PARKS
For information or to book national park
campsites, call 1-877-RESERVE (737-3783) or
visit pccamping.ca and on-site park information
centres.
Information on provincial park events,
attractions, and campsite reservations is
available at albertaparks.ca. For information,
also call the Parks Information Line at
1-866-427-3582. Campsite reservations are
available by phone at 1-877-537-2757 or online
at reserve.albertaparks.ca.
The Alberta Campground Guide can be found at
albertacampgroundguide.ca.
ON THE HIGHWAYS
Experience Alberta
Road-trip your way to the sights and
activities the world is talking about!
D
ig for dinosaur bones. Relax in natural
mineral spring water. Walk across an
icy glacier. “Live long and prosper" in
Vulcan. Cowboy it up at a rodeo. These are
just some of the things you can do in Alberta,
and vacations here are filled with a variety of
fun activities.
Drive along the Icefields Parkway, where you
can take a stroll on the glass-decked Glacier
Skywalk for some stunning views of mountains
and glaciers. Finding yourself in the middle of
an Old West train robbery on an Alberta Prairie
Railway Excursion Tour steam locomotive is
similarly unforgettable. Also exciting is visiting
the five UNESCO World Heritage Sites in
Alberta, digging for dinosaur bones in Dinosaur
Provincial Park, or learning to canoe in the wild
boreal forest waters of Wood Buffalo National
Park.
Visitor activities are as endless and varied
as Alberta’s geography. You could go from
hiking backcountry trails to paddleboarding
to flying in a helicopter all in one day. In
the summer, farmers’ markets, powwows,
rodeos, and a countless number of music
and cultural festivals abound in towns big
and small.
Much of the fun is set against the province’s
renowned geography, but Alberta’s urban
events and attractions have multiplied and
are bigger and better than ever. In Calgary,
you might visit the past at the interactive
attractions at Heritage Park Historical Village,
then come back to contemporary times
and enjoy a lively outdoor music festival.
In Edmonton, you can appreciate major
contemporary art exhibitions at Edmonton’s
spectacular Art Gallery of Alberta, following
that with a trip back to the time of the fur
trade in Fort Edmonton Park and an evening
sampling Alberta cuisine and craft beer in a
8
casual, contemporary restaurant.
While you’re driving Alberta’s highways,
the must-stop destinations are many. Here’s
just a sample: drool over restored hotrods at
the Reynolds-Alberta Museum in Wetaskiwin,
visit a working immigrant village at the
Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Village outside
Elk Island National Park, or immerse yourself
in the traditions of the Blackfoot people at
Blackfoot Crossing Historical Park.
Need a good road trip jam? Check out
“Alberta Roads" by Calgary musician Amy
Thiessen—it's the perfect driving tune. Then,
take to the road with Our Alberta in hand, and
discover for yourself the Alberta sights and
experiences the world is talking about.
Automobile passengers must wear seatbelts and
motorcyclists must wear helmets. Speed limits
are posted in kilometres (100 km/h = 62 mph).
Gasoline is sold by the litre (4.5 litres = one
gallon). For roadside assistance and highway
conditions, call the Alberta Motor Association at
1-800-222-4357 or visit ama.ab.ca.
FISHING & HUNTING
For Alberta sport fishing information and
regulations, call 1-877-944-0313 (toll free), or
visit albertaregulations.ca/fishingregs.
For Alberta hunting information and
regulations, call 1-877-944-0313 or visit
mywildalberta.com for more information.
TAXATION
Alberta has no provincial sales tax but does have
a four per cent tourism levy and a five per cent
federal tax (GST) on goods and services.
OTHER TIPS & REGULATIONS
Evening temperatures can fall quickly in
mountain parks. Always carry warm clothing
and, if camping, sleeping gear.
The legal minimum age to purchase liquor
and tobacco in Alberta is 18.
When making a phone call, the area code is
required. Alberta has three: 403 (Calgary and
South), 780 (Edmonton and North), 587 and 825
(new phone numbers province-wide).
Visitor Information Centres
Travel Alberta Visitor Information Centres (VICs) are a great resource for current regional
information. VICs are open from early-to-mid-May till September or October, seven days per
week (Canmore VIC is open year round).
CANMORE: South side of Trans-Canada Hwy 1 at west end of Canmore service road
CROWSNEST PASS: South side of Crowsnest Hwy 3, eight km west of Coleman
FIELD, BRITISH COLUMBIA: South side of Hwy 1 at the town entrance
GRANDE PRAIRIE: Southeast side of Hwy 43 at the junction of 106 Street
HINTON: South side of Hwy 16 in the commercial area
LLOYDMINSTER: North side of Hwy 16, one km east of Lloydminster
MILK RIVER: East side of Hwy 4, south of Milk River
OYEN: Intersection of Hwy 9 and Hwy 41, north of Oyen
WALSH: North side of Hwy 1, three km west of Saskatchewan border
WEST GLACIER, MONTANA, USA: Junction of Hwy 2 and Going-to-the-Sun Road
Regional information booths can also be found in most towns along major highways. In Calgary,
find one at the base of the Calgary Tower (101 - 9 Ave SW) and in Edmonton at the Edmonton
Welcome Centre (9797 Jasper Ave) and other spots. Pick up a copy of Where Magazine for local
city information while in Calgary, Edmonton, Canmore, Banff, and Jasper. Also call 1-800-ALBERTA
(252-3782), or visit travelalberta.com