7 Offbeat Towns to Visit in Alberta
Alberta is one of the ten provinces in Canada and the fourth-largest and most landlocked of them all. It was named after Princess Louise Caroline Alberta, the fourth daughter of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, and has been the home of the First Nations, the Inuit, and the Metis for thousands of years. Amidst the towering mountains and lush woodlands of a province that receives the most direct amount of sunlight anywhere in Canada, you can get lost in the many wandering roads and paths snaking through these untamed lands. But in your listless roving, you might just find the most offbeat towns to visit in Alberta, each a hidden paradise in the many national parks and landscapes of the province.
Smoky Lake
Approximately 72 miles from the city of Edmonton, Smoky Lake is one of the hottest attractions on the offbeat roads of Alberta. Located between the North Saskatchewan River, Smoky Creek, and White Earth Creek, travelers will be amazed by the vast agricultural fields and bounties produced by Smoky Lake. The most notable of produce happens to be pumpkins, and because Smoky Lake is the Pumpkin Capital of Alberta, you can attend the annual Great White North Pumpkin Weigh-off & Fair on October 5.
The etymology of the town’s name has been in contention for years, though for now, there are two versions of the name’s origins. One, Smoky Lake, originates from the “Smoking Lake” by the Cree First Nations people, who reside beside a lake whose surface haze resembles rising smoke. Two, the Cree peoples called the area “Smoking Place” since they would regularly gather at a site near the lake and smoke pipes during their hunts. If you want to learn more about Smoky Lake’s indigenous cultures or how it prospered and grew from early fur traders, you can tour the Smoky Lake Museum. Believe it or not, Smoky Lake was featured in Ripley’s Believe it or Not when the town supposedly had the largest number of businesses per capita of anywhere in Canada.
Banff
Alberta is renowned for its fresh and vibrant Canadian wilderness. In the town of Banff, situated in Bow River, travelers will be enchanted by the lush woodlands and mountains of Banff National Park. These 4,040 square miles of parkland have been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Canada, and are home to elk, grizzly bears, wolves, and more of Alberta’s wildlife. Canada’s first national park, the Cave and Basin National Historic Site houses many hot mineral pools for your leisure.
Tourists can learn all about Banff’s indigenous cultures and early settlers at the Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies and the Banff Park Museum National Historic Site. Trailblazers might want to ascend the slopes of Mt. Rundle and Mt. Cascade, both of which are part of the Rocky Mountains; you can also take a dip at Lake Minnewanka. You should definitely take the Banff Gondola all the way up to Sulphur Mountain, where you can see the Sulphur Mountain Cosmic Ray Station National Historic Site—a former geophysics laboratory from 1957. You might also fancy delving into the Sundance Canyon for excellent photographs of the forests and mountains of the Banff National Park.
Jasper
Jasper, situated on the Athabasca River in the Athabasca Valley, is a close rival and equal to Banff when it comes to being the best national park in Alberta. As the alpine and commercial center of the Jasper National Park, Jasper’s region of the Canadian Rockies is filled with lakes and rivers all fed by glaciers to the north. There are also the bubbling and enticing sprays from the Athabasca Falls. From the summit of Whistlers Mountain—accessible via The Jasper SkyTram—visitors are greeted by dynamic views of Jasper and its magnificent environments. Meanwhile, at the Jasper Yellowhead Museum and Archives, one can enjoy exhibits representing the fur trade, industrial railways, and early exploration of the Jasper National Park. Most importantly, from October 18 to November 3, you can participate in Jasper’s Dark Night Sky Festival when the evenings are at their cleanest and brightest to see the Milky Way Galaxy.
Canmore
You can do more of all your favorite activities in Canmore, a mountainous town an hour west of the city of Calgary. Canmore comes from the Gaelic word "Ceann Mór," which either means "big head," "great head," or "chief" as a reference to King Malcolm III of Scotland. A trinity of craggy and foreboding mountains dominate Canmore’s skylines—the Three Sisters Peak, Mt. Lawrence Grassi, and Ha Ling Peak. Trekkers will be pumped and challenged by the sinuous Grassi Lakes Trail, which leads to the Canmore Nordic Centre Provincial Park in addition to the sublime waterfall of Grassi Falls and a duo of turquoise-blue lakes.
The Canmore Nordic Centre Provincial Park also promotes mountain biking and cross-country skiing for the more adventurous of travelers. Spelunkers can enter a cave in the limestone-lined walls of the Grotto Canyon, which also contains pictographs of the Stoney-Nakoda nations who once called Canmore "Chuwapchipchiyan Kudi Bi" ("shooting at the willows"). You might also enjoy seeing more of Alberta's biodiversity at the Bow Flats Natural Area. There are several splendid spots for picture-taking, such as the Lac Des Arc Viewpoint, the Grotto Canyon Icefall, and Spray Lakes View Point.
Drumheller
About an hour and a half northeast of Calgary, Drumheller is the dream destination of dinosaur lovers. One of the largest collections of dinosaur fossils can be found at the Royal Tyrrell Museum in the Midland Provincial Park, while Drumheller’s downtown contains the “World’s Largest Dinosaur”—a giant model Tyrannosaurus Rex with a viewpoint from its open jaws. There is even a Barney’s Adventure Park, although it mainly features prehistoric dinosaurs rather than having any association with the purple dinosaurs of our imagination. If you want to step back into the past, then head over to the Atlas Coal Mine National Historic Site, whose ancient coal mines have contributed much to Drumheller and other towns’ development in Alberta. And if you want to feel like you are in a strange and alien environment on Earth, then go exploring at the Willow Creek Hoodoos with its unique rock formations and pillars.
Okotoks
Okotoks is a quaint bedroom community a few miles south of Calgary. Situated around the flowing clean waters of the Sheep River, Okotoks is named after a pair of large quartzite monoliths named Big Rock or "Okotok" by the Blackfeet people. These boulders are part of the Foothill Erratic Train, which includes thousands of uniquely composed quartzite that extends for 580 miles from the Rocky Mountains. Much smaller rocks and minerals aside from quartzite can be perused at the Big Rock Crystals, Minerals & Fossils. Those with palpable tastebuds can feel enlightened and overjoyed at the Chinook Honey Company & Chinook Arch Meadery, while golfers will certainly adore the dozens of golf courses and parks all over Okotoks.
Bragg Creek
Not to brag, but Bragg Creek is one of the best hamlets and destinations in Alberta. Lounging at the confluence of the Elbow River, Bragg Creek contains many award-winning trails and treks that weave through the Kananaskis, an improvement district in the Canadian Rockies. It was founded by two brothers, Albert Warren Bragg and John Thomas Bragg, who wanted to conduct some old-fashioned cowboy ranching in the late 1800s.
One of the few buildings that have remained unchanged in the decades is the Bragg Creek Trading Post, which was a trading nexus between Bragg Creek’s early settlers and the Nakoda First Nation (also referred to as the Stoney Tribe). Since Bragg Creek is a renowned resort and vacation town for people who want the laidback atmospheres of the Canadian Rockies, the Bragg Creek Provincial Park serves as a blessed rejuvenation spot for your leisure. You can also travel down the Elbow River and take photographs of the mesmerizing cascades of Elbow Falls.
Each offbeat town in Alberta represents the geographic marvels and cultural attitudes of the many national parks and features in the province. Banff and Jasper, for instance, capture the liberating and wild landscapes of the Banff National Park and the Jasper National Park, respectively. Okotoks is a haven for golfers and vacationers who want a bit of relaxation from the busy streets of Calgary, while Drumheller is sure to excite paleontologists and enthusiasts of many things prehistoric. Despite being so remote and offbeat from the usual avenues of travel, these small towns in Alberta are worth the visit and worth the getaway in the soothing beauties of the Canadian wilderness.
