Canada from Coast to Coast – Alberta, Canada

Today we’ve crossed the Canadian Rockies and moved into the first of the Prairie provinces, to Alberta. Alberta is a beautiful mixture of the wild open spaces that are the Prairies combined with the majesty of the Rocky Mountains. The foothills of the Rockies create this beautiful landscape as it moves into the flatlands that are perfect for cattle farming. Then there are the Badlands which is like going to another world. It really is a unique province. As with BC I’ve tapped into their tourism sites to provide me with accurate details.

I have to say that while I have lived on the prairies in Manitoba, were I ever to move back, it would be Alberta. I think it is the most beautiful of the 3 prairie provinces. And being a West Coaster, being away from the mountains was what I missed the most while living there. Anyway, onward!

Alberta has two major cities, Calgary and Edmonton. They are pretty close in size, with about 1.5 million residents in each city. And for Canada those are pretty big populations. However, they are very different cities with different vibes; admittedly I’ve only spend time in Calgary, but I know people from both places and they are definitely different.

Something of note about Alberta, Albertans are passionate about conservation and preservation.  In fact, by square kilometres/miles, nearly 50% of all National Parks within Canada are in Alberta (Provinces not Territories).

So Alberta, much like BC has regions, all with their own unique topography and offerings. So I’ll touch on each region.

Peace River Region – The Peace River Region is a wild, beautiful and untamed region of Alberta’s northwest. And you’ll need to travel through this region in order to get to the Alaska Highway. The main geographic feature of the region is the mighty and majestic Peace River. It is Alberta’s largest river by volume flowing from the British Columbia Rockies. The Peace River continues on through the region, and through Wood Buffalo National Park. It then merges with the Athabasca River and flows into the Great Slave Lake of the Northwest Territories.  

Some of the popular recreational areas include Saskatoon Island Provincial Park , Kakwa Provincial Park, O’Brian Provincial Park, Lesser Slave Lake Park, and the Massive Peace River Wildland Park, and the sizeable city of Grande Prairie

The Banff Region – So let’s talk about the one place everyone knows and thinks of when they think Alberta – Banff! Banff National Park was established in 1885 as Canada’s very first and still most well known National Park.  The Banff Region also includes Kananaskis Country and regions around the Town of Canmore.  The Town of Banff is a busy mountain town, with so much to see and do.  With beautiful and scenic mountain drives and countless gorgeous lakes, streams, waterfalls and all with a mountain backdrop.

With three world class ski resorts, all offering exceptional skiing. These are year-round resorts and include Sunshine Village, Mount Norquay and Lake Louise Ski Resort. Summertime activities include sightseeing, heli-flights, heli-hiking tours, caving expeditions, mountain biking, mountain climbing and fishing, Horseback riding and trail rides.

As you can see it’s a photographers paradise, with mountain sheep, elk and deer, and a possible grizzly or black bear encounter.

Athabasca River Region – The Athabasca River Region is a vast and remote region in Alberta’s northeast corner. The Athabasca River originates at the Athabasca Glacier. It flows through this region and is part of the vast Columbia Icefields.

The region is home to some of Alberta’s largest Provincial Parks, and the largest National Park in Canada, Wood Buffalo National Park.  In fact, Alberta’s two largest lakes, Lake Clair and Lake Athabasca are within this park.  Fur traders established many of Alberta’s first communities in this region. Most noteworthy are Fort Chipewyan, Lac Le Biche and Fort MacMurray, towns that grew out of these early settlements.

The Jasper Region – So now lets talk the second most popular location in Alberta – Jasper!  The protected areas of Willmore Wilderness Park and Kakwa Wildland Provincial Park surround Jasper National Park. The Jasper Region is rugged, wild and large – perfect for those seeking a more genuine Rocky Mountain wilderness experience!

Jasper National Park is the other “Crown Jewel” of Alberta Parks. Along with Banff, it is the largest of the Rocky Mountain Parks. Jasper features many unique natural attractions including the Columbia Ice Fields. Here you can see six branches of glaciers feeding waters into three different oceans (Pacific, Arctic and Atlantic). The “Glacier Walk” has become a top attraction for Park visitors, as it is extremely memorable. So much fun to walk on a glass floor suspended hundreds of feet above the valley below. Another crowd-pleasing attraction is the “Jasper Sky Tram”, the longest and highest aerial tramway in Canada. Be sure and visit the beautiful Maligne Valley and Canyon.

Jasper has its own Hot Springs Resort as well, called the Miette Hot Springs. To travel there, take a beautiful drive approximately 1 hour from Jasper or 45 minutes from Hinton.   While you are there, you may choose to stay for a few days. The area around the Springs has its own accommodation and dining spots.

Yellowhead Edson Region – The Yellowhead Edson region includes Edmonton as the highlight. Edmonton is Alberta’s capital city and situated along the banks of the peaceful North Saskatchewan River. The gorgeous river valley  features over 50 kilometers of continuous natural and urban park space; North America’s longest.

And so because some of us want to do a little shopping, and sometimes just need a break from the great outdoors, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention Canada’s most famous mall. The West Edmonton Mall is the largest indoor mall in North America. It has over 800 stores, 100 dining venues and 8 major attractions.  It also includes the largest indoor lake and the largest indoor water park in the Americas, The World Water Park. Galaxy Land is the largest indoor amusement park in North America.

Wildrose Region – Also known as Mountain View, the Wildrose Region is best described as all points west of Highway 21. It lies between Calgary on the south end and Edmonton on the north end.  The Rockies serve as the western boundary of the Region.  The City of Red Deer is the half way point between the two big Cities. Sylvan lake is found just 20 minutes from Red Deer, and is Alberta’s most favourite lakeside resort.

Badlands – Buffalo Trail – The Badlands – Buffalo Trail Region is a blend of grasslands and parklands located ‘points east’ of Highway #21. This region is the area between Calgary and Edmonton.  The region extends all the way to the Alberta Saskatchewan border. There is much more here than meets the eye! This region includes Wainwright, Consort and Acai Valley to the east. On the westside, places like Stettler, Three Hills, and Drumheller are great places to visit.

Most notably, this region includes some of Alberta’s’ most important historical sites, including the Royal Tyrrell Museum and Dinosaur Provincial Park.   Both are world renown, very educational and super interesting to kids and adults alike!

At Drumheller you will find great areas to explore including the ‘hoodoos’ along the river banks, an old coal mine tour and a very interesting short drive to the historic town of Wayne. This town is a ‘must see’ hidden gem!

Crowsnest Region – The Cowboy Trail – Crowsnest Region or Foothills Region is the portion of southwest Alberta within view of the Rocky Mountains. It includes the foothills and mountains of southwest Alberta. It features one of the most truly beautiful drives in Canada, the Cowboy Trail. The Trail starts about 20 minutes west of Calgary and winds through beautiful ‘ranching country’, all the way down to the Crowsnest Trail. 

Further south, this region includes one of Alberta’s newest and largest Provincial Park-Wildlands – Castle Park.  It also boasts the spectacular Waterton Lakes National Park in the far southwest corner of Alberta. This is near to Glacier National Park in the USA.  The two parks together were dedicated in 1932 as an Internal Peace Park. In addition, they have been declared Biosphere Reserves by UNESCO and their union as a World Heritage Site. Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump is the region’s other World Heritage Site. Be sure to visit other Provincial and National Historic Sites. Among the favorites are the Frank Slide, BAR U Ranch, Fort MacLeod and Fort Whoop-Up.

Elk Island National Park – Elk Island has played an important role in the conservation of American Bison. If you love wildlife, this is, in fact, the best  place to be. Especially relevant, is that it is home to the pygmy shrew and to the Wood Bison. These are the smallest and the largest land mammals in North America.  Roaming through the park are lynx, mule deer, beaver, moose, white tail deer, coyotes, timber wolves, black bears and porcupine. Higher density of hoofed animals per square kilometre than any other wild area in the world save the Serengeti.

Well there you have it, another beautiful Canadian destination for those that love the great outdoors, and maybe have a penchant for dinosaurs! Hopefully this gives you a taste of all the amazing national parks and activities that Alberta has to offer.

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