Easter, or the start of spring: no matter which one you’re celebrating at the end of March, the celebrations may call for a weekend getaway in Alberta.
The weekend may call for more time with family, loved ones, or for more time travelling and for enjoying the warmer weather.
There are many ways to make an exciting Easter weekend getaway for Easter celebrations and events, special Easter dining experiences, or for making the most of spring in Alberta with camping, wildlife viewing, and other activities in nature.
Early Spring & Wildlife in Alberta
A handful of our Easter getaway ideas include getting out into nature and making the most of the warmer weather. So, be extra cautious of wildlife during this season. Wildlife activity begins to pick up in all of Alberta’s natural areas during early spring. Due to this, and the emergence of bears from their dens after their hibernation, it is important to:
- Be vigilant
- Carry bear spray during hikes, camping trips, or bike rides
- Carry out what you bring in, including ALL garbage, food waste, cans, or bottles.
- Never ever approach wildlife. No selfie is worth the risk, and this includes mammals like deer or moose who appear docile.
- Know what to do if wildlife approaches you.
Birding and Camping in a Provincial Park
Easter weekend in 2024 is perfect timing for taking in and experiencing the spring bird migration season in Alberta. And there are several provincial parks perfect for an Easter weekend camping getaway. Fill your time with birding, wildlife viewing, nature photography, hikes, fires, and picnics.
- Kinbrook Island Provincial Park is about halfway between Medicine Hat and Calgary off of Highway 1 on Lake Newell. During early spring, the park’s birds could include the great blue heron, the white pelican, or a variety ducks and geese.
- Cypress Hills Provincial Park is in the southeast corner of Alberta, with half of the park located in Saskatchewan as well. On the Alberta side, watch a variety of wildlife and birds while enjoying hikes around the hills and weekend camping or cabin camping.
- Writing-on-Stone Provincial Park is known for its rich geological and cultural history, much of which is on display. The scenic park is on the shores of the Milk River in Alberta’s southern badlands.
- William A. Switzer Provincial Park, near Jasper and Hinton, is located in the foothills but offers great Rocky Mountain scenery to the west. As of Easter, three out of the park’s five campgrounds are open for early spring getaways. During hikes around the lakes, watch for eagles, owls, hawks, sparrows, warblers, and more.
Book a Glamping Campsite
Camping becomes glamping when you take the sleeping off the ground, and add homey amenities, utilities, and a solid roof. There are a variety of different types of glamp sites available across Alberta, including withing provincial parks in the summers. Glamping in Alberta could include a stay in a geodesic dome, a yurt, an a-frame cabin, oTENTiks, trapper’s tents, or other unique accommodations.
- GlampGood have open spots on Easter weekend at their Winfield resort for a-frame cabins, and geodomes.
- Refuge Bay still have availability on East weekend for their tiny home glampsite which sleeps up to three people. The quiet property is on a small lake northwest of Edmonton.
- Glamping Resorts Ltd. In Castle Provincial Park have a variety of different options for your Easter weekend getaway including cabins in different sizes, a geodome, and a glamping tent.
- Elk Island Retreat in Elk Island National Park is about 30-minutes east of Edmonton. The glamping resort has geodomes and cabins available.
Easter Events in Jasper
These weekend events in Jasper include Easter fun and celebrations, as well as different ways of exploring the town or park. Jasper National Park is filled with incredible scenery to explore as well, which may still require snowshoes or cross-country skis by late March.
- On March 31st, Marmot Basin will host a ski day with the Easter Bunny who will be hopping around Marmot and handing out treats.
- Celebrate Easter at the Jasper Park Lodge, whether you’re a guest of the hotel’s or not. For those not staying at the JPL, you can still take advantage of the hotel’s Easter dining experiences. Guests of the JPL can also enjoy an Easter egg scavenger hunt, s’mores, and hot chocolate.
- The Jasper Sky Tram opens for the season on March 22, just in time for an Easter getaway.
- Over the Easter weekend, Jasper Food Tours will have two options available: the Downtown Jasper Foodie Tour, or the Winter Wildlife Tour and Foodie Tour Package.
Start Spring with a Road Trip
Make yourselves a map and head out on the open road for Easter long weekend. Alberta’s varied landscapes and scenery make it easy to find different adventures on every road trip you take throughout the year. Heading east in Alberta, for example, will create a much different vacation than going west in Alberta would create!
- For a Canadian Badlands trip, there is a nice and even stretch of highway for road tripping. The road trip begins in the west at Big Knife Provincial Park or can start in the east at Dinosaur PP. Between the two are viewpoints over the badlands, picnic areas, the Royal Tyrell Museum (in Midland PP), Drumheller, the historic town of Wayne, and views of the Red Deer River.
- David Thompson Country takes up an area west of Rocky Mountain House around Highway 11, the North Saskatchewan River, and Lake Abraham. Along the eastern stretch of Highway 11, between the lake and Rocky Mountain House, are many opportunities for hikes as well as lodges, campgrounds, and cabins. The jewel of this drive is coming upon Lake Abraham, whether from the east or west. Here as well are opportunities for camping (backcountry crown land), picnics, photo ops, and wildlife viewing.
- Kananaskis Country is a large expanse of mountains and foothills in western Alberta. Even if you can’t make the road trip through the entire K-Country area, there will be tons to see and do. March is a special time for birds in the area. Start or end your road trip on the north side of K-Country in the Evan-Thomas PRA to witness the annual raptor migration as eagles, hawks, and falcons, take to Alberta’s skies. The PRA also has many different places to stay. From here, head south toward Peter Lougheed and Spray Lakes PPs to enjoy quiet mountain activities and scenery.
Special Events in Banff over Easter Weekend
Whether you’re here for a final weekend of skiing and snowboarding, the special Easter events, or simply to see Banff for the first time, there is something for everyone happing over Easter long weekend. The ski resorts, especially, are getting right into the Easter spirit with the Easter Bunny making a stop at each of the hills.
- March 31 2024 is the last day to visit the Nightrise exhibit at the top of the Banff Gondola. It will be open for the whole Easter weekend.
- The Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise have kids’ and family activities planned for weekend visitors like easter egg painting, crafts, and an Easter egg hunt. Plus, special Easter dining events will take place throughout the weekend for hotel guests and non-guests.
- Lake Louise Ski Resort’s Catch the Easter Bunny Event will take place over the long weekend.
- Banff’s Mount Norquay are hosting an Easter Egg Hunt for the kids with thousands of chocolate eggs hidden around the hill for the hunt.
- Also in Banff will be the Easter Bunny & Easter Egg Hunt event with Banff Sunshine Village.
Visit Historical Sites around Alberta
Centre an Easter long weekend getaway around a historic road trip. A handful of Alberta’s larger historic sites are closed until May, but many others, including indoor museums, remain open all year long.
- In Central Alberta, near Red Deer, there are a few places to visit to learn about different parts of Alberta’s history. The Sunnybrook Farm Museum will have an Easter Egg Hunt on March 31, while the Red Deer Museum & Art Gallery will be open for the weekend as well with fun for all ages. And just off of Highway 2 in Red Deer is the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame. While in Red Deer, explore the dining of downtown, The Heritage Ranch or the natural areas around the Red Deer River Valley.
- Southwestern Alberta is known for its natural beauty. Within some of these natural areas are rich histories, most easily explored at the Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump World Heritage Site. The site is a short drive north of Pincher Creek where you can also visit the Lebel Mansion. As you travel west, you’ll get an excellent look into Alberta’s coal mining history along the Crowsnest Highway. This stretch of highway includes the Leitch Collieries Historical Sites, and the Frank Slide site & Interpretive Centre.
- Southeastern Alberta, including Medicine Hat and Lethbridge, has many places to visit for exploring history on your weekend getaway. In Lethbridge, visit the Galt Museum & Archives and Helen Schuler Nature Centre. Both are near the city’s iconic bridge, and river valley trails. Medicine Hat’s Medalta in the Historic Clay District offer museum tours. Combine both cities for a southern Alberta Easter vacation!
Visit Vegreville: Home of Alberta’s Largest Pysanka (Ukrainian Easter Egg)
Vegreville is located conveniently along the Trans Canada Highway east of Edmonton. It is well-known for its giant pysanka. The pysanka is an Easter egg decorated using a traditional Ukrainian method. The intricate and artistic process involves decorating raw eggshells with a multi-layered dye and wax process, followed by a varnish or topcoat. The egg’s insides are then removed via a tiny hole and an “egg blower.” The final result is a hollowed, hardened, and decorated egg which can be kept forever.
- The World’s Largest Pysanka (by Paul Maxym Sembaliuk) at Vegreville’s Visitor Information Centre is an architectural and artistic marvel. To replicate the intricate designs often found on pysanky, the artist used hundreds of individual coloured tiles to build the egg.
- Vegreville is about a half-hour east of Elk Island National Park, and about 45-minutes west of Vermillion Provincial Park. Both parks offer trails, stargazing, snowshoeing, hiking, and picnic areas.
- The local Vegreville Farmer’s Market reopens for the year right before Easter. So, visit on your weekend trip to taste and explore locally made items.
Easter 2024 in Edmonton
Celebrate Easter in Edmonton in a few different ways! There are many Easter events taking place, including Sunday brunch events that are conveniently hosted by hotels. What’s more, Edmonton has tons to offer in terms of indoor and outdoor attractions for families and people of all ages. That includes the city’s largest free attraction, the North Saskatchewan River Valley. Depending on the weather, these trails can be explored on snowshoes, cross-country skis, foot, fat bike, or bicycle.
- Easter brunch at a number of great restaurants, many of which are inside hotels. The Double Tree by Hilton in West Edmonton and the Fairmont Hotel Macdonald in downtown Edmonton both have tickets on sale now for their Easter brunch experiences.
- Hop out to the Glenora Easter Market, popping up at the neighbourhood’s community hall on March 30th.
- Other activities to enjoy in Edmonton will depend upon the unpredictable spring weather. For indoor entertainment, visit the city’s Art Gallery, TELUS World of Science, the Royal Alberta Museum, or West Edmonton Mall’s indoor attractions.
- If the weather is a bit nicer, take time to explore Edmonton’s expansive river valley trails, the shopping in Old Strathcona, or the huge number of city parks.
Easter 2024 in Calgary
Enjoy Easter events all across Calgaryfor a 2024 weekend getaway. The city’s indoor and outdoor attractions, the Easter-specific events, numerous accommodations, and natural areas, all make Calgary a convenient and fun place to visit for Easter.
- Two of Calgary’s major attractions will play host to special Easter brunches. Heritage Park is set to host an Easter Brunch Buffet with tickets on sale now. While here, visitors can also walk through the park’s Gasoline Alley Museum.
- The Calgary Zoo is the second attraction hosting a 2024 Easter Brunch in Calgary. The Zoo offers the option for brunch on Saturday or Sunday.
- Purchase tickets for the 25K Easter Egg Hunt & Spring Show hosted by National Runs. The market will have 25,000 easter eggs hidden for kids to find, with egg hunting areas divided according to age groups. Other features of the market and show include photos with the Easter Bunny, kids’ crafts, games, and activities.
- The remainder of your time in Calgary can be spent with indoor and outdoor attractions around the city. Besides those already listed, save the TELUS Spark Science Centre, Flying Squirrel Trampoline Park, the Rec Room, or the city’s museums, for a rainy day.
- If the sun is shining and the weather is warm, explore the Bow River Valley. There is an extensive trail system on the city’s south side via Fish Creek Provincial Park.
Explore Waterton Lakes National Park
As the snow begins to melt in this southernmost of Alberta’s parks, there comes many opportunities for outdoor fun, sightseeing, and spring activities. Waterton might be a bit rainy this time of year, but this helps add to the river and waterfall scenery around the park. This is an incredibly quiet and peaceful time to visit Waterton before the summer rush of tourists and the opening of the Prince of Wales Hotel (May 17).
- Follow the trails near the park’s smaller ponds and wetlands to witness an incredible migration of birds! There will be dozens of different species making their way north for the summer.
- From the entrance parkway to the more hidden parkways beyond the townsite, Waterton is filled with scenic places for a drive, each of which have day use areas for hikes or picnics. This includes all except for the Red Rock Parkway, closed to vehicles until May 1. Until then, feel free to use the Red Rock Parkway as a hiking or snowshoe trail!
- If the paths are clear of snow and ice, use bikes to explore the Kootenai Brown Trail. It is level, simple, and paved.
- Check out the raging spring waters of the park’s nearby waterfalls: withing hiking distance from town are the Cameron Falls, and Upper or Lower Bertha Falls.