10 Best National Parks in Alberta

Banff National Park is Canada’s first national park and a UNESCO World Heritage Site on the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains. The park is known for its epic scenery, native wildlife, stunning mountainscapes and vast glacial lakes.  

Summer is the busiest season in Banff, popular for hiking, canoeing and outdoor sports. Winter is popular for skiing and ice-skating on frozen Lake Louise with its magical snowy mountain backdrop. One of the highlights is the Banff gondola, a cable car that runs all year. It takes you to the summit of Sulphur Mountain, named for its hot springs open year-round. The lookout at the top has jaw-dropping views of 6 mountain ranges, scenic dining and a discovery centre.  

Jasper National Park in Alberta is a UNESCO World Heritage Site known for astonishing scenery, abundant wildlife and its range of activities. Hiking trails meander through its mountain paths and peaks, alongside lakes, rivers and waterfalls. Some of the park’s highlights include Maligne Lake, where you can take a boat trip to Spirit Island for jaw-dropping scenery, or hike Maligne Canyon, an easy trail to a deep gorge with a beautiful cascading waterfall.   

Jasper National Park has a gondola you can take for panoramic mountain views. If you have a head for heights, stroll on the glass-bottom footbridge of Columbia Icefield Skywalk and enjoy breathtaking views of the canyon far below and the glaciers of the Columbia Ice Field.

Wood Buffalo National Park is the largest park in Canada at 44,807 sq km. Located in Canada’s Northwest Territories it’s one of the more unusual and secluded national parks and home to unique ecosystems. It has one of the world’s largest inland freshwater deltas, the world’s longest beaver dam, Canada’s only salt plains and karst topography with sinkholes and caves.   

When the park was created in 1922, the animal it was named after was nearing extinction. Today thousands of wood buffalo roam freely throughout the World Heritage Site. You can also see bison, moose, American white pelicans, black bears and endangered whooping cranes nesting in the park. Biting horseflies can be a menace in the hotter months, so dress accordingly.

Bow Valley Provincial Park is located at the confluence of 2 Rocky Mountain rivers and is known for its excellent trout fishing, world-class rafting and river surfing. It’s a vast park with majestic mountains, river rapids, serene lakes and abundant wildlife. It’s less touristy and draws fewer visitors than Banff National Park, but its scenery is just as breathtaking.  

The park’s 61 wildlife trails range from gentle family-friendly tracks with benches and picnic areas to challenging rugged trails. In winter Bow Valley Provincial Park is a good spot for snow shoeing and cross-country skiing. 

Elk Island National Park is small by Canada’s standards, but there’s plenty to do and explore in its 190 sq km. The park was originally a fenced animal sanctuary for elk, moose, mule deer and buffalo. Now it’s a popular recreation area just 32 km from Edmonton, known for its hiking trails, camping facilities, wildlife spotting and a series of lakes left behind by retreating glaciers. 

Astotin Lake is the main attraction for canoeing, kayaking and relaxing on the sandy beach. Its large playground is popular with families. Some days the lake is covered with algae so it’s wise to check ahead. Home to over 200 avian species, the park appeals to birdwatchers.  

Waterton Lakes National Park is in a secluded southwest corner of Alberta where the prairies meet the Rocky Mountains within a UNESCO World Heritage site. The park’s breath-taking landscapes make it a haven for photographers, and it’s popular with wildlife enthusiasts, having over 60 species of mammals.  

Waterton Lakes National Park is renowned for its hiking and biking trails, including the thrilling, 17-km Crypt Lake Trail, featuring dramatic cliffs and waterfalls. Cycling the 14-km Red Rock Parkway is a popular way to explore the park and visit Red Rock Canyon. Elsewhere, the charming lakeshore town of Waterton has a range of accommodation and dining options including the historic 1927 Prince of Wales Hotel. 

Chinchaga Wildland Provincial Park is a remote park of significant ecological value in the Boreal Forest Natural Region of northwest Alberta. There is no formal road access to or inside the park, but you can access it with off-trail vehicles, including snowmobiles, on its existing trails.   

This rugged wilderness is home to a protected caribou herd. You might also see moose, black bears, grizzly bears, wolves and mountain lions. Hunting and fishing are allowed with a permit. In warmer months, limited canoeing, kayaking, fishing and skijoring are allowed. In the winter you can go cross-country skiing, dog sledding and snowshoeing. If you plan to hike or camp here, bring your communication and survival equipment. 

Moonshine Lake Provincial Park offers lakeside family-friendly activities surrounded by boreal forests and native wildlife. At night you can hear wolves howling or great horned owls hooting. The park’s Jack Bird Pond has a wildlife corridor and a wetland complex with several beaver ponds and abundant birdlife.  

It’s a popular camping spot for young and old with over 100 powered campsites surrounded by hiking trails and a paved biking track. The lake has a tranquil sandy beach with a swimming area and boat launch used by trout fishing enthusiasts. Some of the best things to do in winter are cross-country skiing, ice-fishing and ice skating.  

Peter Lougheed Provincial Park in the Canadian Rockies is one of Alberta’s largest provincial parks. It’s popular for a range of outdoor adventure activities surrounded by breathtaking scenery. You can hike one of the park’s many to see river canyons, waterfalls and wildlife. Anglers can hike to a high alpine lake or fish on the Kananaskis Lakes. In winter, the lakes area has more than 85 km of groomed trails for cross-country skiing.  

Overlooking Lower Kananaskis Lake, William Watson Lodge provides accessible wilderness lodging and seasonal camping for people with disabilities, seniors and their families, with accessible cabins, trails and picnic sites. 

Rock Lake-Solomon Creek Wildland Park is a patchwork of protected wilderness landscapes in the northern Rocky Mountains near Jasper National Park. It has a significant wildlife corridor and provides winter range habitat for elk, deer and bighorn sheep. The park is also bear country, with populations of grizzly bears and black bears, and home to wildlife suited to its crisp subarctic climate, including moose, wolves and cougars. 

Best for the more adventurous hiker as the extensive network of hiking trails are rough and many have river crossings without bridges. Some follow old fur trade routes and prehistoric routes used by Indigenous peoples. While the park is known for fishing and cross-country skiing, nature lovers also enjoy the wildflowers and birdwatching.