Alberta has five national parks: Banff, Jasper, Waterton Lakes, Wood Buffalo, and Elk Island. If you’ve already explored the National Parks of British Columbia with us, now it’s time to head east into Alberta. Alberta is home to North America’s largest mountain range and is a province whose motto is, fittingly, Fortis et Liber (Strong and Free). While Alberta isn’t home to the most National Parks out of Canada’s provinces (that honor belongs to British Columbia with seven national parks), it is home to some of the most famous.

With 25+ years traveling Canada’s unique and beautiful landscapes by RV, we have a few tips for visiting these gems.

T&T Travel Tip Similar to the America the Beautiful Pass in the U.S., Canada has the Discovery Pass which grants access to all of Canada’s national parks, historic sites, and more for 12 months.

1. Banff National Park

If you reside in the United States, you may know Banff best for its famous film festival or sprawling ski resort, but Banff is also the beating heart of Canada’s National Park System. As the first Canadian National Park, Banff is an adventurer’s dreamland. It’s not hard to understand why its landscapes inspired Canada to create a National Park System. With towering peaks, azure glacial lakes, tumbling ice fields, steep canyons, plunging waterfalls, and bubbling geothermal pools to explore, you’ll be planning a trip back before you’ve finished your first visit. For those with limited mobility or limited time, the Banff Gondola is an excellent way to see the sights from nearly 2300 ft (700 meters) above the town.    

T&T Travel Tip A trip to Banff wouldn’t be complete without experiencing the pristine, high-alpine Lake Louise. Due to its popularity, we recommend booking seats on a Parks Canada Shuttle so you don’t have to worry about parking. Once you’ve arrived, there are superb opportunities for recreation on and around the lake. 

2. Jasper National Park

North of Banff and hugging the western border of Alberta, Jasper National Park feels like a world of its own. In a place that embraces wilderness, you are as likely to run into a big game animal here as a human resident. Jasper is full of surprises. Known as the quaint “Cabin Capital of Canada”, it is Canada’s largest Rocky Mountain park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the second largest Dark Sky Preserve in the entire world (spoiler alert, #1 is also on this list). It’s a place that we love to explore by night as much as we do by day. Please note: Jasper experienced a significant wildfire in the summer of 2024 but is now welcoming visitors back for summer and winter activities.

T&T Travel Tip You can’t miss a hike through Maligne Canyon. We recommend going with a guide for the full experience, and if you have the opportunity to do the guided night ice walk in winter, this frozen landscape becomes otherworldly. 

3. Waterton Lakes National Park

Located in the southwest corner of Alberta, Waterton Lakes National Park shares a border with Montana’s Glacier National Park as part of the first International Peace Park in the world, and visitors can take a ferry from one to the other. Waterton is a lovely place with a welcoming feeling. The landscape is dramatic and beautiful, and the park is well laid out for easy enjoyment. There are opportunities for recreating on the lakes, hundreds of miles of hiking trails, and the historic Prince of Wales Hotel where you can sit and sip tea while taking in views of the lake.

T&T Travel Tip Get more details in our exploration of Waterton in our blog post, “Exploring Waterton Lakes National Park by RV.”

4. Wood Buffalo National Park

When it comes to all-things-big, Wood Buffalo National Park is the champion. At over 11,000,000 acres, Wood Buffalo is Canada’s largest National Park, the world’s largest Dark Sky Preserve, and home to the world’s largest beaver dam. It also has the world’s largest inland delta which sustains populations of endangered whooping cranes and many other animal species. Wood Buffalo is an excellent area to explore by RV as the roads are the best way to travel large expanses across this park to experience its unique and varied ecosystems. You are likely to encounter the park’s bison herd, one of the last free-roaming herds in the world.

T&T Travel Tip While chances of spotting the endangered whooping cranes in their nesting grounds here are low, your chances of seeing the Northern Lights and plenty of bison are high. The park’s Salt Plains are also worth a stop to walk around on the spongy/crunchy terrain.

5. Elk Island National Park

Located just 35 miles east of Edmonton, Elk Island National Park is a UNESCO designated Biosphere Reserve. This is a beautiful place to see bison and elk, enjoy a hike, and have a picnic. With 250 bird species, it is also an excellent place for birders to enjoy a stroll and add a few species to their birding life list. There are RV sites in the park’s campgrounds and an overnight stay could give you a chance to experience the Aurora Borealis. 

T&T Travel Tip For a unique and informative experience, we recommend the 1-hour walking tour that starts with a behind-the-scenes look at the Elk Island Bison Handling Facility. For information on booking a tour, please visit this Parks Canada page.