Edmonton

The capital of the Canadian province of Alberta, Edmonton is known for its many outdoor offerings in and around the city. With year-round activities and North America’s longest expanse of urban parkland you can easily spend weeks being active in the beautiful outdoor scenery. Check out Fort Edmonton Park, an indoor/outdoor museum experience that transports visitors to the 1846 fur-trading era and the 1920s golden railway era, or stay indoors and visit the West Edmonton Mall, the largest shopping mall in North America, or some of the city’s art and cultural institutions like the Royal Alberta Museum, Art Gallery of Alberta and the John Walter Museum.

For the outdoor enthusiast, Edmonton offers more than 60 miles of hiking and cycling trails, as well as opportunities to view wildlife and the famous Northern Lights. From September to March, your best chance to view the light is just north of the city or at Elk Island National Park. Even if you’re not there to see the Northern Lights, the park has much to offer with large populations of hoofed mammals like bison, elk and moose and over 250 species of birds.

Elk Island National Park also offers an array of outdoor sports like hiking, canoeing, sailing, kayaking, skiing, golfing and more. Another popular outdoor activity is trekking in the North Saskatchewan River Valley park system.