Banff 
Choose between these five Alberta getaways for your Easter weekend. If you’re looking for last-minute travel ideas for the long weekend, we have some inspiration for you!
Uplift Adventures
Crowsnest Pass
For local events and attractions, catch April 14-17th’s Bunny Bonspiel, a free curling festival with entertainment and music. And for more outdoor adventure, the local Uplift Adventures company can guide you on a Good Friday Nighttime Snowshoe. There is a lot to see in this corner of Alberta with historical museums and the site of the Frank Slide, or the local dining in Blairmore.
- Canadian Rocky Mountain National Parks Road Trip: Calgary – Waterton Lakes – Kootenay – Banff – Yoho – Jasper
Frank Lake
There are extraordinary things happening south of Calgary this spring. Frank Lake is an important wetland and birding area south of Calgary and close to High River and provides hundreds of bird species with natural habitat. The area is protected by Ducks Unlimited Canada which provides several public viewing areas.
But this year is special as it is home to one of the largest swan migrations witnessed by locals in a few years. These photogenic visitors include both Tundra and Trumpeter Swans, and arrived near High River this week in droves of hundreds.
You can also see other birds like American White Pelican and Frank Lake is considered the most important wetland in southwestern Alberta for breeding water birds.
After your trip drop in at the town of High River, explore outdoor murals on a self-guided walk or check out Okotoks erratic, a glacial erratic near Black Diamond.
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Rocky Mountain House
You can easily make this a day trip from Edmonton, Red Deer, Calgary, or any other city/town between. If you do want to stay the night, then you’ll have a variety of accommodation options from the hotels in town, to more remote or rustic places out of town: the Wilderness Village Resort (RV/cabin), Crimson Lake Provincial Park (tent/RV), or Bearberry Cabins.
Take your time exploring the trails around Crimson Lake for a more relaxing recreational getaway, or embark on a bigger adventure with some fishing, biking, or canoeing/kayaking in the chilly waters. There is even a trail connecting the Provincial Park’s Twin and Crimson Lake. There are several other hikes to the south of Rocky Mountain House along the North Saskatchewan River.
William A. Switzer Provincial Park
You can easily get the best of both worlds by making a weekend away out of a night’s stay near Hinton, and a day visit to the National Park or townsite, where there is a huge selection of local dining, too. All along the eastern edge of Jasper National Park are quaint, and sometimes remote cabins and lodges for a more comfortable stay.
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William A. Switzer Provincial Park also offers year-round camping! Graveyard Lake is a more rusting camping area in the park, while Gregg and Jarvis Lake Campgrounds can offer power hookups.
Looking for something to explore? The Park has 11 different trails to hike or bike.
Bonus: these areas are significantly more affordable than staying in the Jasper townsite.
Banff & Mount Norquay
Credit: Mt. Norquay Banff
Mount Norquay is just opposite the main highway from the townsite of Banff. On your way up the mountain you take a winding and scenic drive with viewpoints all along the way, and with possibilities for a ram, bear, or deer, siting. You can come to explore the National Park, and simply turn off at Norquay for the scenic routes. Or drive all the way up and take part in the Easter weekend events at the ski resort.
April 16-17 is the Bozo & Kinder Cup, a downhill race you can watch from the lodge, the beer gardens, or as close to the races as you can get. Also on the 17th is a hill-wide Easter Egg Hunt for the kids. Come for the eggs, stay for the races! You can find several hotels, cabins, and lodges between the mountain and Banff National Park. The Juniper Hotel is the closest to the hill and hidden away from the noise of the town and tourists.
