Alberta Road Trip

738.9 miles: 14 hours, 32 minutes

Alberta's allure encompasses turquoise lakes surrounded by craggy mountains; stunning, wide-open vistas often featured in Hollywood movies; a celebrated cowboy heritage; and two of Canada's biggest cities, both with all the sophistication and modern comforts you'd expect in world-class metropolises. This route offers a bit of everything, so saddle up and enjoy.

Shutterstock.com/BGSmith

Calgary to Edmonton

213.3 miles: 3 hours, 54 minutes

You'll see a whole lot of Canadian prairie on the drive between Calgary and Edmonton. Sweeping expanses of grass and farmland are occasionally interrupted by ponds, trees and small towns. The sky arching overhead seems part of the landscape. Roughly at the halfway point, the town of Red Deer offers a convenient place to stop and get a bite to eat.

Recommended Stops

Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo

210 St. George's Dr. N.E. Calgary, AB T2E 7V6

Calgary Stampede

Heritage Park Historical Village

1900 Heritage Dr. S.W. Calgary, AB T2V 2X3

West Edmonton Mall

8882 170 St. N.W. Edmonton, AB T5T 4J2

flickr/Athabasca River

Edmonton to Jasper

242.8 miles: 4 hours, 25 minutes

Named for the pass it traverses through the Canadian Rockies, the Yellowhead Highway is pretty flat, straight and unspectacular west of Edmonton. That changes dramatically as you approach Jasper National Park and the once-distant line of mountains begins to dominate the horizon. As you near the town of Jasper, the road curves alongside the Athabasca River.

Recommended Stops

Maligne Canyon

Maligne Lake Rd. Jasper, AB T0E 1E0

Jasper SkyTram

Whistlers Rd. Jasper, AB T0E 1E0

Courtesy of Brewster Attractions

Jasper to Banff

195.5 miles: 4 hours, 19 minutes

Icefields Parkway offers a spectacular, scenic journey through the Canadian Rockies but one that won't give you vertigo. Meandering alongside crystalline rivers and aquamarine lakes, the parkway never soars above the landscape. Rather it's the craggy snowcapped peaks and glaciers that remain high overhead, easily admired from dozens of turnouts along the way.

Recommended Stops

Columbia Icefield Adventure

Address not available Jasper, AB T0E 1E0

Lake Louise

Address not available Lake Louise, AB T0L 1E0

Johnston Canyon

Address not available Banff, AB T1L 1K2

flickr/Karl Johnson

Banff to Calgary

87.3 miles: 1 hours, 51 minutes

Heading east from Banff through the Bow River Valley, you'll reach Canmore, a picturesque mountain town, which like Banff is a destination for lovers of the outdoors. Beyond Canmore, the landscape flattens out as the breathtaking Canadian Rockies recede in your rearview mirror. It's prairies and farmland until you reach cosmopolitan Calgary.

Recommended Stops

Fairmont Banff Springs

405 Spray Ave Banff, AB T1L 1J4

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Banff Gondola

1 Mountain Ave. Banff, AB T1L 1B2

WinSport

88 Canada Olympic Rd. S.W. Calgary, AB T3B 5R5