Need to get out of town for a few hours or a day? Try one of the following day trips that will educate, entertain or both.

Alberta Sports Hall of Fame and Museum
The Alberta Sports Hall of Fame and Museum is an interactive, hands-on celebration of Alberta’s Sporting history. Location: On the west edge of Red Deer.

Banff Hoodoos
These spires carved by the forces of wind and water stand like lonely sentinels  overlooking the Bow River. Location: 4km from Banff on Tunnel Mountain Road.

Banff National Park
Spanning 6,641 square kilometres (2,564 square miles) of valleys, mountains, glaciers, forests, meadows and rivers, Banff National Park is one of the world’s premier destination spots. For a list of activities visit pc.gc.ca/Banff.

Bar U Ranch National Historic Site
The Bar U Ranch paints a colorful picture of ranching history, with the Rocky Mountains as a backdrop. Location: 15km south of Longview

Bow Habitat Station at Sam Livingston Fish Hatchery
Get up close and personal with millions of trout or test the water to understand why wetlands are called “nature’s kidneys.” Location: on the bank of the Bow River in the heart of Calgary. Currently closed for construction.  For information on when it is re-opening, visit srd.alberta.ca/bhs.

Bow Valley Parkway
This scenic alternative to the Trans-Canada Highway 1 provides an opportunity to view the landscape at a more leisurely pace. Explore the history of the Bow River Valley through interpretive signs located at various points along the highway.

Brooks Aqueduct
This 3km long, centipede-like structure was a vital link in an extensive irrigation network that provided water critical to the dry lands of southern Alberta. Location: 8km southwest of Brooks off Trans-Canada Highway 1.

Columbia Ice Field Glacier
From Highway 93, one can see the Athabasca, Stutfield, and Dome glaciers. Ice Explorer and professionally guided hiking tours are available on the Athabasca glacier.

EM-TE Town
A privately built ghost town that features the Hogs Breath Saloon, jail house, harness shop, log buildings, livery stable, bank, church, emporium and restaurant. Location: 10km west off Highway 22 between Drayton Valley.

Frank Slide Interpretive Centre
On April 29, 1903, 82 million tonnes of rock fell from Turtle Mountain and buried part of the coal mining town of Frank - 70 people died. Find out the story behind the Frank Slide. Location: Hwy. 3, Municipality of Crowsnest Pass.

Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump
Designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1981, Head-Smashed-In is one of the world’s oldest, largest and best preserved buffalo jumps known to exist and has been used continuously by aboriginal peoples of the plains for more than 5,500 years. Location: 18km north & west of Fort Macleod.

Jasper National Park
The largest and most northerly Canadian rocky mountain national park, part of a spectacular World Heritage Site. For a list of activities visit pc.gc.ca/jasper.

Kananaskis Country
Located 90km southwest of Calgary, the spectacular mountain and foothills landscapes make a perfect backdrop for a multitude of year-round recreational opportunities. For more ideas visit cd.gov.ab.ca/enjoying_alberta/parks/featured/kananaskis/flashindex.asp.

Lacombe Corn Maze
Come challenge your wits at the 15-acre maze, made up of nine foot high corn stalks and filled with trivia questions to make your search through the maze more challenging. Location: off Hwy.12, 4.8kms west of Lacombe.

Leitch Collieries
While visiting Frank Slide, take the time to stop at one of the largest and most ambitious coal mines in the Crowsnest Pass. Walk among the ruins of the powerhouse, mine manager’s house and coke ovens. Location:Hwy. 3, Municipality of Crowsnest Pass.

Maligne Canyon
One of the most spectacular gorges to be found in the Canadian Rockies. Self-guided trails and footbridges provide spectacular views of the canyon.  Location: 11km east of the Jasper Townsite along Highway 16.

Medicine River Wildlife Centre
The Centre provides care for injured or orphaned wildlife with the aim of returning them to the wild. Location: 4km south and 1.5km east of Raven. For more information, visit medicineriverwildlifecentre.ca.

Moraine Lake and the Valley of the Ten Peaks
The emerald green lake is set before Mount Temple, the highest mountain in the Bow Range and third highest in Banff National Park. Location: 12km east of Lake Louise.

RCMP Dog Training Centre
This centre is the only RCMP dog training facility in Canada. Location: Innisfail.

Remington Carriage Museum
Experience authentic 19th and early 20th century horse-drawn transportation. The Museum’s interactive galleries tell numerous stories of turn-of-the-century society and the carriage industry. Location: Cardston.

Rutherford House
Check out how the other half lived in the early 1900s.The gentility of the pre-First World War era is yours to experience at Alexander Rutherford, Alberta’s first premier’s home. Location: 11153 Saskatchewan Drive NW, Edmonton.

Sylvan Lake
Famous for its spectacular natural lake setting, Sylvan Lake has the second largest marina in the province, with one of the cleanest lakes in Canada. For more information on activities, visit town.sylvan-lake.ab.ca.

Stephansson House
Check out how Icelander, Stephan G. Stephansson, considered one of the greatest poets in the western world, managed to tend this homestead by day and write his famous and respected poetry by night. Location: 30 minutes southwest of Red Deer off Hwy. 592 & 781.

Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Village
Share in the compelling stories of the triumphs and hardships of Ukrainian immigrants who came to the Bloc Settlement in east central Alberta from 1892 to 1930. Location: 25 minutes east of Edmonton on Hwy. 16.

Victoria Settlement
In 1862, Reverend George McDougall founded a Methodist mission to the Cree and later the Hudson’s Bay Company later established Fort Victoria to trade with the natives. Learn about the growth and decline of this once-bustling community Location: off Hwy. 855, near Smoky Lake.

The Vulcan Tourism & Trek Station
The Station is truly out of this world. Crew members will be on hand to answer any questions about the Station as well as the town of Vulcan and Vulcan County. Location: one hour southeast of Calgary.

Waterton Lakes National Park
In Southwestern Alberta, some of the most ancient and colorful mountains in the Rockies abruptly meet the rolling prairie. It is a dynamic landscape shaped by wind, fire, flooding, and abundant plants and wildlife. For more information visit watertoninfo.ab.ca.

Writing on Stone Provincial Park
See native carvings (petroglyphs) and paintings, which cover sheer sandstone cliffs.The park also protects native prairie grasslands, the meandering Milk River, hoodoos and unique wildlife. Location: 32km east and 10km south of Milk River on Secondary Highway 501.