Canada's parks and historic sites now on Google Street View

Hikes through spectacular national parks such as Banff and tours of historic sites such as the Viking settlement at L'anse au Meadows in Newfoundland are now available on Google Street View.

Google and Parks Canada announced today that more than 70 Parks Canada locations across the country can now be explored online.

"From planning a summer vacation to augmenting classroom lesson plans, the partnership between Parks Canada and Google will better connect Canadians to the amazing places and geography that defines this country," wrote Parks Canada's Michael White on the Google Canada blog.

The Google Maps team visited the sites this past spring and summer, collecting imagery using its Street View cars and on foot using its Trekker backpack technology.

It started with the Fortress of Louisburg National Historic Site in Nova Scotia, which was celebrating its 300th anniversary.

White saidyou can now "walk up and down the village streets, hike along trails inside and outside of the fortress walls and check out the huge battlements."

Other virtual tours take users inside the rooms and corridors of historic sites such as the Halifax Citadel and up trails showcasing the natural beauty of parks such as mountainous Yoho National Park in B.C.

Google plans to visit dozens of other Parks Canada sites and eventually include 120 of them on Google Maps. But so far, you can explore:

• Fort Langley National Historic Site.
• Thousand Islands National Park.
• Signal Hill National Historic Site.
• Bellevue House National Historic Site.
• Woodside National Historic Site.
• Fortifications of Qubec National Historic Site.
• Rideau Canal National Historic Site.
• Halifax Citadel National Historic Site.
• Merrickville Lockstation.
• HMCS Haida National Historic Site.
• Fort Walsh National Historic Site.
• Province House National Historic Site.
• Carriage Shed.
• Glacier National Park.
• Skyline Trail.
• Prince Albert National Park.
• Ardgowan National Historic Site.
• L.M. Montgomery's Cavendish National Historic Site.
• Fort Battleford National Historic Site.
• Redoute Dauphine.
• York Redoubt National Historic Site.
• Mount Revelstoke.
• Morraine Lake.
• Johnston Canyon.
• The Forks.
• Red Rock Canyon Trailhead.
• Fort Wellington National Historic Site.
• Waterton Lakes National Park.
• Emerald Lake.
• Bow Lake.
• Green Gables Heritage Place.
• Black Rapids Lockstation.
• Grasslands National Park.
• Fort Rodd Hill National Historic Site.
• Cape Spear.
• Jeremys Bay.
• Port-la-JoyeFort Amherst National Historic Site.
• Ottawa Lockstation.
• Hawthorne Cottage National Historic Site.
• Gros Morne National Park.
• Lake Louise.
• Kingston Mills Lockstation.
• Arsenal Foundarie.
• Kejimkujik National Park and National Historic Site.
• Montmorency Park National Historic Site.
• Cave and Basin.
• Gulf Islands National Park.
• Yoho National Park.
• Kejimkujik Dark Sky Preserve.
• Castle Hill National Historic Site.
• Ramparts of Quebec City.
• Hogs Back Lockstation.
• Grand Pre National Historic Site.
• Batoche National Historic Site.
• Cape Breton Highlands National Park.
• Cabot Tower.
• Hartwell's Lockstation.
• Monument-Lefebvre National Historic Site.
• L'Anse aux Meadows National Historic Site.
• Fortress of Louisbourg National Historic Site.
• Jakes Landing.
• Meadows in the Sky Parkway.
• Banff National Park.
• Gulf of Georgia Cannery National Historic Site.
• Kootenay National Park.
• Riding Mountain National Park.
• Elk Island National Park.
• Dalvay-by-the-Sea National Historic Site.
• Carleton Martello Tower National Historic Site.
• Riel House National Historic Site.
• St Andrews Rectory National Historic Site.
• Prince Edward Island National Park.
• Alexander Graham Bell National Historic.
• Officers Quarters.
• Lvis Forts National Historic Site.
• Terrasse Dufferin.
• Artillery Park.
• Fisgard Lighthouse National Historic Site.
• Cartier-Brbeuf National Historic Site.
• Promenade des Gouverneurs.
• Fort Anne National Historic Site.
• Jones Falls Lockstation.
• Balsam Lake.
• La Mauricie National Park.
• Giant Cedars Boardwalk Trail.
• Skunk Cabbage Boardwalk.