toronto cn tower

Two Ontario towers were just named some of the best viewpoints in the world

It's no secret that Toronto is home to a slew of dazzling attractions, from the Royal Ontario Museum to Casa Loma and St. Lawrence Market, giving tourists plenty of options when it comes to exploring the city. 

Any top Toronto attractions list would be incomplete without mention of the CN Tower, which, according to a new study, was ranked one of the best viewpoints for visibility in the world. 

U.K.-based hotel company Premier Inn recently analyzed nearly 100 locations around the world and combined it with data on average cloud cover to create a visibility score. 

The study aims to help tourists skirt feelings of disappointment after finally reaching an international viewpoint only to find it completely blocked by clouds or fog. 

According to the study, British Columbia's Grouse Mountain is the number one viewpoint in the world that is most likely to have a clear view, scoring 91 out of a possible 100. 

The mountain, which is Vancouver's most visited year-round attraction, has an average visibility of more than 36 kilometres, which is the highest of any location analyzed in the study. 

Two Ontario towers — namely the Skylon Tower in Niagara Falls and the CN Tower — were featured on the global list, with both receiving a score of 21. 

In fact, the two attractions are visible from each other's observation decks on a clear day.

The two attractions received similar scores to the Parc Guell and Montjuic Castle in Spain and the Bagan Viewing Tower in Myanmar. 

Here are the top 10 viewing points for visibility in the world, according to the study

  • Grouse Mountain, British Columbia 
  • Cerro Otto Panoramic Deck, Argentina 
  • Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon), U.K. 
  • Berliner Fernsehturm, Germany, and Reichstag Dome, Germany (tied for fourth)
  • Ben Lomond, New Zealand 
  • Arthur's Seat, U.K., and Edinburgh Castle, U.K. (tied for seventh) 
  • Victoria Falls, Zambia/Zimbabwe 
  • Pen Y Fan, U.K. 

Here are the top 10 viewing points for visibility in North America, according to the study

  1. Grouse Mountain, Canada 
  2. Columbia Icefield Skywalk, Canada 
  3. High Roller, U.S. 
  4. Camelback Mountain, U.S, 
  5. Airpost Mesa Trail, U.S. 
  6. Sandia Park Tramway, U.S. 
  7. Chapel of the Holy Cross, U.S. 
  8. Golden Gate Bridge, U.S. 
  9. National WWI Museum and Memorial, U.S. 
  10. Reunion Tower, U.S. 
Lead photo by

Shawn Goldberg/Shutterstock


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