This Canadian Province With Turquoise Lakes Is Known For Outdoor Fun, Mountain Views, And Breathtaking Parks

Thanks to its geological features and climate, Canada has more lakes than any other country in the world. While Ontario is known for its miles of shoreline bordering the Great Lakes, another province steals the show when it comes to lake scenery. With almost 40 million visitors each year, Alberta, Canada, is a popular destination for travelers due to its beautiful, vibrant lakes, as well as its mountainous landscapes, stunning parks, and options for outdoor adventure. 

The southwestern border of Alberta is lined with the towering Canadian Rockies, and the area has become a popular vacation spot with its views of snow-capped peaks and turquoise-tinged water. Some travelers choose to see the mountain scenery by train, taking a glass-domed train car from Vancouver, British Columbia, through the Rockies, and all the way to the towns of Jasper or Banff; one route even makes a stop at Alberta's picturesque Lake Louise. Travelers can explore the province's elevations up close with summer hikes or winter ski trips, while gondolas in several areas offer a slightly easier way to summit a peak and get awe-inspiring views. 

Alberta is home to Banff National Park, which is considered the birthplace of Canada's national park system. Banff is the location of Lake Louise, as well as Moraine Lake, a glacial lake so popular that park officials had to forbid private vehicles; visitors now access the lake via park shuttles and buses. Travelers who prefer to skip the bigger crowds can still see the park's beautiful, alpine vistas at Emerald Lake, Lake Minnewanka, or Johnson Lake. Banff offers traditional activities like hiking, camping, and wildlife-watching, but adventurers in search of adrenaline can also try scuba diving, paragliding, and ice climbing.

While Banff is one of the most famous parks in Canada, Alberta offers a variety of other parks worth visiting. Jasper National Park is home to Maligne Lake, the biggest natural lake in the Canadian part of the Rockies, as well as Athabasca Glacier, where visitors can book a ride on a giant Ice Explorer vehicle for the chance to step out onto the glacier itself. Waterton Lakes National Park is an uncrowded paradise just across the U.S. border from Glacier National Park; in addition to enjoying lakeside hiking trails, scenic drives, and boat tours, visitors to Waterton Lakes can see bison in their natural prairie habitat. Alberta's system of provincial parks includes destinations such as Writing-on-Stone Provincial Park, with its collection of thousands of petroglyphs, as well as Dinosaur Provincial Park, which offers guided tours to spot fossils among its geological formations.

Alberta's landscape offers beautiful settings for outdoor adventure, from paddling on serene mountain lakes to skiing through the Rockies. Alberta is one of Canada's prairie provinces, so it's no surprise that western-themed adventures are available for families, including horseback rides along lakeshores and covered-wagon excursions complete with hotcakes cooked over a griddle. With summer temperatures in Alberta rarely reaching 80 degrees Fahrenheit, biking and golfing are also popular activities. During the cold winter months, when temperatures top out around 25 or 30 degrees, visitors can try snowshoeing, pond hockey, or even dog sledding.

Travelers to Alberta can fly into Edmonton or Calgary and then rent a car to drive to their destinations; additionally, shuttle service is often available for tourists heading from the major cities to Banff or Jasper National Parks. While the parks offer camping and nearby cabins, as well as luxury lodging like the Fairmont Chateau at Lake Louise, Alberta's mountain region is also home to small, independent inns and cabin rentals for adventurers looking for quieter or more personalized lodging. Travelers who favor international hotel chains can find concentrations of three- and four-star hotels in Calgary and Edmonton, just a few hours away from the mountain scenery of the Rockies.