
Dawson City
Dawson City, at the confluence of the Yukon and Klondike rivers in Canada's Yukon territory, is defined by its role in the Klondike Gold Rush of 1896–1899, w…
Kamloops
Sitting at the confluence of the North and South Thompson Rivers in south-central British Columbia, Kamloops is a city with a walkable, café-lined centre, sc…
Merritt
Officially designated Canada's Country Music Capital, Merritt is a small city in British Columbia's Nicola Valley where the Nicola and Coldwater rivers meet.
New Denver
This small village on the east shore of Slocan Lake in British Columbia's West Kootenay region sits where Carpenter Creek meets the lake, with mountain backd…
Penticton
Sitting between two lakes in British Columbia's Okanagan Valley, Penticton is a photogenic town with a walkable centre full of cafés and restaurants and easy…
Kelowna
This walkable city on the shores of Okanagan Lake in southern British Columbia, Kelowna sits at the heart of BC's wine country and draws visitors with a live…
Sainte-Anne-de-la-Perade
Every winter, a temporary village of fishing huts rises on the frozen Sainte-Anne River at this compact Quebec municipality, which calls itself the world cap…
Oliver
Billed as the Wine Capital of Canada by Tourism British Columbia, Oliver is a small town near the south end of British Columbia's Okanagan Valley, sitting al…
Salmon Arm
Salmon Arm sits on the shores of Shuswap Lake in British Columbia's Southern Interior, home to the longest wooden freshwater wharf in North America.
Nakusp
Tiny village on the shore of Upper Arrow Lake in British Columbia's West Kootenay region, Nakusp sits between the Selkirk and Monashee mountain ranges and is…
Ainsworth Hot Springs
Founded in 1883 by steamboat operator George Ainsworth, this little historic village on the shore of Kootenay Lake in British Columbia draws visitors to its…
Grand Forks
A small British Columbia town where the Granby and Kettle Rivers meet, Grand Forks sits in mountain terrain just north of the Canada–United States border in…
Bridgewater
This pocket-sized Nova Scotia town sits at the navigable limit of the LaHave River on Nova Scotia's South Shore, with a café and restaurant scene that is unu…
Chambord
Val-Jalbert, a historic village within Chambord's municipal boundaries, is the main draw to this tiny Quebec community on the shores of Lac-Saint-Jean, in th…
McBride
A compact village in British Columbia's Robson Valley, McBride sits alongside the river with the Rocky Mountains and Cariboo Ranges rising on either side.
Eganville
Billed as the Ordovician Fossil Capital of Canada, this small Ontario village sits in a deep limestone valley carved by the Bonnechere River, where fossils s…
Shawinigan
Birthplace of former Prime Minister Jean Chrétien, Shawinigan is a Quebec city on the Saint-Maurice River in the Mauricie region, with a compact centre of ca…
Saint-Adolphe-d'Howard
This lake-country municipality in Quebec's Laurentian Mountains, Saint-Adolphe-d'Howard sits on the shores of Lake Saint-Joseph and counts close to seventy l…
New Westminster
British Columbia's first mainland capital, founded in 1858 on the banks of the Fraser River, New Westminster retains a concentration of Victorian-era buildin…
Slocan
A small waterfront hamlet in British Columbia's West Kootenay region, Slocan sits at the foot of Slocan Lake where Springer Creek meets the water, with mount…
Stratford
Named after Stratford-upon-Avon and home to the Stratford Festival — a major theatre event running Shakespearean plays and other genres from May to October —…
Kingston
Nicknamed the "Limestone City" for its many heritage buildings constructed from local limestone, Kingston sits where Lake Ontario meets the St.
Naramata
Small wine-country village on the eastern shore of Okanagan Lake in south-central British Columbia, Naramata is known for its high concentration of wineries…
Red Deer
This mid-sized Alberta city on the Red Deer River, roughly halfway between Calgary and Edmonton, with a walkable centre offering a solid range of cafés and r…
Compton
This weathered wooden covered bridge spans a rocky river in this little Quebec municipality, set amid bare-treed upland country in the Estrie region, offerin…
Huntsville
Walkable town in Ontario's Muskoka District with a centre full of cafés and restaurants, Huntsville sits amid the lakes and hilly terrain of the Canadian Shi…
Princeton
A modest town in southern British Columbia where the Tulameen meets the Similkameen River, Princeton sits at the edge of the Cascade Mountains and is unusual…
Haliburton
A cottage-country destination in Central Ontario, Haliburton County is known for its lake scenery, resident artists, and a modest central core with cafés and…
Cowansville
A compact Quebec town built around Lac Davignon, Cowansville sits in the Eastern Townships region of south-central Quebec, with a central core of cafés and r…
Terrace
Regional hub in British Columbia's Skeena valley where the Kitsumkalum River meets the Skeena, Terrace sits close to mountains with cafés and restaurants con…
Keremeos
Keremeos, a tiny village in British Columbia's Similkameen region, calls itself the fruit stand capital of Canada — roadside stands selling soft fruits, cher…
Cobourg
A lakeside town on the north shore of Lake Ontario in southern Ontario, Cobourg has a walkable centre with cafés and restaurants and sits roughly midway betw…
Saint-Narcisse
This small parish village on the north shore of the St.
Queenston
Queenston, in Ontario's Niagara wine country, sits where the Niagara River meets the Niagara Escarpment — the geological point from which the falls began car…
Lacolle
Compact Quebec village on the Richelieu River, Lacolle offers several kilometres of riverfront that have made water-based activities the backbone of its loca…
Portneuf
This tiny St.
Sherbrooke
City in southern Quebec at the confluence of the Saint-François and Magog rivers, Sherbrooke sits at the centre of a region ringed by mountains, lakes, and s…
Schreiber
This little township on the northernmost shore of Lake Superior in Ontario, Schreiber sits in mountain terrain along Highway 17 with direct water access and…
Champlain
This St.
Lac-Sergent
This small Quebec village wraps around Sergent Lake in the Portneuf Regional County Municipality, a short drive northwest of Quebec City.
Brantford
Brantford, a city on the Grand River in Southwestern Ontario, is known as "The Telephone City" — Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone here and made t…
Sioux Lookout
A gateway town in Northwestern Ontario known as the "Hub of the North," Sioux Lookout draws summer visitors to an extensive lake and river system fed by the…
Edmundston
Edmundston, a compact city in northern New Brunswick on the Saint John River, is the second-largest majority-francophone city in Canada outside Quebec — a di…
Lac-des-Plages
This tiny Quebec municipality in the Outaouais region takes its name from Lac des Plages — "Lake of Beaches" — a freshwater lake that draws summer visitors t…
Field
Small hamlet in Yoho National Park in southeastern British Columbia, Field sits in the Kicking Horse River valley along the Trans-Canada Highway and serves a…
La Macaza
Compact municipality in Quebec's Laurentian Mountains with lakes, beaches, and direct water access throughout.
Moose Jaw
A city in south-central Saskatchewan known for its geothermal spa, casino, and the underground Tunnels of Moose Jaw — a network linked in local lore to Prohi…
L'Ascension
A little municipality in Quebec's Laurentides region, L'Ascension sits on the Rouge River in the valley known as La Vallée de la Rouge, with mountain views i…
Les Eboulements
Member of the Association of Most Beautiful Villages of Quebec, Les Éboulements is a municipality in the Charlevoix region made up of several villages and ha…
Kirkland Lake
Built on gold mining and hockey, Kirkland Lake is a small town in Northeastern Ontario's Timiskaming District with an outsized place in Canadian sports histo…
Rivière-du-Loup
A town on the south shore of the Saint Lawrence River in Quebec's Bas-Saint-Laurent region, Rivière-du-Loup offers whale watching tours on the river, a compa…
Simcoe
The county seat of Norfolk County in southwestern Ontario, Simcoe is a pocket-sized town near Lake Erie with a central core of cafés and restaurants and an u…
Gananoque
Gateway to the Thousand Islands in the St.
St. Stephen
This tiny town in Charlotte County, New Brunswick, St.
Battleford
A compact Saskatchewan town on the North Saskatchewan River, Battleford anchors its compact downtown with a striking red-brick clock-tower post office and si…
New Hamburg
A compact Ontario town in the township of Wilmot where the Nith River winds through a downtown designated as a Heritage Conservation District, with cafés and…
St. Albert
A walkable suburban city on the Sturgeon River in Alberta, St.
Pembroke
A tiny city on the Ottawa River in Eastern Ontario, where the Muskrat River meets the Ottawa, Pembroke has a café and restaurant scene and a concentration of…
Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu
Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu sits on both banks of the Richelieu River in southwestern Quebec, a short drive southeast of Montreal, and hosts the annual Internat…
Prince Albert
Sitting on the banks of the North Saskatchewan River, Prince Albert is a city in central Saskatchewan known as the "Gateway to the North" — the northernmost…
Lindsay
A pocket-sized Ontario city on the Scugog River, Lindsay sits along the Trent-Severn Waterway — the canal system linking central Ontario to Lake Ontario and…
Rapide-Danseur
This tiny municipality in northwestern Quebec takes its name from a waterfall on the Duparquet River, between Lake Duparquet and Lake Abitibi, where Indigeno…
Bathurst
A small city on the water in northern New Brunswick, Bathurst sits at the mouth of the Nepisiguit River where it meets Chaleur Bay, with a central core that…
Saint-Aime-des-Lacs
A lakeside municipality in Quebec's Charlevoix-Est region, Saint-Aimé-des-Lacs sits among mountains formed by an ancient meteorite impact and draws visitors…
Woodstock
Known as the Dairy Capital of Canada, Woodstock is a small city in Southwestern Ontario at the head of the Thames River, with a walkable centre and many hist…
Macamic
This little town on the shores of Lake Macamic in northwestern Quebec's Abitibi-Ouest region, with the lake forming the backdrop to the town centre.
Winnipeg Beach
Modest lakeside resort town on the southwestern shore of Lake Winnipeg, Winnipeg Beach sits in Manitoba's Interlake region, founded in 1900 by Sir William Wh…
Vernon
This lakeside city in British Columbia's Okanagan Valley, Vernon sits on the shores of Okanagan Lake with a walkable centre full of cafés and restaurants and…
High River
This small Alberta town south of Calgary where the Highwood River runs through the centre, High River has a café and restaurant scene that punches above its…
Saint-Hilaire
A South Shore suburb of Montreal on the Richelieu River, Mont-Saint-Hilaire draws visitors with a mix of agrotourism — orchards, a vineyard, a cider house, a…
Brockville
A walkable city on the St.
L'Assomption
Town on the L'Assomption River in southwestern Quebec, this Montreal suburb serves as the regional seat for the surrounding agricultural plains and acts as t…
Leamington
A town on the southern shore of Lake Erie in Ontario, Leamington is home to Point Pelee National Park, the southernmost point of mainland Canada, and has lon…
Kincardine
This pocket-sized Ontario town on the shore of Lake Huron with a café and restaurant scene that punches above its size, Kincardine sits in Bruce County and h…
Williams Lake
Home to the Williams Lake Stampede, the second largest professional rodeo in Canada after the Calgary Stampede, this small city in British Columbia's Cariboo…
Dresden
Dresden, a small community on the Sydenham River in southwestern Ontario, is best known as the home of Josiah Henson — the African-Canadian abolitionist and…
L'Orignal
A small Franco-Ontarian village on the Ottawa River in eastern Ontario, L'Orignal takes its name from Pointe à l'Orignal — "Moose Point" in French — the spot…
Coaticook
Compact town in Quebec's Eastern Townships, Coaticook sits on the Coaticook River — a name of Abenaki origin meaning "where the river is bordered by white pi…
Saint-Roch-de-l'Achigan
A pocket-sized Quebec town on the Achigan River, where a grand three-storey stone manor with a cross-topped spire and white-trimmed verandas anchors a low-ke…
Chicoutimi
A walkable waterfront borough at the confluence of the Saguenay and Chicoutimi rivers, Chicoutimi is the commercial and cultural heart of Quebec's Saguenay–L…
Sainte-Agathe-des-Monts
This tiny mountain town in Quebec's Laurentian range, Sainte-Agathe-des-Monts sits on the shores of Lac des Sables and has a central core with cafés and rest…
Thorold Park
This Ontario city on the Niagara Escarpment is defined by the Welland Canal, which runs through its centre and includes Lock 7 and the Twin Flight Locks — of…
Sainte-Anne-du-Lac
A small lakeside village at the northern end of Quebec's Laurentides region, Sainte-Anne-du-Lac sits on the south shore of Lake Tapani where Route 309 termin…
Kingsville
Canada's southernmost town, Kingsville sits on the Lake Erie shoreline in Essex County, Ontario, with vineyards in the surrounding countryside and a small ce…
Port Perry
A pocket-sized Ontario town on the shore of Lake Scugog — one of the province's largest man-made lakes — Port Perry sits northeast of Toronto and offers a ca…
Port Stanley
This pocket-sized Lake Erie village in Ontario with a real café and restaurant scene for its size, Port Stanley sits at the mouth of Kettle Creek on the nort…
Fergus
A walkable Ontario town on the Grand River, Fergus is the largest community in Centre Wellington, Wellington County, a short drive north of Guelph.
Saint-Joseph-de-Sorel
This little Quebec town on the water where the Saint Lawrence and Richelieu rivers converge, Saint-Joseph-de-Sorel faces the Archipelago of Lac Saint-Pierre…
Paris
Sitting at the confluence of the Nith and Grand rivers in Ontario's Brant County, this pocket-sized Canadian town has a walkable central core with cafés, res…
Perth
A compact Eastern Ontario town where a main street of well-preserved limestone commercial buildings lines up alongside the Tay River, with a café and dining…
Saint-Roch-de-Richelieu
This small municipality on the west bank of the Richelieu River in Quebec's Montérégie region, Saint-Roch-de-Richelieu is oriented around recreational boatin…
Merrickville
Merrickville, in Eastern Ontario, sits on both shores of the Rideau River where a set of three canal locks — part of the UNESCO-listed Rideau Canal — forms t…
Gravenhurst
This modest Ontario town on the shores of Lake Muskoka, Gravenhurst has a compact central core with cafés and restaurants sitting right at the water's edge,…
Enderby
This pocket-sized city in British Columbia's North Okanagan, Enderby sits along the Shuswap River with mountain views and several lakes nearby, including Gar…
Lac-Bouchette
Home to the Ermitage Saint-Antoine, one of Quebec's four national pilgrimage sites, Lac-Bouchette is a tiny lakeside village in the Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean r…
Canal Flats
Sitting between the southern end of Columbia Lake — the headwaters of the Columbia River — and the Kootenay River, Canal Flats is a modest village in British…
Sault Ste. Marie
The Sault Ste.
Saint-Luc-de-Vincennes
This compact municipality on the north shore of the St.
Kitwanga
Tiny hamlet in west-central British Columbia where the Kitwanga River meets the Skeena, Gitwangak (also known as Kitwanga) sits on the north shore of the Ske…
Perth-Andover
This tiny village on the Saint John River in New Brunswick's Victoria County, Perth-Andover has several historic churches for its size and sits within sight…
Saint-Emile-de-Suffolk
Modest village in Quebec's Outaouais region, Saint-Émile-de-Suffolk sits among numerous lakes that draw cottage visitors for hunting and fishing.
Lotbiniere
This modest Quebec village on the south shore of the Saint Lawrence River is a member of the Most Beautiful Villages of Quebec network, with views across the…
Lac-au-Saumon
A small village in Quebec's Matapédia Valley, Lac-au-Saumon sits on the shores of the lake that shares its name — an expansion of the Matapédia River.
Hartland
Long covered wooden bridge carries the road across a frozen river into this tiny New Brunswick town, where snow-dusted heritage houses and church steeples li…
Rocky Mountain House
A compact town in west-central Alberta where the Clearwater and North Saskatchewan Rivers meet, Rocky Mountain House sits at the junction of the Cowboy Trail…
Mattawa
At the confluence of the Mattawa and Ottawa Rivers in northeastern Ontario, this small town sits where the waters meet — a name that reflects its Ojibwe orig…
Saint-Antoine-sur-Richelieu
Birthplace of George-Étienne Cartier, one of the Fathers of Confederation, this small riverside municipality in Quebec's La Vallée-du-Richelieu sits along th…
Brandon
Known as The Wheat City, Brandon is Manitoba's second-largest city, sitting on the banks of the Assiniboine River in western Canada.
Cambridge
This city in Ontario's Regional Municipality of Waterloo, Cambridge sits at the confluence of the Grand and Speed rivers and forms one of three core cities i…
Carleton Place
Small Ontario town on Canada's Mississippi River, Carleton Place sits about an hour's drive west of Ottawa with a walkable central core of cafés and restaura…
Saint-Cyrille-de-Wendover
Compact Quebec village alongside a river in Centre-du-Québec's agricultural countryside, anchored by a striking grey-stone church with multiple white-trimmed…
Cambridge-Narrows
A small village on Washademoak Lake — a navigable tributary of the Saint John River — in Queens County, New Brunswick, now part of the municipality of Arcadia.
Niagara-on-the-Lake
Ontario's first capital under the name Newark, Niagara-on-the-Lake sits where the Niagara River meets Lake Ontario, across the water from New York State.
Smiths Falls
Small town in Eastern Ontario where the Rideau Canal — a UNESCO World Heritage waterway — passes through the centre, with four locks lifting boats across a c…
Bruce Mines
A small town on the north shore of Lake Huron in Ontario's Algoma District, Bruce Mines sits directly on the water along Highway 17 in Northern Ontario's Nea…
Sussex
A tiny town in Kings County, New Brunswick, straddling the Kennebecasis River between Saint John, Moncton, and Fredericton, Sussex is best known as the home…
Baddeck
Tiny village on the shore of Bras d'Or Lake in Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, Baddeck holds the Alexander Graham Bell National Historic Site alongside a ha…
Stoney Creek
A lakeside Hamilton community on Lake Ontario's south shore, Stoney Creek draws visitors to its waterfront setting, walkable café-lined centre, and a strikin…
Port Dover
A Lake Erie beach town in Norfolk County, Ontario, best known for its recurring Friday the 13th motorcycle rally, which draws thousands of riders to the wate…
Riverside-Albert
This little hamlet on the Shepody River in New Brunswick, Riverside-Albert sits roughly halfway between Fundy National Park and the Hopewell Rocks, making it…
Welland
A waterfront city in Ontario's Niagara Region, Welland is built around the historic Welland Canal, which connects Lake Erie and Lake Ontario and shaped the c…
Killarney
A pocket-sized agricultural community in southwestern Manitoba built around a lake that sits within the village itself, Killarney lies in the Turtle Mountain…
St-Pierre-Jolys
A compact Canadian village set right at the water's edge, St-Pierre-Jolys offers a quiet lakeside atmosphere with a genuine rural Manitoba character worth a…
New Hazelton
A small village in northern British Columbia where the Skeena River sets the scene, with upland country close by and scenic viewpoints drawing independent tr…
Lake Cowichan
A little Vancouver Island town sitting directly on its namesake lake, with easy access to upland wilderness and a modest central core of cafés and restaurant…
Hebbville
A small Nova Scotia village sitting right at the water's edge, Hebbville offers a quiet lakeside setting within easy reach of upland countryside and the wide…
Val-Brillant
Tiny riverside village in Quebec's rural interior, Val-Brillant sits directly on the water's edge, offering a quiet, unhurried base for those drawn to the ca…
Falcon Lake
Pocket-sized lakeside destination in Canada with direct water access, Falcon Lake draws independent travellers seeking a straightforward escape into calm, op…