National Geographic Traveler (N’Geo) magazine knows a great thing when it sees it. All-natural Canadian locations took two of the mag’s top three Destination Stewardship rankings. British Columbia’s Kootenay National Park and Yoho National Park scored 81 out of a possible 100 points—nipping at the heels of No. 1: Norway’s Fjords Region, which collected 85 points. Next up was Quebec’s Gaspé Peninsula, scoring 80 points.

Keeping it real—unspoiled environments unsullied by developed tourism—was the hallmark of the points system, and both these winners scored high on that key factor.

Of the Kootenay/Yoho National Parks, N’Geo reviewers called them “an awe-inspiring destination in summer,” and noted that the parks have remained unchanged for many years, retaining ”their environmental and socio-cultural integrity and aesthetic appeal.”

Because there aren’t many urban areas nearby, there’s less people pressure on these remarkably unspoiled twin parks. So folks who do get there find themselves surrounded by pure, unsullied nature at its finest.

Quebec’s Gaspé Peninsula got high marks for its “oceanfront, islands and inland mountains,” “excellent parks and reserves,” and “authentic Francophone” villages. Kudos went to the park system for sheltering “many of the most spectacular natural systems.”

While there’s been development in Gaspé, the N’Geo reviewers noted it’s been “largely on a human scale.” Because tourism’s seasonal, the panellists added, there’s been less pressure to develop “extensive tourism infrastructure.” That’s meant the tiny villages that dot the peninsula haven’t been peppered with broad-appeal souvenir shops and traditional tourist attractions like waterparks. Residents have kept their culture vibrant in an equally vibrant, unspoiled natural region.

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