We dreamed it. We mapped it. And now we’ve got it: The ultimate road trip to finish your summer off in style.
With six official stops and lots of potential for detours, this trip will take you across almost 900 kilometres of beautiful Albertan landscape and comes in at 9h30 of driving time.
We at The Rockies Life figure you’ll want 10 days to complete the trip, although nothing is stopping you from doing this in however long or short you would like.
You’ll get thirsty along the way, (maybe hungry too, but sorry, you’re on your own for that one), so we’ve also thrown in a few stops at southern Alberta’s finest breweries.
Is there a vacation finer and more inherently Canadian than the road trip? That was a rhetorical question. There’s not. Plus there isn’t a more affordable way to travel, unless you plan on footing it. Please don’t.
You can hardly fly anywhere without breaking the bank, but if you drive you can bring your friends along and split the gas! You’ll have the trip of a lifetime without having to spend several of your hard-earned paychecks.
Stop 1: Dinosaur Provincial Park
Did you ever listen to that Kesha song “Dinosaur?” We’d suggest blasting this song as you pull up to the badlands.
Just be sure to not confuse Dinosaur Provincial Park with Drumheller (we did that one time – the hoodoos in Drumheller were a lot more underwhelming and the dinosaurs were a whole lot more plastic).
Dinosaur Provincial Park is two hours away from Drumheller and way cooler (sorry, Drumheller).
Fifty-eight different dinosaur species have been discovered in the badlands – named for their distinct topography of steep sandy cliffs and absolute lack of plants.
Maybe you’ll find another species while you’re there! Maybe that’s how you’ll make your first million! Just beware of rattlesnakes if you’re walking through the badlands.
If you’re not into undertaking your own archaeological endeavors while you’re there (and to be honest, it’s probably not recommended to do that, maybe even illegal), you could head to the Royal Tyrrell Museum to see some dinosaur skeletons on display.
BEER TIME! Hell’s Basement in Medicine Hat
You know where bad girls go, right? Everywhere. You’ve already been in the badlands so it’s time to head to Hell’s Basement. They have so many beers worth trying here that you won’t be able to decide – we recommend getting a tasting flight.
Let’s be real. You don’t care about our recommendations. You want to hear from the experts!
Hell’s Basement recommends its “Radiant – Juicy West Coast IPA,” which the brewery describes as “bursting with juicy hops and a hint of nostalgia.”
If you want to take a trip to the tropics without leaving Alberta, Hell’s Basement’s “One Shot Left – NEIPA” is the next best thing and is the brewery’s best-seller almost every month.
Hell’s Basement recommends the “Midday Mariachi” Mexican Lager for weary roadtrippers looking for a refreshing pick-me-up.
You’ll need to detour through Medicine Hat to get to Hell’s Basement, but the twenty minutes of added driving time will be worth it.
Stop 2: Writing-on-Stone Provincial Park
This park, also known by its Blackfoot name Áísínai’pi, is a stone’s throw from Montana. It’s similar to Dinosaur Provincial Park in that it has a lot of hoodoos, but there are also 6,000-year-old Blackfoot engravings on the sandstone cliffs.
It’s a sacred area for the Blackfoot nation, and we’re pretty sure that regardless of your spiritual leanings you’ll feel things while you’re here.
The park is pretty small, so it’s best to not spend more than a day here. You can walk the trails, check out the visitor centre, and have a competition with your travel mates to see who can come up with the coolest story to interpret the rock art.
Note that if you’re heading to the visitor centre after October 15, you’ll need to make a reservation before you arrive.
Stop 3: Waterton Lakes National Park
Oh, Waterton. It’s unabashedly our favourite park on the list. Loved for its mountains, its remoteness, and of course, its bears. Every time we’ve been there, we’ve seen at least four grizzlies.
Dare we call it the most obscure of all the Rocky Mountain parks? If you want to get away from the crowds of Banff while still having the ‘mountain town’ experience, Waterton will be your happy place.
While you’re here, we recommend you rent kayaks or canoes at Cameron Lake Boat Rentals and go to the other side of the lake – the southern tip is in Montana, and it will be kind of fun to tell people, “Oh I kayaked into the States on my Heritage tour.”
BEER TIME! Lost Things Distillery in Pincher Creek
Ok, this one is a distillery, not a brewery, but it’s still good. Lost Things Distillery’s “Rustic Rhubarb Gin” is not to be missed. Jennifer Parker, the distillery’s Chief of Ginspiration, recommends trying it in a strawberry rhubarb gin spritz.
Just make sure you visit Lost Things Distillery Thursday through Sunday, otherwise, they’ll be closed.
Stop 4: Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump
At this stop, you’ll continue your journey through Blackfoot traditions. This site sits right where the Rocky Mountains meet the prairie, which explains how this 300-metre-long cliff formed.
Leading up to the cliffs are cairns that the Blackfoot people set up to guide the buffalo to the edge of the cliff. You can probably guess why!
At the interpretive centre, you’ll get to learn all about the Blackfoot buffalo hunt – it’s packed with archaeological evidence for the scientists in the crowd and will tell you all about the tricks of the Blackfoot trade.
BEER TIME! Hub Town Brewing in Okotoks
On your way up to Banff, stop by Hub Town Brewing, owned and founded by Lisa, a confessed beer hater. However, Lisa loves Hub Town Brewing’s beer and if Lisa loves it, you can better your bottom dollar everyone does.
If you’re a hockey fan, you’ll want to try their “Okotoks Oilers” or “Game Time Lagers.” If you’re not, don’t miss their bestselling “Peachy Hops” XPA.
To get your mouth watering, Lisa describes this drink as “brewed with experimental hops and yeast that express the taste of freshly harvested peaches.” Yum. Plus, you can book one of their Cornhole lanes while you’re here!
Stop 5: Banff & Lake Louise
We’d almost be willing to bet our entire life’s savings that you’ve been here before. We’re here to turn your time in Banff into a Heritage Moment, though.
To get the full UNESCO experience while in Banff, you’ll want to head into the mountains (it’s a more affordable option than shopping anyway).
Seeing as fall is heading our way, our suggestion is to head into Larch Valley – this 11.6-kilometre hike will take you through some of Alberta’s finest fall colours.
The Larch tree is one of the world’s few deciduous conifers and their fall colours usually peak in mid-October.
Note that this hike takes a bit of planning ahead as parking is limited to Moraine Lake, where the trailhead is. You’ll need to either reserve a spot on the Parks Canada shuttle or take Roam Transit from Banff to get there.
Technically, Jasper National Park is also a heritage site but we don’t recommend you head there for the time being as the area is still recovering from a recent wildfire.
Stop 6: Wood Buffalo National Park
After staring out of your windshield for hours on end, you might want to escape from the world for a while. Well, Wood Buffalo National Park is waiting for you, right next to the Northwest Territories.
Once you’re there, you can disappear into the wild and forget about the traffic. This is Canada’s largest national park, the second-largest in the world, and it’s bigger than some countries.
While you probably won’t run into many people here, you’ll be in good company. The park was originally made to protect a free-roaming herd of wood bison, and they are still there, living their best life.
You’ll see whooping cranes, wolverines, feral horses, falcons, and eagles, to name a few other animals that live there.
Just beware – the first snowfall in this park usually happens in October, and even if there’s no snow yet you’re pretty much guaranteed to be welcomed by a biting wind.
