78 Best Sights in Alberta, Canada

The most popular backpacking route in Jasper meanders at or above the tree line for 44 km (27 miles) past some of the park's best scenery. Reservations are essential for backcountry campgrounds along the way and they book up quickly. It is the highest trail in Jasper National Park, and weather can be unpredictable at this elevation, so plan accordingly. During poor weather, the 15-km (9-mile) Wabasso Trail can be used as an escape route. Most hikers take 2–3 days to hike this trail. There are two main trailheads—Maligne Trailhead (south) and Signal Trailhead (north). The most popular direction to hike the Skyline Trail is from south to north, since you lose more elevation than you gain. Difficult.

This family-friendly 1.9-km (1.2-mile) loop trail leads to a 10-meter (30-foot) waterfall. There's 86 meters (282 feet) of elevation gain on the trail and it's best used from June through October. In winter, you can hike up the creek with ice cleats and poles for a unique icewalk experience.

This well-maintained trail crisscrosses underneath the gondola on Sulphur Mountain and climbs from the parking lot to the summit. You can hike up and take the gondola down, but you should check schedules first. A restaurant and cafeteria are located at the summit along with a viewing platform and interpretive signage. Allow four hours to hike the trail round-trip. Difficult.

Some of the most beautiful panoramic views in Jasper can be enjoyed on this 8-km (5-mile) trail. From the summit, you can see the Fiddle River Valley, the foothills, the Miette Mountain Range, and the cliffs of Asher Ridge; it's particularly lovely in the autumn. This is a difficult hike with 700 meters (2,297 feet) of elevation gain, and the first 2.2 km (1.4 miles) is a steady climb across an open mountainside to Shuey Pass. Take the right branch when the trail splits and continue up the switchbacks to reach the summit. Along the way, you'll pass a large boulder that is a white quartzite glacial erratic that was moved there during the ice age. Near the top, the trail becomes very rocky and steep. Hiking poles can be helpful going up and coming down the steep sections. A soak in Miette Hot Springs is a great reward after the hike. Moderate.  Miette Road leading to the trailhead is closed from mid-October to mid-May.

This moderate 11.6-km (7.2-mile) hike begins on the north side of Highway 66. After hiking up about 150 meters (492 feet), you merge onto the Elbow Valley Trail. After about 1 km (0.6 mile), you will find the sign for the start of the Sulphur Springs Trail. Follow the Sulphur Springs Trail for about 4 km (2½ miles) and enjoy great views of Prairie Mountain and Nihahi Ridge. As the trail descends, the trail merges with the Elbow River Trail and the Sulphur Springs Trail ends and the Riverview Trail begins. The Riverview Trail follows along the Elbow River and provides great views into the gorges of the river. As you follow the river, the trail will take you to Paddy’s Flat campground. From the campground, you can either walk the roadway or continue along the Elbow River back to the day-use area. This trail has 416 meters (1,365 feet) of elevation gain. Moderate.

It's a beautiful and relatively easy hike along the Sunburst Trail from Assiniboine Lodge to Elizabeth Lake. The Sunburst Trail branches off the Lake Magog Trail just before the campground. The trail goes along the shore of Sunburst Lake past Lizzie Rummel's log cabin to Cerulean Lake and then climbs a ridge where you have the option of turning east to hike 1 km (0.6 mile) up to the Niblet or continuing straight to Elizabeth Lake. The hike is 4.4 km (2.7 miles) one-way to Elizabeth Lake without adding the Niblet and Nublet. You can do it in a loop by continuing on from Elizabeth Lake and turning east along the shore of Cerulean Lake. Easy.

This 4.8-km (3-mile) trail begins with a view of a waterfall on Bow River, leads through meadows and forests and past sheer cliffs, and ends at the hoodoos (spirelike rock formations formed by erosion) in the eastern part of Banff townsite. Easy.

The view from the top of Table Mountain is one of the prettiest scenes in the Canadian Rockies. The hike is 10 km (6.2 miles) round-trip and takes about four hours in total. It’s a moderately difficult trail with a 700-meter (2,300-foot) elevation gain and a lot of scrambling near the top, but the views are well worth the effort. The trail begins in Castle Provincial Park and ends in Castle Wildlands Provincial Park. You'll find the trailhead at Beaver Mines Lake Campground. Difficult.

This 43.1 km (27 miles) horseshoe-shaped trail provides access to the Tonquin Valley, one of the premiere backpacking destinations in the Canadian Rockies with spectacular scenery and an abundance of wildlife including caribou, black bears and grizzly bears. From early spring to mid-summer, the trail is notoriously muddy and mosquitos are abundant. Late summer and early fall are the best times to hike here. There are two trailheads. Starting at the Portal trailhead is generally considered more scenic, but starting at the Astoria trailhead has less elevation gain. There are seven campgrounds and an Alpine Club of Canada hut in Tonquin Valley. Advance reservations are essential. This trail is closed from November 1 through May 15 to protect the Tonquin caribou herd. Difficult.

This short, family-friendly trail goes through an aspen forest and leads to a lovely waterfall. It's popular in both summer and winter and can be reached by hiking, mountain biking, snowshoeing, or skiing. It's 1.7 km (1.1 mile) one-way with very little elevation gain. Easy.

If you want to summit a mountain in the Canadian Rockies, this 4.8-km (3-mile) round-trip hike is a good bet. The trailhead is a short walk from downtown Banff and the hike leads to a low summit with incredible views of the town, the Bow Valley, and surrounding mountains. Moderate.

This 7.4-km (4.6-mile) round-trip hike follows along the ridge of Turtle Mountain to the false and true summits. It's a steep and challenging trail, but the views of Frank Slide and the Crowsnest Valley are worth it. Scrambling is required to reach the second peak known as the south peak. This hike has 936 meters (3071 feet) of elevation gain and hiking poles are recommended.

It takes two to three hours to complete this family-friendly 4.2-km (2.3-mile) hike. Five small lakes are the highlight of the trip, which takes you through a lodgepole-pine forest, across the Wabasso Creek wetlands, and through a flowery meadow. Watch for birds, beavers, and other wildlife along the way. Turn this into a moderately difficult hike by continuing another 10 km (6.2 miles) to Old Fort Point. Easy.

This 3.7-km (2.3-mile) trail is used for hiking and mountain biking in summer and cross-country skiing and snowshoeing in winter. The trail follows an old exploration road to a junction. Visitors who wish to see the lake, which is popular with trout anglers, must then follow a short, steep 200-meter (656-foot) trail to the muddy lakeshore. If you continue 900 meters (0.6 mile), you'll come to a lovely spring that gushes out of a wall of rock on Mount Shark. Moderate.

Excellent views of the Athabasca Glacier are the highlight of this strenuous, 8-km (5-mile) hike near the Columbia Icefield Glacier Discovery Centre. This pass was originally used by explorers and First Nations people and is fairly steep. Keep an eye out for wildflowers and bighorn sheep. Be sure to dress in warm layers, because this pass can be snowy until late July. Difficult.

This 3.1-km (2-mile) trail leads to Wonder Pass and the spectacular views that inspired the name. The trail begins at Assiniboine Lodge and goes past the Naiset Huts to Gog Lake. From there it climbs past a lovely waterfall to reach Wonder Pass, which lies between Wonder Peak and the Towers. Moderate.

This trail leads to the base of Yellowhead Mountain and up to flower-filled meadows and views of the continental divide. You'll reach the first viewpoint at about the 1-km (0.6-mile) mark on the trail. You can return at that point or continue another 3 km (2 miles) up a steep trail on the side of the mountain to reach a meadow and more panoramic views. The elevation gain to the second viewpoint is 720 meters (2,060 feet). Moderate.

Ancient Indigenous pictographs are a highlight of this 9.4-km (5.8-mile) round-trip hike. The trail follows Painted Creek to the narrows where you can see pictographs left by the Kootenai People some 400 years ago. It's a fairly easy hike with a 195-meter (640-foot) elevation gain, but you do have to wade across the Highwood River. After you cross the river, turn right on an old logging road. The trail will cross Zephyr Creek twice before you reach the pictographs. NOTE: This trail starts with a river crossing; waterproof shoes and poles are suggested. Moderate.