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Park Bagger
Distributed across the second-largest country in the world, the Canadian national parks can be challenging to get to. Many of them are so remote that they have no road access or infrastructure of any kind, but they are not impossible to visit. Although much of the vast Canadian wilderness is fraught with challenging terrain, unpredictable weather, and sometimes threatening wildlife, there are also pleasant beaches, waterfalls, and places to kick back and relax in. Explorer Marlis Butcher has “bagged” all of the Canadian national parks. In her quest to visit and get to know the parks, Marlis canoed, kayaked, mountain biked, backpacked, hiked, snowshoed, snorkelled, and trekked by whatever means of travel she could devise. During her park explorations she’s encountered grizzly and black bears, polar bears, wolves, and wolverines. She’s survived incredible storms, falls off mountainsides, and sinking boats. Marlis has investigated uncharted lands and travelled down quaint country roads. In Park Bagger , she shares her adventures, with the objective to encourage others to explore the national parks and to protect Canada’s vast wilderness.
- GenresNonfictionTravelCanada
448 pages, Paperback
Published April 27, 2021
9 people are currently reading
104 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
August 12, 2021
Congratulations to Marlis Butcher for having visited every National Park in Canada! That is an amazing accomplishment and I very much enjoyed reading about it.
I really liked how the book is organized by region, with an entry for every National Park. It makes it easy to reference if you just want to read about a specific park or region, though it does make some sections a little bit tedious. I honestly had no idea how many national parks Canada has in the north of the country. It makes sense because many of the parks are dedicated to the preservation of wildlife and wildlife habitat. Many of the parks are difficult to access and in some cases, Marlis is one of a very limited number of visitors. A lot of the parks aren't set up for tourism and Marlis brings a keen sense of adventure to every park she visits, many of which are not for the faint of heart!
I loved reading about these remote parks because each one was very much its own unique expedition for Marlis, with lots to write about it terms of gear, itinerary, terrain, wildlife, and activities. The many smaller parks of the provinces do start to blend together after a while though. Because of size and accessibility, her trips to many of these parks were shorter, leaving less of interest to write about, so I did find some of these sections a bit slow, but still enjoyed the opportunity to learn about every park.
Marlis is a good writer, she's not a great writer, but I don't expect her to be. The idea of this memoir is to share about her unique experience in our park system, so I never expected this to be a literary masterpiece and she does a good job. I would definitely recommend this to nature lovers and really enjoyed the experience of visiting every park in Canada through Marlis' eyes!
I really liked how the book is organized by region, with an entry for every National Park. It makes it easy to reference if you just want to read about a specific park or region, though it does make some sections a little bit tedious. I honestly had no idea how many national parks Canada has in the north of the country. It makes sense because many of the parks are dedicated to the preservation of wildlife and wildlife habitat. Many of the parks are difficult to access and in some cases, Marlis is one of a very limited number of visitors. A lot of the parks aren't set up for tourism and Marlis brings a keen sense of adventure to every park she visits, many of which are not for the faint of heart!
I loved reading about these remote parks because each one was very much its own unique expedition for Marlis, with lots to write about it terms of gear, itinerary, terrain, wildlife, and activities. The many smaller parks of the provinces do start to blend together after a while though. Because of size and accessibility, her trips to many of these parks were shorter, leaving less of interest to write about, so I did find some of these sections a bit slow, but still enjoyed the opportunity to learn about every park.
Marlis is a good writer, she's not a great writer, but I don't expect her to be. The idea of this memoir is to share about her unique experience in our park system, so I never expected this to be a literary masterpiece and she does a good job. I would definitely recommend this to nature lovers and really enjoyed the experience of visiting every park in Canada through Marlis' eyes!
December 2, 2021
Very impressive feat.
The writing in the book however is so tedious.
The writing in the book however is so tedious.
August 3, 2022
A great accomplishment but terribly uninteresting- the summary would be ‘author complains about mosquitoes in each Canadian national park’
June 25, 2021
I enjoyed reading about the more remote parks in Canada and learning how challenging it is go get to them and explore them. Butcher is quite the adventurer. The variety of activities she did within the different parks was amazing.
Just want to add an editorial note: Terry Fox did not 'walk' on his cross Canada mission.
Just want to add an editorial note: Terry Fox did not 'walk' on his cross Canada mission.
May 29, 2022
I gave this book 4 stars because for me personally, it was one of the most inspiring books I’ve ever read. I am now more determined than ever to cross more adventures off my bucket list now that I’m entering my retirement years. Not all Marlis Butcher’s experiences are my forte: such as slogging through the high arctic for 15 days carrying 25 kilos on my back or doing a wet exit in a kayak on Lake Superior BUT reading this book piqued my interest of many destinations within Canada and as I researched all the options, I realized that many exciting quests are within my reach – even at my age. (For example, there is a river rafting outfitter that does excursions in the far north that states that the average age of their clients is 57 and many are in their 80s!) This book was possible because Marlis kept a journal during all her travels; something I have come to realize is quite important to preserve the memories of the minute details, thoughts and emotions that may otherwise become lost with the passing of time. I regret that I have lapsed in the habit many years ago and have promised myself to keep a journal during every trip I go on from now on.
However, the reading becomes rather tedious in many places. I think this is because the chapters covering each park are grouped together as a region instead of being presented chronologically in the order they were visited. Many of the parks within the same region so similar that it seems like if had been to one, you’d been to them all. This book serves just as much a personal account of a lifelong ambition as it is a presentation of material designed to inspire potential park visitors. It’s a treasure trove of information with regards to history, flora and fauna of each park and region and Marlis writes from a personal perspective which I really enjoyed and felt like I could relate to.
This is just my opinion but I think as a reader I would have been drawn in even more if the book was presented entirely in chronological order: beginning with her first trips as a teenage Girl Guide, where her passion for the outdoors and learning about this country was ignited and concluding with her final trip in 2019 to Ukkusiksalik where she lost her precious hunting knife her godmother had given her for her 16th birthday, and a companion consoling her by saying this was a symbolic exchange for completion of her mission to visit all of the parks.
(I understand many people would prefer the format of the chapters being grouped together by region because it may make it easier to reference but this could be overcome by adding an index listing all the parks by region and their corresponding page numbers in the book.)
However, the reading becomes rather tedious in many places. I think this is because the chapters covering each park are grouped together as a region instead of being presented chronologically in the order they were visited. Many of the parks within the same region so similar that it seems like if had been to one, you’d been to them all. This book serves just as much a personal account of a lifelong ambition as it is a presentation of material designed to inspire potential park visitors. It’s a treasure trove of information with regards to history, flora and fauna of each park and region and Marlis writes from a personal perspective which I really enjoyed and felt like I could relate to.
This is just my opinion but I think as a reader I would have been drawn in even more if the book was presented entirely in chronological order: beginning with her first trips as a teenage Girl Guide, where her passion for the outdoors and learning about this country was ignited and concluding with her final trip in 2019 to Ukkusiksalik where she lost her precious hunting knife her godmother had given her for her 16th birthday, and a companion consoling her by saying this was a symbolic exchange for completion of her mission to visit all of the parks.
(I understand many people would prefer the format of the chapters being grouped together by region because it may make it easier to reference but this could be overcome by adding an index listing all the parks by region and their corresponding page numbers in the book.)
June 14, 2022
the perfect Canadian companion book to “Leave Only Footprints: My Acadia-to-Zion Journey Through Every National Park” by Conor Knighton
January 27, 2025
a book filled with adventures, better read slowly than fast, but a good read nonetheless. inspired me to book the trip to fundy national park that i always talk about wanting to do!
November 10, 2024
This book is BORING. PLEASE spend the time you would have taken to read it to go out hiking in nature. The author has completed an amazing feat, and I hope the concept of park bagging inspires others to get out and enjoy whatever wilderness they have access to. I was hoping this book would help highlight what makes each park so special or offer advice on how to best enjoy or access each park or teach about some of the more unique features found in each park. While it might have a little of those things sprinkled throughout, it is really a series of personal anecdotes, many of which complain about mosquitos, and are written as though you haven't read the previous chapters, so often unimportant details are repeated. I love reading and really appreciate someone trying to inspire others with their experiences but you will be better served going to the internet to learn about Canada's national parks.
October 12, 2025
I tried so hard to power through this. I’m an avid outdoors person and love our national parks. I’m a geographer who is all about place and space. I love nature writing and armchair travel books. It’s quite an accomplishment to visit every park in Canada and it seems like it’s something to write a book about. Too bad she couldn’t make it interesting.
A vignette for each park visited, arranged geographically. These essays bounce back and forth in time and are based on the author’s journal entries. They are flat and despite the author describing the beauty, wonder, and feeling of each visit the writing fails to deliver. Is it possible to write about the exciting experience of whitewater rafting and make it boring to read? Yes. A coffee table book with a paragraph per park accompanied by pictures of would have been more suitabe.
A vignette for each park visited, arranged geographically. These essays bounce back and forth in time and are based on the author’s journal entries. They are flat and despite the author describing the beauty, wonder, and feeling of each visit the writing fails to deliver. Is it possible to write about the exciting experience of whitewater rafting and make it boring to read? Yes. A coffee table book with a paragraph per park accompanied by pictures of would have been more suitabe.
May 29, 2022
Amazing accomplishment to have visited all of the national parks in Canada. This book is so inspiring and encourages the reader to get out and explore. I truly loved reading Marlis’ stories and adventures. For the first time in my life I actually want to visit the Arctic!
I found the writing tedious, as others have mentioned. Because the chapters are grouped together by region it feels repetitive. I would have preferred the book to be in chronological order to really capture the excitement of finally checking off the last park.
I found the writing tedious, as others have mentioned. Because the chapters are grouped together by region it feels repetitive. I would have preferred the book to be in chronological order to really capture the excitement of finally checking off the last park.
January 3, 2023
Amazing accomplishment to have visited each of Canada's national parks! The book is okay. I would have liked more detail about each of the parks the author visited, as opposed to writing about the mosquitoes in each park. Some of the chapters seemed pretty skimpy given the amazing opportunities in the parks. Chronological order might have been more interesting and helpful but kudos to Maris on visiting all the parks and writing a book.
August 4, 2022
Admirable accomplishment! Liked the book but would have appreciated it more if it was chronological instead of grouped by geography. And maybe a bit more info on the history and details about each park. We had a question this week at Trivia night about which province had the most national parks and I felt I should have known the answer! We did get it right, but it was more a guess.
May 28, 2021
Makes me want to travel ;-0
January 24, 2022
This book would be much more interesting if it was more about the parks than the author's particular experiences.
December 19, 2022
A simple and enjoyable read. I enjoyed reminiscing on my own experiences while reading this book.
January 8, 2024
5/5 stars to Parks Canada and to Marlis personally for making it happen. 2/5 stars to the book for redundant writing about mosquitos, and motion-sickness pills.
February 12, 2024
Had high hopes for this book but unfortunately the writing was uninspiring and repetitive.
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May 18, 2022This was a bucket list that perhaps belongs to many others. However, at my age it would be doubtful if I could ever accomplish what was done by Marlis Butcher. Having said that, I thoroughly enjoyed reading her accounts of each trip to the National Parks. Her renderings of the visual images sent me soaring... places that I have travelled, Pacific Rim, Yoho, Emerald Lake and others were recreated in her descriptions. Loved the book!
October 28, 2021
For anyone eager to learn more about the many National Parks in Canada, this book is for you. As a self-proclaimed "park bagger," although for me, it's Provincial Parks, the book inspired me to keep exploring.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews