262 Best Sights in Alberta, Canada

The remarkably blue, 22-km-long (14-mile-long) Maligne Lake is one of the world's largest glacier-fed lakes and the largest natural lake in the Canadian Rockies. The lake was well known to Indigenous people who called it “Chaba Imne” (Beaver Lake). The first outsider known to see the lake was Henry MacLeod, a surveyor looking for a possible route for the Canadian Pacific Railway, in 1875. He was on a high mountain and saw the lake from a distance.

In 1907, Mary Schäffer, a wealthy Quaker from Philadelphia, led an expedition to the lake following a map drawn by an Indigenous man named Samson Beaver. Schäffer was one of the few female explorers in the Canadian Rockies in the early part of the 20th century. She wrote about her adventures and her popular book inspired others to travel to the Canadian Rockies. Schäffer returned to survey the lake a few years later for the Geographical Board of Canada. Her work was instrumental in getting the lake included as part of Jasper National Park.

Spirit Island is one of the most famous sights in Maligne Lake. The island is 14 km (8.7 miles) up-lake and can be reached by canoe or kayak or on a boat cruise that is offered several times per day. If you choose to paddle to Spirit Island, you may wish to stay in one of the three backcountry campsites along the lake that can only be reached by canoe or kayak.

There are many hiking trails near Maligne Lake including Opal Hills Loop and the epic Skyline Trail. Cycling, canoeing, kayaking, and fishing are also popular activities. Cross-country skiing and snowshoeing are favored activities in winter. Wildlife is abundant near the lake. Watch for moose, bears, deer, bighorn sheep, and the rare woodland caribou.

At the head of the lake, you’ll find three restaurants---Waffle Hut, Lakehouse Café, and The View---that serve everything from waffles to gourmet cuisine. There’s also a gift shop where you can buy essentials and souvenirs.

There are picnic tables, toilets, canoes rentals, and places where you can buy sandwiches and other picnic fixings.

This 1.3-km (0.8-mile) interpretive trail encircles a wetland that is fed by warm underground springs. There's an observation deck to observe birds and plants in the wetland and interpretive signs that describe the unique environment. Easy.

Marine Life is a great way to get up close and personal with some of the ocean’s more charismatic sea creatures. Enjoy an encounter with an African penguin while learning about its habits and then head underground to the Sea Live Caverns, where only a pane of glass separates you from more than 100 species, including sharks and sea turtles.

Prosperity is embodied in the striking, glass-sided Medicine Hat City Hall, which won the Canadian Architectural Award in 1986. Guided group and self-guided tours are available.

There were many industries that thrived in Medicine Hat prior to World War I, but the manufacture of clay products became a booming industry that still remains today. The historic factories, equipment, and artifacts of this business have been declared one of Canada's national historic treasures, and a tour of the museum will allow you to view historic pottery, stoneware, ceramics, brick, and the equipment that was used to produce it as early as 1885. Guided tours are available.

The Tourist Information Centre has detailed trail maps of the preserve.

Known as "The Disappearing Lake," Medicine Lake has long been a place of mystery and legend. In summer, it looks like a normal alpine lake, but in the fall and winter, the water almost completely disappears. Indigenous people had legends to explain the phenomenon, but scientists believe it's actually caused by an expansive underground cave system that the lake water is constantly draining through, and in the summer there is enough glacial runoff to maintain water levels. Once the runoff slows, the lake begins to drain and the surface dries up. The underground cave system runs 17 km (11 miles) downstream and resurfaces below Maligne Canyon. It's common to see bald eagles, osprey, bears, moose, and bighorn sheep near this lake.

The naturally heated mineral waters here originate in three springs and are cooled to 40°C (104°F) to allow bathing in the two pools. At 15°C (59°F), the adjacent pool refreshingly negates all that heat. A short walk leads to the remnants of the original hot-springs facility, where several springs still pour hot sulfurous water into the nearby creek. Day passes and bathing-suit, locker, and towel rentals are available.

Western Canada's largest military museum has a collection of memorabilia that depicts the history of Calgary-based regiments dating back to 1900.

A 1.8-km (1.1-mile) loop trail leads from a well-marked highway pullout to a footbridge over a deep winding slot canyon where you can view the Mistaya River swirling far below. The highway pullout is 74 km (46 miles) northwest of Lake Louise.

You'll find the trailhead for this 1.5-km (0.9-mile) interpretive loop trail at the visitor center. It's great for children and has views of forest, meadows, and seasonal wildflowers. Easy.

Keep an eye out for wildlife, especially moose, when you come to Moose Marsh and Moose Lake. A variety of waterfowl are found here and there's a good chance to spot moose, especially at dawn or dusk. This 11.7-km-long (7.3-mile-long) lake is the only lake along the course of the Fraser River. The Fraser flows into the lake on its east end and exits the lake on its western side. Moose Marsh is on the east end of the lake and the Yellowhead Highway runs along its north shore. If you have a B.C. fishing license, you can fish for wild rainbow trout.

Set in the Valley of the Ten Peaks, 11 km (7 miles) south of Lake Louise, this beauty is a photographic highlight of the park thanks to reflections of the snow-clad mountaintops that rise abruptly around it. It's also a major stop for tour buses and is popular with hikers and canoeists, too, so visit early or late in the day to avoid crowds. Moderate hiking trails lead from the lodge at Moraine Lake into some spectacular alpine country. During peak times (larch season), Parks Canada operates a shuttle service from the hamlet of Lake Louise to Moraine Lake. Private vehicles are not allowed at Moraine Lake.

One of the most beautiful lakes in the Canadian Rockies is the setting for this picnic area near the village of Lake Louise. The site has two kitchen shelters, a few tables, and toilets.

When you mention backpacking in Mount Robson Provincial Park, most people automatically think of the world-famous Berg Lake Trail, but it isn't the only backpacking trail in the park. The Mount Fitzwilliam Trail, also known as Fitzwilliam Basin Trail, is another backpacking option in the park that is practically unknown. While the Berg Lake Trail is well constructed and maintained and fully booked months in advance, the Mount Fitzwilliam is "user maintained" and backpackers can self-register at the trailhead.

There are two campgrounds along the 14-km (9-mile) trail, one with six tent pads about halfway up at Rockingham Creek and another with two tent pads at the end of the trail. The first half of the trail to Rockingham Creek is a well-constructed trail, but the second half is a far rougher track with roots and rocks. For that reason, some people choose to stay overnight at the first campground and hike to the end of the trail on a day hike. The total elevation gain for this hike is 950 meters (3,120 feet).

Mount Fitzwilliam, an imposing 2,901-meter (9,518-foot) peak, was named in 1863 by Dr. Walter Butler Cheadle in honor of his traveling companion William Wentworth Fitzwilliam the Viscount Milton. The pair were likely the first tourists in this region and wrote a book entitled The North-West Passage by Land documenting their adventures. Moderate.

A 7.4-km (4.6-mile) round-trip hike will take you through the forest to a fire lookout with amazing views of Mount Kidd. Be careful if you do this hike in winter as it is in an avalanche area and proper safety measures must be taken. There's a 734-meter (2,408-foot) elevation gain. Moderate.

Mt. Lorette and Mary Barklay's Mountain reflected in these beautiful ponds—which are looped by a paved, 930-meter (0.6-mile), wheelchair-accessible trail—provide a stunning backdrop for photos at this spot. There are also picnic tables, firepits, pit toilets, and a water pump here.

Located at the park's main entrance, this visitor center is the place to go for information, trail reports, informative brochures, detailed trail descriptions, and maps. You can watch informative natural history slide shows and participate in the evening interpretive program. It is open daily from mid-May to mid-October. There are bathrooms and a gift shop on-site.

The highlight of this 6½-km (4-mile) route is the viewpoint over Banff from near the top. Bighorn sheep and mule deer are often sighted along the twisting road. Trailheads at the top lead to Stoney Squaw Summit and Cascade Amphitheatre.

Located across the North Saskatchewan River from Downtown, one of Edmonton’s best-known landmarks consists of three city-operated greenhouses and public gardens, and four feature pyramids that display more than 700 plant species found across three biomes, as well as a seasonal display. A fifth minor skylight pyramid lights up the central foyer.  Wednesday evenings are for adults only.

Located on the east wall of the TELUS building and the south wall of the Mercer Warehouse building on 104 Street and 104 Avenue, Canada's first museum dedicated to neon is worth a peek. While not a museum in the traditional sense, this outdoor collection of more than 20 colorful creations tells the story of Edmonton's past from the logo for the Running Room (North America's largest chain of specialty running stores), originally installed in 1997, to the sign for the now defunct The Movie Studio, one of Canada's largest independent video stores that shuttered in 2015.

This moderately difficult 3-km (2-mile) hike offers stunning views of Sunburst, Elizabeth, Cerulean, Magog, and Wedgewood Lakes as well as Sunburst Peak and Mount Assiniboine. The hike begins at the lodge and climbs up to a ridge known as the Niblet and then continues on to the summit of the Nublet. The total elevation gain is 350 meters (1,148 feet). Moderate.

Created in partnership with the Stoney Nakoda Nation (Iyarhe Nakoda), this after-dark winter-only multimedia experience includes four multisensory art installations that provide an Indigenous perspective on Banff National Park, which has long been a place of gathering for many Indigenous Peoples. Sounds, lighting, video projections, and other immersive elements allow guests to connect with the mountains and the park in a new way. Visitors can dine at the top of the mountain while watching as the summit of Sulphur Mountain (Mînî Rhuwîn) is transformed with Nightrise.

The Nikka Yuko Japanese Gardens offer a tranquil setting with manicured trees and shrubs, miniature pools and waterfalls, a teahouse, and pebble designs originally constructed in Japan and reassembled alongside Henderson Lake. Admission to the gardens is C$7.

Great views of the Bow Valley, Banff townsite, and surrounding mountain peaks can be enjoyed from the top of the Norquay chairlift. The ride up takes 10 minutes. An interpretive path, a viewpoint, and the historic Cliffhouse Bistro, where you can have lunch, dinner, or drinks, are at the top.

Built in 1893, this building is the oldest North-West Mounted Police detachment still standing in its original location. The building served as a home, lodging, and jail for police officers stationed in Canmore until 1929. It's also Canmore’s third-oldest remaining building.

Edmonton’s first Indigenous-run center for contemporary art is definitely worth a visit. The Collective hosts three or four projects a year that focus on art exhibition, research, public art, and awareness surrounding Indigenous contemporary art.

Shaped by glaciers, Old Fort Point is a bedrock knob that provides an excellent view of Jasper. It will take an hour or two to complete the 3½-km (2.2-mile) loop trail. A wide, easy path that begins behind the information kiosk leads to a very steep section of trail. It's common to see Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep, the provincial mammal of Alberta, from this trail. Along the way you'll pass Jasper National Park's oldest rock, but the real highlight is the view from the top. Easy.

This easy to moderate hike is great for families and is accessible in all seasons, although April through November is best. The hike is 3.6 km (2.2 miles) with an elevation gain of 168 meters (546 feet); some great views of Moose Mountain can be seen to the south. Easy