10 Best Places to Go Near Edmonton

An hour straight south of Edmonton, the little town of Lacombe is a great family destination. It’s home to a collection of well-preserved Edwardian architecture, including the red-brick Flatiron building, and is locally known for its murals depicting scenes from the city’s past.

Lacombe has the most to offer in summer and autumn. The city’s 100-year-old blacksmith opens to the public each summer, giving demonstrations on largely original machinery. Then there’s the Ellis Bird Farm, which works to conserve local bird species and will help you spot a purple martin or a great horned owl. In autumn, there’s a popular harvest festival plus one of the biggest corn mazes in Canada at the Kraay Family Farm.

Sylvan Lake is one of Central Alberta’s most popular summer getaways. The town’s activity centres around the lake itself, a watersports haven spanning 15 sq kms. Each summer season the lake teems with boats, kayaks and jet skis, and for those who haven’t brought their own equipment, shops in town provide rentals. Kids will love Aqua Splash, an inflatable water park on the lake replete with slides and a trampoline.

The town offers a different kind of getaway in winter. Some areas of the lake are made into ice rinks, while others are lined with ice fishing huts. Snowmobiling is a favourite pastime. For a quiet weekend away, rent a lakeside cabin and gather around the fireplace.

Scenic Athabasca is a riverside town with excellent opportunities for hiking and observing wildlife. A two-hour drive north of Edmonton, this little town is quite remote. It has an abundance of natural beauty and is surrounded by verdant boreal forests.

There are many hiking trails to choose from, most between 3 and 8 kms with some elevation gain. The Athabasca Landing Trail follows a historic route used by explorers that now is home to an active beaver population. The Muskeg Creek Trails weave through a heavily wooded ravine and are home to multitudes of birds and butterflies. The lakeside campground at Forfar is a serene place to look up at the stars far from the glow of city lights.

The hamlet of Fort Assiniboine was once a key post in the fur trade area. Today the area is a sacrament to the pioneering spirit and life exploring the wilderness. The town’s small museum, located in a reconstruction of a classic Hudson’s Bay-style trading post, provides a glimpse into the fur trade era and the lives of early settlers. Outside its doors stands an enormous wagon wheel and pickaxe sculpture.

Wild camping and horseback riding are popular local pastimes. In the nearby Sandhills Wildland Park, 66 sq kms of wetlands, sand dunes, and old-growth forest wait to be explored. The park hosts an astonishing 436 plant species and is favoured by bats, ducks, muskrats and white-tailed deer.

St. Paul has an unusual claim to fame as home to the world’s first UFO Landing Pad. Built in 1967 as part of the Canadian Centennial celebrations, the 30-tonne mushroom-shaped platform has yet to draw extraterrestrial visitors, but it has attracted plenty of tourists. It was even paid a visit by Queen Elizabeth II on her 1978 tour of Canada.

Located two hours east of Edmonton, the town was originally settled by Métis families of mixed Indigenous and European ancestry, who played an important role in the fur trade. A major event in the town each year is Rodeo Week, during which the local rodeo association puts on a week of events and performances.

Elk Island National Park is a wildlife sanctuary just a stone’s throw from Edmonton. The park played a critical role in the conservation of the American bison, which was on the brink of extinction by the early 20th century. Today, visitors can see herds of these majestic creatures roaming freely through the plains, along with elk and over 250 bird species.

This large, forested park has an extensive network of hiking trails. It’s centred around Astotin Lake, a popular spot to paddle in a canoe or kayak. Perhaps best of all, the entire park is part of the Beaver Hill Dark Sky Preserve, which means you’ll have a spectacular view of the stars.

A winter sports paradise, Rabbit Hill Snow Resort is one of the largest ski and snowboard areas near Edmonton. The resort boasts over 40 acres of ski and snowboard trails that cater to all levels, plus a park for snow tubing. Gear up and get ready to hit the slopes.

This is an ideal place for beginners to get on their feet. The resort is known for its exceptional instructors who know how to instill confidence in first-timers as they learn the ropes.

The Clifford E. Lee Nature Sanctuary is a protected area of forests, marshlands and meadows ideal for peaceful walks in nature. A network of boardwalks and trails crisscross the sanctuary, allowing visitors to explore different areas without disturbing the environment. The trails are intended to be accessible by all levels and are generally easy to navigate.

Across the various habitats, you may see a red fox tucked under the brush, coyotes wandering the open woods, or a porcupine perched high on an aspen branch. The huge variety of bird species in the sanctuary includes 26 songbirds, eight species of owl and bald eagles.

Prairie Gardens and Adventure Park do agri-tourism the right way, providing fresh produce and outdoor fun for families on their farm and orchard. This 35-acre family farm has tons of activities that change with the seasons. In the fall, visitors can pick apples and make their own scarecrows. Summertime farm days offer face painting, feeding at the petting farm and picking squash and greens. There are tons of other fun activities like corn mazes and puppet shows.

The farm also has offerings for the adults at the table, like their seven-course farm-to-table dinners. They also sell packages of fresh seasonal fruit and vegetables, if don’t want to do the picking yourself.

Bring the family back in time at Jurassic Forest, where life-sized dinosaur models roam through a natural woodland. Exploring the park’s two discovery trails, visitors encounter animatronic dinosaurs in the wild while learning about palaeontology and geology. There are 50 dinos spread throughout the park, from the towering T-Rex at the entrance to the gentle Stegosaurus grazing in the woods.

Budding palaeontologists will love the interactive dig site at the park’s playground. And if that’s not enough fun, take the kids to the 18-hole dino-themed mini golf course.