Edmonton 
You and your family or friends have tons of great options for things to see and do in northern Alberta including natural outdoor sites, historical and cultural experiences, Provincial or National Park camping, summer festivals, and more.
Credit: Alberta Parks/Sulphur Gates PRA
1. Sulphur Gates Provincial Recreation Area
Even if Sulphur Gates isn’t your final destination, this Provincial Recreation Area is worth a stop off Highway 40. You will find the area a short drive north of Grande Cache, tucked away in the trees. From the parking lot, you can take a short trail through the trees to be met with a cliffside view of the Smokey and Sulphur River crossing. The path takes you all along the cliff for a few different awe-inspiring vistas. There is a trailhead for a longer hike to Eaton Falls as well (3-4 hrs. round trip), and year-round tent and equestrian camping.
2. Historic Dunvegan Provincial Park
Historic Dunvegan Provincial Park
When you cross the Peace River heading north, Historic Dunvegan Provincial Park is your first turn off of the highway. Here you can explore the grounds, take a guided tour through the preserved buildings, and explore all the surrounding areas with their river valley scenery. You can also book a riverside campsite between May and September (65 sites with 15-amp power).
3. Kleskun Hill Natural Area
Credit: Alberta Parks
There are badlands in Alberta’s north! They may not be as large as the ones in southern Alberta, but the weathered river delta in the Kleskun Hill Natural Area is just as naturally significant and offers similar recreation. The area hosts a small campground (open in June), and hills that reach over 100m in height. The hills within the natural area provide relatively easy hikes to unbeatable views of plains and the blooming wildflowers.
4. Sundance Provincial Park
Credit: Alberta Parks
Along with some small badlands, you’ll also find natural hoodoo formations in northern Alberta. You can explore the Wild Sculptures Trail along the way on your road trip, or during a camping experience in the park. The campground, open May to October, is at the north end of the park at Emerson Lakes where you can swim, paddle, or fish.
The Wild Sculptures Trail is a 5-10-minute drive from the campground along with the area’s backcountry camping.
5. Big Alberta Sculptures
For big Alberta sculptures, you can drive almost any direction in our province and find some epic pieces of art. For a northern Alberta road trip, these are all the several stops you can make north of Edmonton and the Trans Canada Highway to see the grandest and biggest of Alberta. Read more on a big Northern Alberta Road trip here.
- Beaverlodge – Giant Beaver
- Brownvale – Bull & Rider
- Fahler – World’s Largest Bee
- Grande Prairie – Trumpeter Swan
- Lac La Biche – David Thompson Statue
- Peace River – 12 Ft. Davis Statue
- Sangudo – Grain Elevator Sundial
- Swan Hills – Wilderness Sculpture
- Bonnyville – Angus Shaw
- Elk Point – Pete Fiddler Statue
- St. Paul – UFO Landing Pad
6. Local Music Festivals
There is no shortage of live music in Northern Alberta for Summer 2022. Between June and August, you can catch five different music and arts festivals, each of which cover different musical genres.
When: June 17 to 19, 2022
Where: North Country Campground, 12527 Twp Rd 731A , Joussard
Pembina River Nights
When: July 8-9, 2022
Where: Rangerton Park, Evansburg
Bear Creek Folk Festival
When: August 12, 2022
Where: Borstad Hill in Muskoseepi Park, Grande Prairie
Inter.Sect Art & Music Festival
When: August 11-14, 2022
High Prairie Elks Campground, High Prairie
When: August 11th-14,2022
Where: Cold Lake Agricultural Society Grounds, 4608 38 Ave, Cold Lake
Bro-Tel Backyard Festival
When: August 19, 2022
Where: John Dudar Park, Township Rd 534, Jackfish Lake
7. Wood Buffalo National Park
There is a long list of summer recreation with Wood Buffalo National Park which takes up a large portion of northern Alberta and southern parts of the Northwest Territories. The scenery is almost surreal as you boat, paddle, hike, fish, or camp. Camping is available for all types of adventurers with tent sites, RV sites, and cabin rentals. Camping is open Victoria Day long weekend through September.
8. Birding all Around
Northern Alberta, and its expanse of Boreal Forest and wetlands, is an important stop for migratory birds of all kinds. Northern Alberta is their summer vacation spot, and we are lucky to get to witness a huge variety of these bird species. Grande Prairie and the nearby Saskatoon Island Provincial Parks are perfect places for spotting Trumpeter and Tundra Swans, or ducks galore.
A little further south, but still north of Edmonton, you can visit the Slave Lake Boreal Centre for Bird Conservation for education and exploring the trails.
9. Cold Lake
Cold Lake is a beautiful beach town that is bustling all year-round. During summers, the beach areas are filled with a variety of events aimed at all ages. The camping and accommodation options give you a great variety as well with cottages/Air BnBs, hotels and motels, RV sites, and tent sites. There are fun activities all along the wester Alberta shores of the lake, with Kinosoo Ridge as its most popular beach. If you have a boat, you have several activities to choose from on the water, plus non-boaters have swimming and lazy floating near the beach.
Three Provincial areas border the lake, each with camping and hiking: Cold Lake Provincial Park, English Bay Provincial Recreation Area, and French Bay Provincial Recreation Area.
10. Outdoor Adventure Parks
Vista Ridge
If you go east or west in northern Alberta, you’ll hit two different outdoor adventure parks that cater to both summer and winter fun. Vista Ridge is outside of Fort McMurray in the northeast and offers an Aerial Park, frisbee golf, mini-golf, regular golf, a lounge for the adults, and a skate park. The Nitehawk Adventure Park in Alberta’s northwest near Grande Prairie offers camping, a Mountain Bike Park, and the Bearpaw Golf Course.
