We have to state the obvious first, Black Sheep Camp Rocky Mountain House is the best campsite you could choose. However, Alberta is home to tons of provincial parks. Here is a list of just a few that are worth checking out!

Alberta Parks

Alberta has a diverse system of provincial parks that can be categorized into several types:

• Wildland Provincial Parks: These are the largest parks focused on preserving Alberta’s natural landscapes. They make up over 90% of the provincial park system by area. Parks like Willmore Wilderness Park protect vast, rugged wilderness areas.
• Provincial Recreation Areas: These mid-sized parks offer outdoor recreation opportunities like camping, boating, and biking. Examples include Cypress Hills Provincial Park and Miquelon Lake Provincial Park.

Major Parks

• Waterton Lakes National Park – this park borders Glacier National Park in Montana, USA. It contains the Waterton Lakes which are carved out by ancient glaciers.
• Elk Island National Park – located just east of Edmonton, this 194 square kilometre park is home to free roaming bison, moose, deer, elk and over 250 bird species.
• Cypress Hills Provincial Park – located in southern Alberta with unique terrain of rolling hills, this park offers camping, hiking, fishing and skiing.
• Kananaskis Country – spans 4,200 square kilometres of foothills and mountains with hiking, biking, skiing, camping and more.
• Writing-on-Stone Provincial Park – contains unique hoodoo rock formations, ancient Indigenous petroglyphs and a protected wildlife preserve.

Fees

Visiting Alberta’s beautiful provincial parks does come at a cost. There are daily fees for accessing most parks, as well as options for annual passes that provide unlimited access.

The daily fees range from $5-15 per vehicle, depending on the park. There are also additional fees for camping, which run $26-38 per night, depending on if the site has power hookups and showers. For avid park visitors, annual passes are available, which provide access to any provincial park for a full year. The basic annual pass is $70 per person or $140 per family/group. There are also specialty annual passes such as the Parks Canada Discovery Pass, which includes access to national parks for $140 per family.

Reservations are recommended for campsites and can be made online up to 90 days in advance. Reservation fees are $12 per booking on top of the camping fees. First come, first served sites are available but fill up quickly during peak season.

As always, book early to secure your spot at Black Sheep Camp Rocky Mountain House for next year!