Banff 
It is a beautiful time of year in Alberta.
Along with the lush greens of the river valleys and forests, the bright blue glacial waters, and the return of more wildlife, Alberta also displays an array of flower blooms in June and July. The wildflowers of Alberta include all the colours and their hues and are often among the other beautiful landscapes like mountains, lush forests, or rivers and lakes.
Calgary and Southern Alberta
Cypress Hills Provincial Park
Cypress Hills Provincial Park has a well-kept secret! It is home to many orchid species like Calypso, Spotted or Stripped Coral-root Orchid, Mountain Lady’s Slipper, Yellow Lady’s Slipper, White Adder’s Mouth and many more! Visit late June or early July to see these native orchids in bloom.
In addition, the entire park offers rolling hills covered with all different floral colours and shapes, while the banks of the Elkwater Lake itself fill up even more with the blooms. There is a trail running between the town and the lake’s south shore.
Where: Cypress Hill Provincial Park
Waterton Lakes National Park
Waterton Lakes National Park is known as the Wildflower Capital of Canada. This Southernmost National Park in Alberta is home to 1,000 vascular plant species including half of all wildflower species found in Alberta. Of those, 175 species are listed as rare in Alberta and 20 are only found in Waterton, some of which are also listed as rare in Canada.
The best time to visit Waterton Lakes National Park for a wildflower hike is during mid to late June. Pre-pandemic, the town of Waterton used to hold a Wildflower Festival which usually saw thousands of visitors visiting the park in mid-June.
Kootenai Brown Trail:
You can simply head to the Waterton townsite and park before exploring the area’s blooming flower areas on foot or bike via the Kootenai Brown Trail. Keep on the trail, as the fields of flowers are a protected area for an endangered butterfly species! The meadowlands feel otherworldly with bright yellows and purples, and greens all around.
Cameron Lake:
There is an easy 3.5km out-and-back trail along the Cameron Lake’s western shore. All along your walk are a variety of wildflowers and colours which border the path and the lake. You can even venture off on a rented canoe to see the flowers all at once from the water. The Beargrass is the main floral feature on this trail, and its large white blooms make the plant quite obvious! Details
Syncline Trail Network
The beautiful Castle Provincial Park offers many short, long, easy, or difficult hikes from which to choose. But if you’re on the hunt for blooming buds and bright colours, head to the Syncline Day Use Areas withing the PP. Along your travels you’ll pass fields covered in wildflowers.
Where: Syncline North or South Day Use Areas, Castle Provincial Park
Ann & Sandy Cross Conservation Area
There is a large list of wildflowers you will see on a hike through Cross Conservation Area, a short drive west of Calgary. This includes common blue lettuce (flowers are actually purple!) Fairybells (green and white), Wild strawberries (dark red), Tall Buttercups (yellow), and more bright colours/strong florals to take in.
Where:20-194001 160 Street West, Foothills
The Rockies
Valley of the Five Lakes
The Five Lakes trail is a popular family hike and has you exploring lush meadows, the Wabasso Creek, and the bright blues of the five lakes. This is also a popular wildlife viewing area where you can hear loons, or possibly see deer and black bears.
Where: Jasper National Park
Mount Lipsett
You’ll have to wait until June 14th to access this moderate and short hike in Kananaskis. Once the highway opens for spring, you’ll be just in time to catch the sprawling fields and hills in full bloom. The flowers will be more abundant at the start of your hike, as the trail ascends up the mountain. There are many trailheads in the area, so bring a map and explore a bit of them all.
Where: Mount Lipsett Day Use Area, Highway AB-40, Elbow-Sheep Wildland Provincial Park
Healy Creek
If you’re in search of a challenging hike with floral views as a part of your reward, embark on the Healy Pass Trail in Banff National Park. There is no rush, however, as this area doesn’t see its flowers in bloom until July. Your path follows the flowers and meadows almost the whole way, along with Healy Creek.
Where: Sunshine Meadows, Banff National Park
Elk Flats Trail
This is a short and sweet walk you can take with small kids within the Provincial Park. You’ll walk along the Bow River for part of the trail and get to enjoy meadow/wetland views once you make your way further from the water.
Where: via Highway AB-1 Bow Valley Provincial Park
Edmonton & Central Alberta
Birchwood Meadows
This is more of a unique wildflower walk! Rather than getting out into remote areas for long hikes, walks, and drives, you can also try the u-pick flower farm at Birchwood Meadows. The flower farm allows you to stroll the grounds and gardens while you pick out your own bouquet- something you definitely can’t do on these other wildflower walks.
Where: 56032 Rge Rd 245, Sturgeon County
Clifford E. Lee Natural Area
Along the Devonian Way are many wetlands and prairie land rich with plant and wildlife. The Clifford E. Lee Trail brings you around a protected Natural Area, filled with a huge variety of Alberta wildflowers come June like Bunchberry, Purple Vetch, Twining Honeysuckle, or Blue-Eyed Grass. The Natural Area is a short drive from Edmonton and area, and a beautiful family walk in the spring.
Where: Township Road 513A from Devonian Way, Spruce Grove
Coyote Lake Nature Sanctuary
Range Road 44 hits a dead end at the Coyote Lake Natural Area, where you’ll find a trailhead for two separate branches: one going east and one going west. This is in the Hopkins Conservation site where along with wildflowers, you’ll come across small wildlife and lush forests.
Where: Range Rd 44, Lindale
Northern Alberta
The Shores and Trails of Lesser Slave Lake
You have many options when it comes to taking a walk to see wildflowers in Slave Lake: The Lesser Slave Lake’s five-day use areas, or the one-day use area at Hilliard’s Bay PP.
Where: via Highway AB-88 (north from the town of Slave Lake)
Sundance Provincial Park
Many people are drawn to this park due to the Wild Sculpture Trail, and the cool hoodoos you get to see at the end of your hike. However, that hike, and others around, provide excellent wildflower viewing in late spring, as well as places to camp, or chances to paddle the small lake. You can see the flowers from all angles!
Where: Emerson Creek Road north of Highway AB-16
Lakeland Provincial Park
The Shaw Lake Trails are one of the most convenient ways to hop on wildflower trails in Lakeland Provincial Park, and you can access the trailhead on the Park’s far west end. You’re highly likely to come across the Wild Rose, Alberta’s provincial flower, on these Lakeland trails.
Where: end of Township Road 671, Lakeland Provincial Park
I heard that Uplift Adventures does wildflower tours in Waterton, and will teach people how to identify the flowers.