47 Road Trip Ideas from Edmonton

Drive Time: 30 minutes
A classic staple for summer adventure, Elk Island National Park is perfect for kayaking, renting a canoe, spotting buffalo or exploring trails. It also makes for an incredible place to stargaze late at night!

Drive Time: 35 minutes
Located near the city, this natural area feels like you’ve escaped to a forest far, far away. Spend the afternoon or morning exploring, and searching for wildlife.

Drive Time: 45 minutes
Clifford E. Lee is an iconic visit, all year round, but during the summer there are birds, wildlife, flowers and trails to explore through the whole natural area.

Drive Time: 40 minutes
A must-do with Toddlers and younger children, Jurassic Forest will have dinosaur-loving kids enamoured with the dinos off of the trail. Bring a picnic (and plenty of insect repellent).

Drive Time: 50 minutes
Located southeast of Edmonton, the Miquelon Lake Provincial Park is a great day trip for all who want to escape the city. Find hiking and mountain biking trails, wildlife, and the Hesje Observatory.

Drive Time: 45 minutes
Allen Beach resort is a close-to-the-city favourite for families. Shallow water, clean, and a concession on site. Be prepared to pay a day rate, as it’s a privately owned beach.

Drive Time: 50 minutes
Wabamun has a bad reputation for algae problems later in the season, but early in the summer it is a fantastic beach close to the city to swim with children. Concession and free parking on site.

Drive Time: 1h 30m
New this year, the Canyon Coaster at Canyon Ski resort in Red Deer will feature the popular coaster ride down the ski hill! You’re not going to want to miss adding this one to your summer bucket list when you visit Red Deer.

Drive Time: 90 minutes
Canyon Ski Resort opened the first alpine coaster in Alberta, and now, the resort is adding to their roster of summer fun with a canyon adventure park that will feature climbing, dropping, aerial-ing and zipline-ing a 500’ treetop adventure.

Drive Time: 1h 35m
Long Island Lake beach charges a nominal fee for day-use, with camping on site. Older children love the cool water, and dock they can swim out towards. Younger children love the playground right on the beach.

Drive Time: 1h 45m
Located in the Abbey Centre in Blackfalds, this outdoor Rec Centre waterpark is a popular place during the summer. Admission is reasonable, at around $20/family.

Drive Time: 1h 45m
Sylvan Lake Aqua Splash Park is back for 2022, and better than ever. Plan your visit this summer with the kids. Prices start at $17.50 for an hour of jumping, up to $38 for a full day.

Drive Time: 1 h 30 minutes
Best for younger children, this small lake near Red Deer and tubing area are a must-visit during the summer. Tubes can be brought from home, or rented on site.

Drive Time: 1h 55m
We’re here for the easy hikes, that you can loop around in under ten minutes, for an epic payoff. Hard Luck Canyon is just that - a quick 5 minute walk to a cool canyon near Whitecourt.

Drive Time: 1h 55m
These river-slides are all-ages fun for the summer. Make a day of adventure, and include Hard Luck Canyon in your Whitecourt Adventure.

Drive Time: 2h
Where else in Alberta can you feed a camel, interact with tigers after the park has closed and camp overnight? Discover Wildlife Park is a must-see for summer adventurers.

Drive Time: 2h 45m
The vastness of Slave Lake, and the slow pace when you visit during the week make this beach an Edmonton family favourite. We’re hoping for the return of the Sandblast Festival.

Drive Time: 2h 20m
Is being able to engage and interact with sixty-one alpacas your jam? Do you like the scenic route? Kirk’s Alpaca farm, in Three Hills, is one of our favourite reasons to take the long way to Calgary.

Drive Time: 2h 45m
A great add-on for a trip to Drumheller, this ghost town serves up pizza through the summer on special nights. You’ll be amazed at how well the town is preserved.

Drive Time: 3 hours
Venture up the hill on a chair lift and glide down the ski hill’s winding track at Winsport on a go-kart this summer. Kids aged toddler and up can take part in the experience with a parent, or on their own.

Drive Time: 3h 5m
There is so much more to Drumheller than the Royal Tyrell Museum. Find everything to do in Drumheller with kids, in our Drumheller Travel Guide.

Driving Time: 3h 20m
The “Big Rock” is the largest glacial erratic in North America. These rocks were carried by the glaciers and remained after the melt. Some of the rocks are as tall as a 3-story building!

Drive Time 3h 30m
Just over three hours from Edmonton, this Saskatchewan Lake features a cool playground on the beach, soft sand, clean water, and concession on the beach.

Drive Time: 3h 5m
No, that’s not Kelowna - that’s Cold Lake! The zipline into the water and paddleboard and kayak rentals make this beach a favourite. Be warned, the water is cold.

Drive Time: 3h 5m
Mount Edith Cavell, just outside of Jasper is a glacier you must visit at least once. The path is paved, stroller-friendly, and features an incredible view from above.

Drive Time: 3 h 30m
In the summer, Abraham Lake (actually not a lake) is drained to leave behind what was there before the reservoir was created. Bring a picnic, and walk to the water’s edge to see what you can discover.

Drive Time: 3h 35m
Located near Abraham Lake, in David Thompson Country, this Canyon Hike is kid-friendly and if you’re adventurous, you can make your way down the creek bed to the falls.

Driving Time: 3h 30m
Tucked away in Kananaskis, Heart Creek Bunker is a kid-friendly hike that ends with a cave to explore, or more specifically, a cold war bunker. Tag this one on to your Kananaskis itinerary.

Drive Time: 3h 50m
Cat Creek Falls is a 2km hike in Kananaskis with a trail along the river and through the forest, with an incredible waterfall at the end. There is space for a picnic, and plenty of room to dip your feet in the falls (and many rock chairs!)

Drive Time: 3h 55m
Don’t let the length of this hike intimidate you! It’s doable with young children. It will take you through boardwalk meadows a suspension bridge and a forest.

Drive Time: 3h 50m
One of the coolest parts of the Troll Falls hike is the troll dolls you’ll find along the trail. The second part? Dipping your feet into the waterfall at the end of the hike.

Driving Time: 4 hours
Grotto Canyon, near Canmore is a cool hike in the winter and during the summer months. The best part is that you can venture as far the canyon as you would like, on the out and back trail.

Drive Time: 4h 5m
Bankhead Ghost Town is a must-stop on your next trip to Banff. Kids will love the abandoned and ruined houses, and the short trek to the abandoned town.

Drive Time: 4h 10m
Horseshoe Lake is one of those hidden areas where you can jump off cliffs (low for the younger kids, up to 50 feet for the brave) and jump into freezing cold water. Don’t expect a beach though, it’s all cliffs!

Drive Time: 4h 30m
Just forty minutes from Dinosaur Provincial Park, Newell Lake at Kinbrook Island Provincial Park is a great campground with a day use area at the beach. You’ll love the contrast from the beach to the badlands.

Driving Time: 4h 25m
Dinosaur Provincial Park is a vast landscape of trails, hoodoos and badlands. From the interpretive drive around the campground, to exploring the trails beyond - it’s an incredible journey.

Drive Time: 5h 10 m
Late in the summer, these falls at Castle Provincial Park turn into an incredible place to swim. The popular turquoise water swimming hole is a hidden gem in Southern Alberta.

Driving Time: 5h 30m
Visit early in the day, late in the summer, for the best time to slide down the small rock formations in the canyon.

Driving Time: 6h 20m
Explore history with the writing, carving and marks on the rocks at Writing-on-Stone Provincial Park. Paddle or raft down Milk River for an adventure to cool off after exploring the badlands.