In celebration of Canada's 150th birthday this year, the federal government recently announced it will be offering free passes to all national parks for 2017.  

The Discovery Pass will grant you access to all 47 national parks and over 165 national historic sites across the county.  

Chief of Media Relations for Parks Canada, Natalie Fay, said they’re encouraging people to check out some hidden gems including right here in Alberta.

“There are five national parks you can find in your province. There’s obviously Banff, Elk Island National Park, Jasper National Park, Waterton Lakes National Park and up north there’s Wood Buffalo National Park.”

There is no deadline to apply for the pass and if you're travelling in a car you only need one per vehicle.  

Despite concerns from environmentalists regarding the increase of foot traffic in the parks, Fay added there's nothing to worry about.

“We are very happy that visitation is strong. It means people are visiting and they are caring about these places and will want to see them protected for future years.  We’re very dedicated and we want to ensure the best possible experience for everybody coming to our parks. We do have tools at our disposal to manage any increase in visitation.”

However, planning ahead is very important especially for those wanting to go camping to make sure they reserve a spot well in advance.  

To apply for a pass visit the Park's Canada website.