262 Best Sights in Alberta, Canada

This pretty lake is a good spot for a picnic hike. The 1.4-km (0.9-mile) one-way trail begins at the Elbow Pass Day Use Area and follows a wide road. If you're hiking, keep an eye out for mountain bikers and horses, as both are allowed to use the trail. There is a 120-meter (400-foot) elevation gain. Easy.

At this visitor information center, you can purchase a Kananaskis Conservation Pass, get advice on trails and activities, pick up maps or brochures, or just use the facilities---toilets, pay phone, and free Wi-Fi.

Elevation Place is a great place to spend a rainy day in Canmore. There's an aquatics center, a fitness center, a huge climbing gym, and a library.

Established in 1906 to protect elk in their southern boreal plains habitat, Elk Island has helped recover many species from the brink of extinction, including beavers, bison, and trumpeter swans. It's now home to the densest population of ungulates in Canada, including several hundred elk, plains bison, and wood bison. Beavers, once virtually eliminated from the area, now dominate the ponds and wetlands, where you’ll find large beaver dens the size of studio apartments. The park is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week all year, and makes a perfect day trip or a multiday backcountry option. Hiking and biking are great ways to experience the park; in winter, cross-country skiing and pond skating are the preferred way to enjoy the colder weather.

Banff's architectural showpiece and a National Historic Site, this hotel south of downtown is easily recognized by its castlelike exterior. Heritage Hall, a small museum above the Grand Lobby, has exhibits describing the hotel's history. On guided tours you can learn additional details about the local area, the hotel's grand opening in 1888, the 1920s fire that destroyed the original structure, subsequent construction, and the many illustrious guests who have stayed here.

It will take about an hour round-trip to walk the 2-km (1-mile) trail that slowly changes from marsh to dense forest. Watch for beavers, muskrat, and waterfowl. The trail is popular with joggers and cyclists. Easy.

This area has picnic tables and toilets nearby.

Alberta is known worldwide for its oil and gas production, and the first oil well in western Canada was established in 1902 in what is now the park. Stop at this National Historic Site to explore the wellheads, drilling equipment, interpretive signage, and remains of the Oil City boomtown.

This 2-km (1-mile) round-trip trail passes through the montane forest above the Kananaskis River and has nice views of the mountains, the Kananaskis River, and a beaver pond. Interpretive signs describe the water cycle. Easy.

The fort was established in 1875 at the confluence of the Bow and Elbow rivers by the North West Mounted Police. Designed to stop Montana whiskey traders from selling alcohol to the locals, it remained in operation until 1914. The Interpretive Centre here traces the history of the First Nations people, Mounties, and European settlers with the aid of artifacts, audiovisual displays, and interpretive walks. Deane House Restaurant, next to Fort Calgary, is one of Calgary’s best restaurants and a nice place to stop for lunch or dinner. It's the restored 1906 fort superintendent's house. The Hunt House, directly behind the restaurant, was built in 1876 and is believed to be Calgary's oldest building.

This pedestrian bridge, also the city's first suspension bridge, crosses the North Saskatchewan River just below Fort Edmonton, connecting the city's extensive trail system on the river's north and south sides. It's a lovely walk and great for views of the river and the city.

Nestled on 64 hectares (158 acres) of wooded parkland in the River Valley, Fort Edmonton Park is an important destination for visitors who want to experience a late-19th-century life on the frontier. New since 2021 is a world-class multisensory exhibition of the history, culture, and perspectives of First Nations and Métis people in the Greater Edmonton region. There’s also midway, an old theater, and wagon and pony rides.

An authentic reconstruction of the 1874 fort, the Fort Museum grants almost equal exhibitory weight to settlers, regional people, the old North West Mounted Police, and today's Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

This group's excellent summer offerings include a junior naturalist program, birding tours, hiking tours, and historical walks. At the information center shop, you can borrow a Friends hiking kit with binoculars, maps, and first-aid and other materials.

This moderate 6.9-km (4.3-mile) heavily trafficked loop provides some great views. Once you're on the loop, go clockwise to enjoy a gradual incline and a slightly steeper descent. Stop frequently on the descent---elevation gain is 239 meters (784 feet)---to notice some of the amazing views. The trail does pass through some alpine farming pastures and cattle may be seen, but the wildflowers can be stunning if you're there at the right time. Moderate

Galaxyland has more than 27 exhilarating rides and play areas for all ages, including four distinctive roller coasters, the Swing of the Century, and The Flying Galleon, the largest of its kind in North America. For the younger folk, there is a Galaxy Kids Playpark, a carousel, and many other mellower entertainments.

You'll need to pre-arrange transportation for this 19.3-km (12-mile) hike, but it gives you the unique opportunity to hike or mountain bike from Kananaskis to the Banff townsite. The trail, which begins at the north end of Spray Valley Provincial Park and follows Goat Creek for the first 9 km (5.6 miles) to its confluence with the Spray River, is relatively easy with just 150 meters (500 feet) of elevation gain. From there it follows the Spray River all the way to the grounds of the beautiful Fairmont Banff Springs hotel. Moderate.

Reached only by foot trail, private boat, or tour boat from Waterton Townsite, this spot on the U.S. end of Waterton Lake is the stomping ground for mountain goats, moose, grizzlies, and black bears. It's also the official border crossing for the U.S. side of Waterton Lake. In recent years, the crossing has not been staffed by U.S. Customs personnel, and, consequently, anyone who wishes to cross the border here must check in before arrival using the official CBP ROAM app (formerly OARS) from U.S. Customs and Border Protection. This app allows eligible travelers who arrive at remote locations to report their arrival online. Visitors to this area must carry their passports and proof of ROAM trip approval. You can hike or paddle to Goat Haunt or take the tour boat with Waterton Shoreline Cruise Co. The tour boat makes a limited number of stops near this border crossing, so you can catch the boat in the morning, cross the border, hike the trails, and then cross back into Canada and catch the tour boat to the Waterton marina in the late afternoon. The hikes on the U.S. side of the lake were unaffected by the wildfires of recent years.

You can wander the Stampede Park grounds and visit the free Grain Academy, an interesting small museum in the Roundup Centre that proclaims itself "Canada's only grain interpretive center." There's a model-train display depicting the movement of grain from the prairies through the Rockies to Vancouver. There's also a working model of a grain elevator.

The knowledgeable and friendly staff at this site, 13 km (8 miles) northeast of Sulphur Gates, can assist with travel information for the region. Explore the free on-site museum to see casts of dinosaur tracks found in the area as well as fossils, archaeological artifacts, profiles of early settlers, and tools used by early pioneers. You'll also find displays about the plants, animals, and birds found in the Willmore Wilderness Park. The gift shop and art gallery sell the works of locals artists and writers. Outside are some historical buildings that are fun to explore.

A 4.3-km (2.7-mile) round-trip trek leads to these two small blue-green lakes, above which is a popular rock-climbing area. You can choose between an easy route through the forest or a more difficult route, which passes a waterfall and has nice views of Canmore and the Bow Valley. The trailhead is about 9 km (5½ miles) southwest of Canmore.

Situated southeast of downtown Canmore, Grotto Canyon is accessible only on foot. A waterfall and ancient pictographs are among the highlights of the popular 4.2-km (2.6-mile) round-trip hike to reach the steep canyon. Wear micro-spikes if you do the hike in winter.

This peak was named in honor of a Chinese cook who won a bet that he couldn't hike to the top and make it back to town in under six hours. To this day, some people still run the steep 7.4-km (4.6-mile) trail with 748 meter (2,454-foot) elevation gain. Whether you walk or run, the views from the top are outstanding.

An afternoon or evening strolling along Happy Beer Street will put a smile on the face of any beer connoisseur or foodie. Nine different breweries and one distillery have congregated along a five block stretch of 99 Street, most of which serve delicious fare, from burgers and pizza to more elegant small plates like charcuterie.

A multilevel interpretive center built into the side of a cliff provides information about the lifestyle, legends, and story of the Blackfoot people at Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Exhibits describe the history of the buffalo jump, and a film re-creates the event when native peoples herded buffalo over the cliff to their thunderous death. Trails surround the jump, and tours are given by Blackfoot guides. If you visit on Wednesday in summer you can enjoy native dancing, drumming, and singing. During the summer months you can spend the night in a fully equipped Blackfoot tepee. The site is about 18 km (11 mi) west of Fort Macleod.

This easy 4-km (2.5-mile) round-trip hike is a nice walk through a gorgeous canyon along a creek with a waterfall at the end.

Summit three mountains on this hike that takes you to the summit of Heart Mountain and then along a ridge walk to summit two more Canadian Rockies peaks. It's a challenging hike with a total hiking distance of 10.3 km (6.4 miles) and an elevation gain of 940 meters (3,084 feet).

Henderson Lake Park, 3 km (2 miles) east of downtown Lethbridge, is filled with lush trees, a golf course, a baseball stadium, a swimming pool, an artificial lake, a year-round ice-skating rink, and tennis courts.

On 127 acres of parkland beside the Glenmore Reservoir, Heritage Park is Canada's largest living-history village. This accredited museum includes more than 200 exhibits, hundreds of costumed staff and volunteers, and 45,000 artifacts that re-create western Canadian life prior to 1914. You can visit an 1850s fur-trading post, a ranch, and an old town; ride on a steam locomotive or horse-drawn wagon; and cruise the reservoir on a stern-wheeler.