Intrepid travelers willing to leave the beaten path will be richly rewarded in the vast and varied Canadian province of Alberta, where Indigenous traditions and cowboy, farming, and ranching roots of the Canadian Prairies still run deep. Practice yoga in the shadow of a rugged ridgeline, cold-plunge into glacial-fed water, and check out hulking hoodoos (rocky pinnacles of white sandstone and marine shale) where dinosaurs once roamed in these under-the-radar destinations. Or perhaps riding horseback across verdant Prairie landscapes and walking in the footsteps of the Indigenous nations that have called this province home for thousands of years is more your style. No matter what you decide and no matter the season, a trip to Alberta is always unforgettable.
Epic stargazing among the hoodoos of Alberta
Courtesy of Travel Alberta
Explore Indigenous culture at Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump
South of Calgary lies UNESCO World Heritage Site Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump, where visitors can experience the historic traditions of the Blackfoot Nation. Begin your 6,000-year journey through the Nation’s history at the visitors’ center before seeing the impressive natural formation of the Buffalo Jump. See firsthand how the Blackfoot people combined their knowledge of the environment and the Plains buffalo (bison) behavior to stampede the sacred animals off a cliff and use them for food, shelter, and clothing.
Ice climbing is one of many outdoor activities to enjoy in Alberta.
Courtesy of Travel Alberta
To experience an outdoor adventure through an Indigenous lens, book a hiking or climbing experience with Girth Hitch Guiding. Owner Tim Taylor, a proud Métis man, offers a variety of cultural and adrenaline-inducing adventures for people of all skill levels. Connect more deeply with the land on a hike rooted in Indigenous ways of knowing (led in partnership with Zuc’min Guiding). To experience the thrill of the high alpine, book a Heli-Glacier adventure in the lesser-known David Thompson Country, or get your heart pumping on the Fox Via Ferrata for an action-packed mountain climbing experience.
Experience the Prairies at Painted Warriors Ranch and Twin Butte Silos
Horseback riding at Painted Warriors
Courtesy of Travel Alberta
Ojibway, Cree, and Mohawk heritage meet at Painted Warriors, where guests can make their way through the foothills of central Alberta by horseback or snowshoe. Owners and operators Tracey Klettl (Cree and Mohawk) and Tim Mearns (Saulteaux and a member of the Cote First Nations band) bring their considerable expertise to guests in the form of archery and Indigenous hunting lessons, survival skills—including learning to track animal prints and identifying medicinal plants—and ribbon skirt workshops. They pride themselves on breaking down barriers between cultures one activity at a time.
While you can visit for the day, it’s worthwhile to spend the night in the year-round fire cabins, which include dinner and breakfast. The Bimaagimose Snowshoe Experience (bimaagimose means “goes snowshoeing” in Ojibway) explores how Indigenous people used the land during winter to survive. The tour will teach you how to navigate by the night sky.
Alternatively, spend the night in a reimagined grain tower at Twin Butte Silos, accommodations unlike anything you’ve experienced before. The comfortable and cozy silos include a kitchen, living area with a sofa bed, and outdoor seating with a private gas firepit. Located on a 26-acre ranch, the silos offer plenty of mountain views themselves, and a 20-minute drive will take you to Waterton, one of Alberta’s most spectacular and underrated national parks.
Visit Alberta’s Badlands
Alberta’s Badlands
Courtesy of Travel Alberta
Dry gulches and dusty hoodoos abound when traveling through off-the-beaten-path southeastern Alberta, otherwise known as the Badlands. Drumheller—proudly proclaimed the “Dinosaur Capital of the World”—and home to the Royal Tyrrell Museum, houses the world’s largest display of dinosaurs. It’s a rewarding stop for adults and children alike, with various educational programs, including guided hiking, simulated outdoor digs, and fossil casting.
Get a taste of more recent history at Drum Distilling, where early 20th-century pioneers are honored for settling what’s now Drumheller. Barrel-aged gin with notes of wood spice, citrus, and juniper; spicy dill vodka; and spiked sodas hint at what’s on offer in its tasting room, where all are welcome. Experience the cowboy life at the historic Last Chance Saloon (established in 1913) in nearby Wayne. Savor its slow-roasted BBQ brisket, chicken, or pork ribs, and spend the night in one of seven themed rooms at the adjoining Rosedeer Hotel.
Say goodbye to Tyra, the world’s largest dinosaur, before traveling back in time again at Dinosaur Provincial Park, where these prehistoric creatures roamed 75 million years ago. Take a guided tour to make the most of a visit here, including the Bare Bones Bus Tour, where you can view a fully articulated duck-billed dinosaur skeleton where it was originally unearthed. Grassy plateaus and craggy coulees (deep, sloping ravines) make for dynamic hiking or simply scrambling around the hoodoos accessed via public trails from the provincial campground.
Stay at the Northaven wellness retreat
Leave the modern world behind in East Jasper just outside Jasper National Park, where an unparalleled wellness retreat at Northaven awaits. Ensconced by rugged peaks and fertile forest, the phone-free environment creates a calming sanctuary where you can nurture your “inner nature” alongside the adventure that awaits in the great outdoors.
Truly immerse yourself in nature while sampling myriad wellness offerings, including yoga classes (alongside a Yogi Cave with Saunaspace Red Light therapy), cold plunges, forest bathing, and a yurt relaxation area. Hike up Folding Mountain and enjoy a meal at its namesake brewery nearby, gather around the fire with like-minded individuals, and leave with a “rewilded” state of mind from this hidden wellness gem.
