If you are planning to see more of Alberta this summer, be prepared for how much there is to explore!
Planning a road trip in Alberta this summer will depend on your interests and what sights are new to you. You may want to skip places you’ve travelled to before and take on new adventures.
Here are some ideas for a summer road trip:
Road Trips for getting back to Nature
1. Alberta’s Boreal Forests
One of the simplest ways to navigate an exploration of Alberta’s massive and extensive boreal forests is by staking out provincial parks and recreation areas. You can explore wildlife, explore from the water, or hike the shaded trails from these areas.
- Activities: swimming or birding and wildlife viewing at Lesser Slave Lake, canoeing or kayaking and Long Lake, boating at Beaver Lake, forest hikes on the north side of Lesser Slave Lake
- Parks: Sir Winston Churchill Provincial Park, Lesser Slave Lake Provincial Park, Cold Lake Provincial Park, Long Lake Provincial Park
2. Alberta’s Lakelands
While it is true that there are many gorgeous lakes across Alberta, the northeast Lakelands are a massive area of untouched wilderness around numerous lakes.
Activities: paddling the Lakeland Canoe Circuit, stargazing under the Lakeland dark sky preserve, picnics at the Shaw Lake day use area, swimming and boating at Garner Lake Provincial Park, cultural experiences at Metis Crossing.
- Activities: historic sites and museums, swimming, boating, canoeing, kayaking, backcountry camping
- Parks: Lakeland PRA, Garner Lake Provincial Park, Sir Winston Churchill Provincial Park
3. Alberta’s Badlands
Take your road trip either near the Red Deer River for eastern Alberta’s badlands or near the Milk River for southern Alberta’s badlands. Both locations offer a deep look into Alberta’s geological, cultural, and Indigenous history.
- Activities: swimming or boating in the Red Deer River, hiking, visiting the Royal Tyrell Museum, guided tours at Dinosaur, or Writing-on-Stone, stargazing that gets better the further east you go.
- Parks: Dry Island Buffalo Jump Provincial Park, Dinosaur Provincial Park, Midland Provincial Park, Writing-on-Stone Provincial Park
4. Alberta’s Foothills
You can tour Alberta’s foothills from north to south, with provincial parks, and the three national parks, all along the edge of these mountains. The large and expansive Alberta foothills offer excellent hiking and biking, while the foothill towns offer plenty to see and do. There are scenic foothill areas in central Alberta near Grande Cache and Hinton. Additionally, the areas between Calgary and the Rockies are made up of rolling green hills.
- Activities: whitewater rafting, canoeing, kayaking, river boating, fishing, hiking and biking, touring the Cowboy Trail
- Parks: Sulphur Gates Provincial Recreation Area, William A. Switzer Provincial Park, Kananaskis Country, Beauvais Lake Provincial Park
Rocky Mountain Road Trips in Alberta
1. Tour the Lakes & Waterfalls of Waterton National Park
Waterton National Park is the southernmost of all three Rocky Mountain parks in Alberta. The park is centered around three large lakes, with the village located on Upper Waterton Lake. The lakes can be explored with shoreline trails, backcountry trails, or on the Shoreline Cruise. Beyond those major Waterton Lakes are other areas to explore, too!
- Upper and Lower Bertha Falls, or a longer hike to Cameron Falls
- Cameron Lake (at the end of Akamina Parkway)
- Lineham Falls
- Red Rock Canyon and Blakiston Falls
2. Tour the Lakes and Waterfalls of Banff
Touring some of the more popular lakes in Banff National Park could take up an entire day, and some require you to take public transportation to access. These large lakes with plenty of activities include Lake Minnewanka, Lake Louise, and Moraine Lake. Below are some idea for gorgeous, but slightly less busy, viewing areas and trails.
- Bow Falls Viewpoint
- Johnston Canyon upper and lower falls
- Hector Lake
- Bow Lake
3. Drive the Scenic Route to Alaska
AKA Highway AB-40 N. A good place to start with this road trip is near Hinton and the Trans Canada Highway. This is where the route starts to get more and more beautiful with every curve in the road.
- William A. Switzer Provincial Park
Pierre Grey’s Lakes Provincial Park - Sulphur Gates PRA
- Musreau Lake Recreation Area
4. Tour the Lakes and Waterfalls of Jasper
Alberta’s northern Rocky Mountain Park has a lot to see and do, but less crowds, and more to do outside in nature.
Right after visitors enter the east park gate, they can head to a large Canyon and get misted by the falls or hike to the lake.
- Maligne Canyon
- Punchbowl Falls
- Lake Edith and Annette
- Pyramid and Patricia Lake
- The Athabasca River and Falls
Accommodation options: hotels in Hinton and Jasper; provincial and private camping, back country camping, national park camping, vacation rentals.
Unique Road Trips in Alberta
1. Travel to Alberta’s Famous Filming Locations
- Fort MacLeod was featured in Ghostbusters, while the nearby Lethbridge was featured in Interstellar. The surrounding natural areas were also featured in the movies. Other content filmed here includes The Last of Us, and Passchendaele.
- Kananaskis has seen many a film crew from movies like Brokeback Mountain, The Revenant, X2: X men United, or the Bourne Legacy. Most recently, the area was featured in the TV show The Last of Us.
- Drumheller’s unique surrounding landscapes attract film crews from all around the world, and have showed up in Superman, Lost in Space, Shanghai Noon, and Rat Race.
2. Visit the Big and Biggest of Roadside Attractions
One of the most memorable ways to see Alberta, and add to your vacation albums, is by touring the various ‘big’ roadside attractions. Many of these impressive structures are the larges of their kind in the entire world, or hold a Guinness World Record. Take a travel through north-central Alberta to see a large bulk of these attractions. Many of theme have picnic sites and day use areas:
Beaver (Beaverlodge), Bull and Bull Rider (Brownvale), World’s Largest Bee (Falher), Trumpeter Swan (Grande Prairie), David Thompson Monument (Lac la Biche), World’s Largest Ukrainian Sausage (Mundare), 12 Foot Davis (Peace River), Smoky Lake Pumpkins, World’s Largest Badminton Racket (St. Albert), World’s Largest Pysanka (Vegreville), UFO Landing Pad (St. Paul), Mushrooms (Vilna), Perogy (Glendon)
3. Antiquing Road Trips
Find the old, the used, and the classic, and make it modern, new, or usable once again! Antiquing road trips give you the opportunity to find one-of-a-kind items for clothing, décor, games, kitchenware, jewelry, and any other treasure you can think of or want.
- Road trip through north-central Alberta to find antique shopping near the Trans Canada Highway at Edson and Parkland County. Afterwards, travel east to Edmonton for more antique shopping.
- You can travel Highway 2 between Edmonton and Red Deer to find a plethora of antique and vintage shops. Stop in locations like Leduc, Innisfail, and all around Red Deer County.
- Travel through the smaller cities and towns that surround Calgary to find antiquing on all corners. Stop in places like Airdrie, Cochrane, or Okotoks, before browsing shops in Calgary.
4. Explore Alberta’s Breweries and Distilleries
If you’re planning a road trip, you can centre your focus on certain places in Alberta that have a bustling brewing or distilling scene. There are local breweries and distilleries all across the province to try eventually, but these road trip routes will give you a good start.
- Sip your way through the Rockies: The Grizzly Paw Pub, BLAKE Brewhouse and Distillery, Canmore Brewing Company, Sheepdog Brewing, Three Bears Brewery and Restaurant, Banff Ave Brewing Co., Jasper Brewing Company
- Rocky Mountain House and Red Deer Areas: Cowtown Brewing in Didsbury, the Olds College Brewery, Rival Trade Brewing in Rocky, Hawktail Brewery in Rimbey, and Blindman Brewing in Lacombe.
- Southern Alberta and Crowsnest Area: The Pass Beer Co., Tin Dogs Pub and Brewery, Oldman River Brewing Ltd., Stronghold Brewing Co., Spectrum Ale Works, Theoretically Brewing Co., Medicine Hat Brewing Company, Hell’s Basement Brewery Inc., Travois Ale Works
Scenic Drives with Roadside Activities
1. Crowsnest Highway
AKA Highway AB-3. The western stretch of the Crowsnest Highway will take your trip through gorgeous scenery, rich and unique history, and will follow alongside the Crowsnest River.
- Lundbreck Falls PRA
- Leitch Collieries Provincial Historic Site
- Bellevue Underground Mine
- Frank Slide Interpretive Centre
- Short looping hike to Star Creek Falls near Coleman
2. Bow Valley Parkway
AKA Highway AB-1A. The Bow Valley Parkway runs parallel to Highway 1 in Banff National Park. It is a slower and more scenic route to take with several trailheads, sights, hikes, and waterfalls. This is also a good place to do some quiet wildlife viewing in Banff.
3. Icefields Parkway
There is no other highway or driving opportunity like this in Alberta. The Icefields Parkway could take several days to explore, if you want to see all the major sights. It is the connecting highway between Banff and Jasper.
- Valley of the Five Lakes
- Athabasca Pass and Falls
- Sunwapta Falls
- Columbia Icefield Skywalk and Tours
- Saskatchewan River Crossing
- Peyto Lake
4. The Cowboy Trail
AKA Highway 22. The Cowboy Trail runs north to south from Entwistle in the north to Sundre in the south. The highway rolls gently through small foothills and runs parallel to the nearby Rockies to the west, and Highway 2 to the east. The stretch between Diamond Valley offers beautiful scenery, and several places to stop for the night. Attractions, north to south:
- Bar U Ranch National Historic Site
- Chain Lakes Provincial Park
- Hiking in the Bob Creek Wildland Provincial Park
- Lundbreck Falls
- Tour Pincher Creek
More Scenic Drives:
15 Scenic Road Trips / Drives in Alberta
25 of the Best Highway Scenic Viewpoints in Alberta
Explore Alberta’s Smaller Cities
1. Grande Prairie
Grande Prairie sits west of where the Wapiti and Smoky River join. From these rivers we get Bear Creek, which runs through the middle of the city. The creek and ravine areas offer trails and create the central Muskoseepi Park. While the weather is warm, the city puts on events and entertainment outside with events planned until the end of summer. The city is surrounded by scenic wilderness areas where you can explore on foot or bike to find wildlife of all sizes.
Upcoming events:
- Grande Prairie International Street Performers Festival (July 18-23),
- Grande Prairie Night Market Festival (August 11-13),
- Bear Creek Folk Festival (August 18-20),
- Grande Sunset Outdoor Theatre at Evergreen Park
- Phillip J. Currie Dinosaur Museum
2. Red Deer
As one of the most centrally located small cities in Alberta, Red Deer can make a convenient road trip for many in Alberta. And if you’re visiting from out of province, you may want to take time to explore the areas east of Red Deer, too, where prairies turn into badlands. From now until the end of summer, the city will take advantage of being outside in the sun with cultural and arts festivals, the annual fair, and several fun things to do downtown.
Upcoming events:
- Westerner Days Fair & Exposition (July 19-23),
- Red Deer Centrefest Street Performers’ Festival (July 29-30)
- Ross Street Patio Live Music (all summer)
Attractions:
- Fort Normandeau & Kerry Wood Nature Centre
- Alberta Sports Hall of Fame
- Discovery Canyon Park
- Canyon Ski Resort
3. Lethbridge
A road trip to Lethbridge will create several things to do in the southern city, and just as many things to do on your way in or out of Lethbridge. During your visit and vacation, explore the scenic Old Man River Valley through the trails or Nature Centre, and stop for photos at the iconic viaduct, an impressive structure that runs over the river. Two major annual events can also keep you occupied during the remainder of summer.
Upcoming events:
- Lethbridge International Air Show (July 29, 2023),
- Lethbridge & District Pro Rodeo and Whoop-up Days (August 22-26)
- Fort Whoop-Up, Galt Gardens
- Nikka Yuko Japanese Gardens
- Lethbridge Viaduct & Hellen Schuller Nature Centre
4. Medicine Hat
The southeastern city of Medicine Hat is built up around the South Saskatchewan River. This means the city has scenic and peaceful river valley areas to explore on either side, and within Medicine Hat. There is the option to also plan your Medicine Hat road trip for the annual stampede at the end of July. But any other week or weekend spent here can include brewery touring, historical touring, and art tours.
Upcoming events: Medicine Hat Stampede (Jul 26-29, 2023)
- Medelta Historic Clay District
- Esplanade Arts & Heritage Centre
- World’s Tallest Teepee: Saamis Teepee
Alberta’s Beach Towns & Cities
1. Cold Lake
The city of Cold Lake surrounds not only the lake, but Kinosoo Beach, Cold Lake Provincial Park, and the French Bay PRA. All summer, the Kinosoo Beach and surrounding waters are busy wither paddlers, boaters, swimmers, and lazy floaters. Make the most of your Cold Lake road trip with a visit to the annual summer festivals, or the local attractions.
Events: Cold Lake Aqua Days (August 4-6), Extreme Mudfest (August 17-20), Feast at the Beach Food Truck & Music Festival (September 1-2)
Attractions: Kinosoo Beach, Kinosoo Ridge Aerial Adventure Park, Cold Lake Marina, Cold Lake Museums
2. Slave Lake
The town of Lesser Slave Lake is on the southeast shores of Lesser Slave Lake, a considerably large body of water. This massive lake is also home to a long, beautiful, sandy beach at the Devonshire day-use area. The town takes advantage of the beach with their annual summer festival. Beyond the beach is a dense boreal forest, with a wide variety and large abundance of wildlife. The Provincial Park offers ways to explore the trees and animals!
Events: Dog Island Brewery Summer Concert Series (July 27, August 25); Beach Fest (August 12-13)
Attractions: Boreal Centre For Bird Conservation, Devonshire Beach, Marten River trails, Slave Lake Fishing Tours
3. Sylvan Lake
There are many reasons that factor into Sylvan Lake’s popularity in the summers. The town and beach are central to Calgary and Edmonton, and are a short drive from the city of Red Deer, so the beach is easily accessibly for many Albertans. And once you arrive, there is so much to do and see. If you need to find a place to stay first, search Air BnB or VRBO for the perfect lake cabin. A lot of the town’s summer fun is found along Lakeshore Drive, which also passes a large beachfront park. The area has several shops, cafes, and restaurants. Near the park is where you can find boat rentals, too!
Events: Friday Farmers’ Market, JAWS at the Lake outdoor movie night (August 5), the Teddy Bear Picnic Fundraiser (August 27)
4. Elkwater
No matter what direction from which you need to get to Elkwater, the road trip through Alberta’s cypress hills offers up some unique scenery. And as you get deeper into the hills, Elkwater Lake will appear! Elkwater Lake is on the northwest side of Cypress Hills Provincial Park with a small summer village, and the Elkwater Lake Lodge. The Lodge is where you can rent boats to take on the lake! Plus, this lake is open to swimmers with a sandy beach on the south shore. The park extends quite a ways south and east beyond the lake, and is part of an Interprovincial Park we share with Saskatchewan. Take a drive east to explore across the border, or south to explore more of the Alberta side on foot, bike, or car.
Events: Battle Creek Showdown: Mountain Bike Races & Festival (August 26), Guided nature hikes, paddling, and workshops (throughout summer)