Unit 2

Natural Attractions

Alberta Education Outcome

Lesson 6: Alberta's Natural Attractions

"Going to the mountains is going home." ~ John Muir

Considering Alberta is a province rather than a country, in size, it is actually bigger than many countries. Comparably, it is the same geographic size as the entire country of Afghanistan.

With mountains, prairies, badlands, and glaciers, there is remarkable scenery within Alberta, Canada. Have you found any natural attractions that I should know about? Let me know via email so I can add it to my travel bucket list.

The map below shows the location of seven of my favourite natural wonders of Alberta that contribute to Alberta's unique, iconic status.

More information about each of these Alberta natural attractions is listed at the right. Click on the + icons to expand the cell.







Located in Southern Alberta, Writing-On-Stone Provincial Park has huge geological significance.  Within the Milk River valley, you will find hoodoos, Indigenous sacred landscape, and historical hiking trails. As per its name, this provincial park is home to the largest concentration of First Nation petroglyphs (aka rock carvings) and pictographs (rock paintings) on the great plains of North America. It was designated a National Historic Site of Canada in 2005.



Much like Banff, Jasper is associated with both the national park and the town, with both lying in the heart of their respective park. Jasper is just under a 4-hour drive west of Edmonton. Jasper is the biggest national park in Canada covering an area of 10 878 square kilometres. The area is full of lakes, waterfalls, mountains, glaciers, and forests but it is less visited than its southern neighbour, Banff. This gives Jasper a more remote feel to enjoy the highlights of Maligne Lake, Mount Edith Cavell, Angel Glacier, Maligne Canyon, and Marmot Basin Ski Resort.   
 

        
Located 130 kilometres west of Calgary, Banff National Park is the most visited tourist attraction in Alberta and some say the most impressive national park in Canada. With the spectacular mountain scenery, major ski resorts, beautiful lakes, and the tourist town of Banff, there are numerous natural attractions. Wildlife is abundant, hiking is popular in the summer, and world-class skiing is available in t, e winter.




While off the beaten path, this small natural area in the Southern Alberta prairies, Red Rock Coulee, is not to be missed. Giant red boulders, measuring up to 2.5 metres across, create an almost otherworldly landscape that offers a unique experience. Wildlife species include white-tailed jackrabbits, mule deer, pronghorn, western rattlesnakes, bull snakes, short-horned lizards and scorpions.



Dinosaur Provincial Park was established on June 27, 1955. By 1979, the Park was declared a World Heritage Site by the United Nations. There are an exceptional abundance and diversity of dinosaur and other vertebrate fossils throughout the Red Deer River Valley of southeastern Alberta. Over 49 different species of dinosaurs have been found in the Park which is about 4-5% of the world's known dinosaur species. Dinosaur provincial park is the largest and most spectacular area in Canada with unique riverside habitats and extensive groves of plains cottonwood trees. A typical access point to the 31.22 square mile park is by driving 30 miles northeast of Brooks. The Dinosaur Trail is a driving tour that leads through some of the area's main attractions.


The Blackfoot Crossing Historical Park is the birthplace of Treat No. 7. The Blackfoot Crossing Historical Park is not only a national Heritage Site, but has also been recommended to be a World Heritage Site. Thriving, the Blackfoot Crossing Historical Park works towards promoting and preserving the Siksika (Blackfoot) Nation's culture, identity, traditions and history. Uniquely its own, the park works diligently to use literal metaphors in every aspect of the park to reflect the everyday life, teachings and culture of the Blackfoot. 


Another UNESCO-designated World Heritage Site, Head-Smashed-in-Buffalo Jump and Interpretive Centre, interprets over 6,000 years of Plains Buffalo culture. These cliffs have huge cultural significance to the Plains People. Located 18 km north-west of Fort Macleod, one of the unique educational opportunities is a 4-hour guided hike to the Drive Lanes with a Blackfoot guide to hear stories of how the Plains People hunted the mighty buffalo.





The Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park in the Rocky Mountains straddles the border between Alberta and the US state of Montana. The Canadian side is home to Waterton Lakes National Park. It has fantastic scenery with mountains and the beautiful Waterton Lake. A Canadian National Historic Site, the Prince of Wales Hotel overlooks the lake from a fabulous position on the north shore. Tourists often come to the park to hike the alpine trails, camp, or to go sightseeing.