Alberta’s natural beauty comes alive in the fall.
The blue and green lakes are now surrounded by contrasting trees, the mountains are gold with larches, and the northern forests create a spectacle of colour. You can find some beautiful fall scenery around Alberta in some obvious places like the Rockies and Boreal Forest, but there are a few hidden gems and lesser-known areas for experiencing the best of fall: cooler walks or hikes, wildlife and nature photography, and the last chance for family or group picnics before winter arrives.
Alberta’s foothills are a great place for hikes among the forests and distant mountain views if you don’t have time for a mountain drive or getaway. On top of that, you can also find picturesque autumn locations in Alberta’s badlands, river valleys, and cities.
Hilliard’s Bay Provincial Park
Visit the north shores of Lesser Slave Lake this fall to find Hilliard’s Bay PP, and all the park’s beautiful trails. These trails are the best way to take in the bright hues of the leaves, and can bring you down the lakeshore, or through the forest. The aptly named Boreal Forest Trail also offers interpretive signage for your enjoyment. Details
When: day use open year-round
Where: 18 km east of High Prairie on Hwy. 2, 16 km north on Hwy. 750 & 10 km east on access road (Directions)
Carson Pegasus Provincial Park
The Little McLeod day use area at Carson Pegasus PP is open until September 30th for fall enjoyment, while the McLeod area is open all year, in case the leaves change a little later in the year. Each area offers beautiful lakeside views of the fall colours, and both lakes can be toured by boat. You can also enjoy an easier family hike through the trees via a looping trail. Be aware of wildlife big and small, too! You could spot mule deer, white-tailed deer, moose, black bear, weasel, mink, muskrat, beaver, snowshoe hare, and more. Details
When: McLeod Day Use Area open year-round
Where: 6 km west of Whitecourt on Hwy. 43, 11 km north on Hwy. 32 & 5 km east on access road. (Directions)
Sir Winston Churchill Provincial Park
Sir Winston Churchill Park, on Lac La Biche, protects eight islands on the lake. While there are seven day use areas, two will be open year-round. This means we can witness the fall leave change colour on some of the oldest trees in Alberta. You can use the park’s Boat Launch or Pelican Viewpoint areas all year to enjoy the scenery, trails, wildlife, and birdwatching. Details
When: Pelican Island Viewpoint and Boat Launch areas open year-round
Where: 11 km northeast of Lac La Biche off Hwy 881 (Directions)
Dunvegan Historic Site & Provincial Park
The Historic Site will be closed to visitors by the time the leaves around the Peace River and Dunvegan start to change for the season; however, you can still visit the day use area until October 10th for riverside picnics, relaxing, or enjoying a family bonfire among the fall leaves. The mighty Peace River and the trees together create a memorable fall backdrop for any family outing or road trip.
It is also the perfect place to take pictures of the iconic bridge backdropped by fall colours.
When: day use area open until October 10th
Where: 21 km southwest of Fairview on Hwy. 2 where bridge crosses the Peace River (Directions)
Whitecourt Creek & Hard Luck Canyon
The 0.8km hike around the Hard Luck Canyon Falls is a scenic place to warm up before taking on longer trails in the Whitecourt Creek Forest. You can also walk down to the McLeod River from the north end of the Creek Forest Trial, and truly discover why the area is called Woodlands County. The forested areas around Whitecourt are diverse and give you a wide array of fall colours in September and October. Details
Where: south of Whitecourt on West Mountain Road (Directions)
Winagami Wildland & Heart River Dam PRA
The Winagami Wildlands stretch from north of High Prairie, up to the Heart River Dams. An access road can lead you to a day use area, with a boat launch and picnic sites, from where you can enjoy two lake views, both surrounded by fall colours. The parks are within a part of Alberta’s Boreal Forest which is mostly made up of bright yellow aspens, green jack pines, gold and green willows, and pale sedges. The bright aspen trees will dominate the scenery but will also make it incredibly beautiful. Details
When: day use open until October 10
Where: north of High Prairie via secondary highway 749 and Range Road 175 (Directions)
Jarvis Bay Provincial Park⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
We may think to only visit Sylvan Lake during the beach months, but the giant trees of the town’s lakeside park make this destination just as impressive in the fall.
AND with the 2022 weather Alberta has, we may even be able to enjoy the water and fall colours at the same time! The Park is across the street from several options for creating a nice picnic, as well as several local places to shop. Details
When: open year-round
Where: Lakeshore Drive, Sylvan Lake (Directions)
Edmonton’s North Saskatchewan River Valley
There are a number of ways to enjoy Edmonton’s lush river valley during the fall season. You can do so from up above on the staircases and riverbanks, from within the trees on several natural or paved trails, or with a stunning sunset over downtown.
The large parks like Rundle, Emily Murphy, and Hawrelak, all have massive trees sheltering the picnic areas. And if you’d like to bring your dog out too, you can visit Terwillegar Off-leash Park and find scenic photo ops for your buddy. Details
15 Places to See the Brightest Fall Colours in Edmonton
Elk Island National Park
You can begin to enjoy beautiful fall scenery in Elk Island as soon as you turn off of the Trans Canada or Highway 15. The park has trailheads beginning from the Elk Island Parkway, and smaller parking lots along the way. You can find the largest parking area at Astotin Lake where you can also rent canoes or kayaks until September 30th (weekends only). There is a trail leading around Astotin Lake and through the golden woods, but you may also explore the lake and its islands by boat for some more unique fall scenery. Details
When: park open year-round, boat rental open until September 30th
Where: Elk Island National Park; south from Highway 15, or north from the Trans Canada (Directions)
Cooking Lake-Blackfoot Provincial Recreation Area
There is no better time than the fall to enjoy Cooking Lake-Blackfoot’s extensive trail network: it is a bit cooler outside, there are less bugs, and there is a bit more wildlife action throughout the park this time of year. Your entire walk, jog, bike ride, or horseback ride, will be sheltered by golden yellow and bright orange leaves, with several places to stop for photos along the way. Details
When: all four staging areas open year-round
Where: 24 km east of Sherwood Park, south of Hwy. 16, directly south of Elk Island National Park
Devon Voyageur Park
The mature and diverse set of foliage around Devon’s River valley creates a colourful backdrop of greens, reds, yellows, and oranges each fall. If you’re looking to enjoy the fall colours from the river itself, you can launch non-powered boats from the park and take the popular route into central Edmonton. Otherwise, there are paved trails to follow for simple yet beautiful fall scenery in Devon. Details
When: year-round
Where: 100 Saskatchewan Ave W, Devon (Directions)
Fall Colours Excursion with Alberta Prairie Railway
The foliage of the south can be enjoyed in a fun and unique way with Alberta Prairie Railway and their Fall Colours train excursions. The family-friend train rides travel between Stettler and Big Valley and includes extra fun for the ride. Sit down to a turkey dinner, complete with live entertainment, and time to explore in Big Valley. Details
When: September 30, 2022
Where: depart from 4611 47 Ave, Stettler (Directions)
How much: $55-$120
Sulphur Gates PRA
The Sulphur Gates PRA is a bit of a hidden gem because even as you turn off the main highway, it is unclear what the Sulphur Gates might actually look like. The road in and the parking lot are surrounded by mature trees, and it isn’t until you follow the path from the parking lot that you realize you are high above the Smoky River. The trail follows a cliff face and gives you a chance to walk out over the riverbanks below the cliff. The stunning and awe-inspiring views show off where the Smoky River meets the Sulphur River, and the massive canyon carved by both, ages ago. Details
When: year-round
Where: 5 km north & 7 km west of Grande Cache off Hwy. 40 (Directions)
Peter Lougheed PP and the Kananaskis Lakes
The large Peter Lougheed Park covers both the Upper and Lower Kananaskis Lakes, as well as part of Alberta’s Rockies up to the BC border. To help you narrow down a place to find the fall colours (which will be all around!), you can decide on visiting one of the two lakes, you can pick one of the many hiking trails, decide on a day use picnic spot, or simply drive the Smith-Dorrien Trail. While some of the park’s day use areas close for fall or winter, the majority of the sites are open year-round. Details
When: year-round, except for Elpoca, Grizzly Creek, Highwood Meadows, King Creek, Little Highwood Pass, Elbow Pass, Rock Glacier, and White Spruce.
Where: 43 km southeast of Canmore along Hwy. 40 (Directions)
Lake Louise
Lake Louise is stunning to look at any time of year but fall offers the most in terms of colour from this view! The water is usually a bit darker by now (as opposed to it bright spring colours), but the dark green fits nicely with the changing leaves and needles around the lake.
In September and early October, Lake Louise is a whole other place, which you can explore via more than 20 trails. Details
Where: west from Highway 1, north of Banff (Directions)
Pocaterra Ridge in Kananaskis
Larch Valley is a popular spot to find, obviously, the beautiful golden larches of fall. If you go, plan to arrive early as the crowds can be huge in September and October. If you’d like a more peaceful or a quieter golden larch view, you can traverse the Pocaterra Ridge in Kananaskis Country. The trail is open to hikers and cyclists and takes a few hours to complete at 9.8km one-way. Both ends to the trail arrive at Highway 40, so you can park cars at either end, or enjoy a day in the meadows and forests for a 20km hike. Details
Where: Pocaterra Hut on west side of Highway 40 (Directions)
Rowe Lakes in Waterton National Park
There is a gorgeous set of foliage surrounding Waterton’s Rowe Lakes, including the bright yellow larches. If you visit earlier in the fall, your views will be filled with the bright gold, and various shade of green. Later in the fall, the entire forest is ablaze with yellows. The best views are from the Upper Rowe Lake Trail which begins with meadows and the remaining summer flowers and leads to overhead views of the forest. Details
When: year-round
Where: 10.5 km along the Akamina Parkway, on the right if driving from town. (Directions)
Abraham Lake
The stunning blue waters of Abraham Lake in west-central Alberta create picturesque views on their own. But this scenery is really something else when you have the contrast of the deep gold, orange, and red foliage around the lake. Much of the green remains, too, adding even more colour to the mountain scenery. The large lake is on the southeast side of the David Thompson Highway and is pretty hard to miss. All along the highway are viewing areas, trailheads, parking lots, and picnic areas from where you can enjoy it all. Details
Where: David Thompson Highway, southwest of Nordegg (Directions)
Brown Lowrey Provincial Park
The trails around Brown Lowrey are one edge of the foothills, giving you up-close views of beautiful fall colours, and distant views of the southern Rockies. The park even has a trail which can let you view Calgary from a distance, or by way of a short walk, an opposite view to the west. There are 12km of trails in total that take you through historic areas, past artifacts, over creeks, and to some beautiful picnic areas. Details
When: open year-round
Where: 35 km northwest of Turner Valley off Hwy. 762 (Directions)
Jasper National Park
Take a tram ride up the Whistlers Mountain and see ssix mountain ranges, Jasper town, and the enchanting Athabasca River decked in soft hues of red and orange. From the mountain peaks to turquoise lakes, getting atop the sky tram will give you a spectacular view of breathtaking landscapes. Details
When: open until October 30th
Where: Whistlers Rd, Jasper (Directions)
Dry Island Buffalo Jump
The northwestern start to the Alberta badlands is a bit lusher and greener than some other parts, and in the fall, this area becomes arguably more beautiful with the changing colours of the trees and shrubs. The day use area offers a place to picnic with the stunning views behind you, access to the Red Deer River, and incredible birdwatching and wildlife viewing opportunities. Details
When: day use area open until October 15
Where: Township Rd 284, Kneehill County (Directions)
Glenbow Ranch Provincial Park
Take in your fall views from the Glenbow Ranch this year for an epic foothill and distant mountain scenery. You can explore the foothill trails on bike, foot, or e-bike, and have enough trail options to fill an entire day of recreation. The fall colours around the foothills of the ranch are further enhanced by the contrast of the blue-ish-green Bow River. Details
When: day use open year-round
Where: between Highway 1 and 1A, west of Calgary. (Directions)
Bob Creek Wildland PP
There are three main trials in the Bob Creek Wildland; and they will all offer stunning foothill views, complete with various fall colours. The hikes vary in difficult with one considered easy, one moderate hike, and one challenging hike. The backcountry and area are also open to equestrian and OHV riding, with a few restrictions in place. Details
When: Staging area/trails open year-round
Where: Access Township Road 104A from Highway AB-22, and follow to the end to find the staging area (Directions)
Fish Creek Provincial Park
You can enjoy the bright fall colours in Calgary’s River valley with a walk or bike ride, or a picnic in Fish Creek. The group picnic areas can be reserved for larger events in the scenic park, or you can simply stroll the large trail system, stop for photos, or admire the wildlife. Details
When: year-round
Where: Bow River Valley and Fish Creek in Calgary (Directions)
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Turner Valley Trails
The Friendship connector trail between Black Diamond and Turner Valley is relatively short but is an incredibly walk for enjoying the fall colours. There are more pathways around the Sheep River and the Kananaskis PLU for more scenery or photo/picnic opportunities. Details
Where: Main Street N in Turney Valley
Water Falls
If you’re looking to see waterfalls backdropped by autumn hues, then there are some fantastic fall trips to take, we recommend taking a trip to a few of these falls. Some waterfalls will need to be accessed by various hikes: either through the forest trails, along paved paths, or some can even be viewed from the main roads.