Reporting for this story was done before the disastrous wildfires that started in late July — the largest fires in Jasper National Park in a century. The region relies on tourism, and a representative for the region shared that it will take time to understand the long-term impacts of the wildfires on the community and on the visitor economy. Recovery timelines will be different for every operator and business. Both the community and Alberta’s visitor economy will depend on a strong return of businesses, accommodation providers, services, experiences, and other essentials to re-establish the area as a pre-eminent tourism destination. Additionally, traveling sustainably is all the more important moving forward, and the region hopes that people will consider off-peak travel, leave no trace, discover Indigenous perspectives, and support local businesses.
In the Canadian Rockies, Indigenous Experiences Lend a Powerful Perspective to Outdoor Adventures
In Alberta, Canada, tree-lined trails welcome hikers, bikers, and mountaineers heading to the high alpine. Sweeping lakes sparkle in the long, sun-filled days. Wildlife ranging from grizzly bears to wolverines roam vast national parks. All of these are signs that you’ve arrived in the Canadian Rocky Mountains, which many First Nations, Métis, and Inuit have called home for thousands of years.
Alberta’s slice of the Canadian Rockies is an ideal destination for travelers seeking outdoor adventure that’s rich in Indigenous culture and history. It encompasses both Banff, Canada’s first national park, and Jasper, an area that served as a significant cultural crossroads for Indigenous peoples before becoming the site of the largest national park in Canada’s formidable Rocky Mountains.
From Banff to Jasper and beyond, exploring Alberta’s Rockies with the area’s original guides lends a power perspective to a region that’s solidified itself as a giant among wilderness destinations. Consider visiting between late spring and early fall, and join these Indigenous-led excursions to enrich your outdoor adventures in Alberta.
Indigenous-led experiences in Banff National Park
Take a medicine walk with Mahikan Trails
Photo: Nancy Besharah
The word “pond” does little to convey the grandeur of Cascade Ponds, a series of glassy ponds in Banff National Park that’s surrounded by grassy fields and backdropped by towering mountains. Mahikan Trails hosts medicine walks there that do a better job of showcasing the area’s beauty, as well as its cultural significance.
The medicine walks start with a lesson on the practice of laying tobacco before setting out on the trail with a knowledgeable guide. Throughout the walk, you’ll gain insights into the area’s history and the many uses of its trees, plants, and shrubs — sustaining and nourishing life, disinfecting water, and serving as medicine to treat wounds, to name a few. The whole excursion lasts about two hours and covers around one mile at a relaxed pace, with plenty of opportunities to stop along the trail.
E-bike through Indigenous cultural history
Photo: UpFilms/Shutterstock (left) + Photo: Nancy Besharah (right)
Iinisskimmaakii, or Buffalo Stone Woman, uses the phrase “Indige-scape” to describe her guided tours, like the e-bike experience in Banff National Park. The tour runs in partnership with Bikescape, an e-bike tour company in Banff. Bikescape provides the e-bike rentals, helmets, and anything else you might need on the casual two- to three-hour ride, which covers approximately 10 miles. Along the way, you’ll absorb Iinisskimmaakii’s Indigenous teachings, participate in a traditional smudge ceremony, and enhance your understanding of this area’s significance to its original inhabitants. Basic bike-riding skills are required for this activity.
Where to eat and stay in Banff
Juniper Bistro
The Juniper Hotel, where the Juniper Bistro is located, sits on an archeological site that’s been a meeting place for humans for over 11,000 years. Creative, regional, and made-from-scratch meals (there’s no microwave in the kitchen) are the foundation of the bistro’s nature-positive, plant-rich menu. Dishes feature local ingredients like baby kale and animal proteins from family-owned businesses. Begin your meal with a selection of seasonal vegan nibbles or a regional charcuterie board along with a craft cocktail — and soak up the panoramic mountain views that people have been appreciating for thousands of years.
Juniper Bistro: 1 Juniper Way Unit 2, Banff, AB T1L 1E1, Canada
Fairmont Banff Springs
Photo: LisaBourgeault/Shuttertock
Referred to as Canada’s “Castle in the Rockies,” Banff Springs has been hosting guests since 1888. For the most luxurious experience, stay on the Gold Floor at the Fairmont Banff Springs — and, when you’re not out exploring the park, dedicate your free time to sumptuous spa treatments, plates of fine Alberta beef from the on-site steakhouse, and rounds of golf at the resort’s 27-hole championship course.
Fairmont Banff Springs: 405 Spray Ave, Banff, AB T1L 1J4, Canada
Moose Hotel & Suites
Spacious, clean, and modern guest rooms make the Moose Hotel & Suites a solid mid-range choice in Banff. The hotel is equipped with all the standard amenities plus a few fun extras, including an on-site spa, Italian restaurant, and Tesla chargers in the first-come, first-serve parking lot. The rooftop hot tubs are the perfect place to relax and soak up the views of Cascade Mountain after an adventure-filled day. For anything else you might need, you’re just a few steps away from downtown Banff.
Moose Hotel & Suites: 345 Banff Ave, Banff, AB T1L 1H8, Canada
Indigenous-led experiences in Jasper National Park
See the Columbia Icefield with Zuc’min Guiding
Photo: Massi Arezki
/Shuttertock
Continue your exploration of Alberta’s Rockies with Zuc’min Guiding on an Indigenous-led interpretive tour of the highly dynamic Athabasca Glacier, one of six large glaciers in the Columbia Icefield. You’ll cover about three miles on the glacier, walking alongside meltwater carving through the ancient ice and stopping to peer into deep, dark crevasses. On the three-hour tour, discover more about the icefield and the historical and current significance of the region from an Indigenous perspective. You can order a snack or meal at the Columbia Icefield Discovery Centre before or after embarking on the tour with Zuc’min Guiding.
Join the Warrior Women at Tekarra Lodge
Photo: Nancy Besharah
Warrior Women is an Indigenous- and women-owned collective that stages fireside chats and other cultural events around Jasper. One such locale is Tekarra Lodge, located a little over an hour by car from the Columbia Icefield. Swing by the lodge on Sunday summer evenings (June through August) to listen as the Warrior Women share Indigenous stories, songs, and drumming around an outdoor fire pit.
Where to eat and stay Jasper
Tekarra Lodge
Tekarra Lodge has two types of accommodation: a set of adults-only rooms in the main lodge and a collection of cabins where families of two to six people are welcome, including pets. Before the Warrior Women experience — or any time, really — make a reservation to dine at the on-site Tekarra Restaurant, which focuses on locally sourced and sustainable ingredients. Prime cuts of Alberta beef, wild game, and vegetarian offerings populate the dinner menu. Start your meal with the farmhouse or Alberta tomato salad — both are delicious.
Tekarra Lodge: Highway 93A South, Jasper, AB T0E 1E0, Canada
Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge
Photo: Jakapong Paoprapat/Shutterstock
Located lakeside with a heated outdoor pool, the 700-acre Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge is one of the finest places to stay in Jasper. Choose between chalet-inspired rooms, suites, and cabins, and enjoy million-dollar views of the snowy Rockies and beautiful Beauvert Lake. Be sure to make good use of the spa while you’re a guest, whether that means coming down for a massage or ordering a spa kit to your room.
Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge: 1 Old Lodge Rd, Jasper, AB T0E 1E0, Canada
Jasper Inn & Suites
The conveniently located Jasper Inn & Suites is a popular mid-range option for park visitors. It offers a variety of accommodations (up to two-bedroom suites) and covers all the basics — there’s free parking, a pool, and an on-site restaurant where you can grab breakfast or dinner. But the best part? Jasper Inn & Suites is pet-friendly, so feel free to bring your pooch.
Jasper Inn & Suites: 98 Geikie St, Jasper, AB T0E 1E0, Canada
Indigenous-led experiences in Nordegg
Have a heli-alpine camp experience
Photo: Nancy Besharah
Nordegg is a small settlement in the foothills of the Canadian Rockies. It’s a two-hour drive from Banff and a three-hour drive from Calgary. It’s also a gateway to one of the coolest Indigenous-led outdoor experiences you can have in Alberta: a multi-day heli-alpine adventure with Girth Hitch Guiding and Zuc’min Guiding.
The adventure starts when you meet your guides and get outfitted with your outdoor gear. The heli-alpine camp is all-inclusive, so it provides boots, climbing shoes, harnesses, and whatever else you need. You’ll also get Mountain Hardwear tents, sleeping bags, sleeping pads, cutlery, and an eating cup when you get to the Cline Tarns wilderness camp, which is located around 7,500 feet up. Of course, you should still come prepared — bring a 20- to 40-liter backpack with your adventure clothing and personal items, and remember to pack layers because mountain weather is unpredictable. (Note that moderate fitness is required for this activity.)
Photo: Nancy Besharah
When it comes time for the excursion, you’ll depart from Rockies Heli Canada in Clearwater County on a breathtaking 20-minute flight from the heliport near Abraham Lake. You’ll soar high above rugged mountains dotted with glacial lakes, and rivers rushing along distant valley bottoms, before touching down at the Cline Tarns. There, you’ll unpack your gear and explore before settling into a hammock or taking a cold plunge in one of the adjacent lakes.
The alpine adventure also includes opportunities for 5.7 to 5.10 dolomite climbing and summiting 11,000-foot Mount Cline. The entire experience will enhance your alpine skills, get you better acquainted with the area, and offer more insights into the history and culture of the Rockies’ original inhabitants. The flight back to the Rockies Heli Canada base is a perfect opportunity to capture some final aerial footage and photos of the routes you explored in the incredible Cline alpine theater.
Where to eat and stay in Nordegg
Aurum Lodge
Overlooking Abraham Lake, surrounded by forests and rugged mountains, the family-owned Aurum Lodge is an eco-tourism property that was planned, built, and operates with minimal environmental impact. Choose to stay in a B&B guest room in the main lodge or in a self-contained, pet-friendly unit with a kitchen. The lodge’s breakfast menu includes shakshuka, eggs Benedict, and a hearty and delicious French-style croque madame breakfast sandwich. Optional evening meals are served in the dining room or on the outdoor patio.
Aurum Lodge: 374021, AB-11, Cline River, Nordegg, AB T0M 2H0, Canada
How to get to and around Alberta
Photo: JulieK2/Shutterstock
For North American travelers, getting to Alberta is easy: The province’s largest airport, Calgary International Airport (YYC) serves 18 million passengers annually and provides access to more than 80 destinations worldwide. It’s located 10.6 miles from downtown Calgary and 90 miles from Banff.
At the end of your Indigenous adventure experience, you can drive about four hours from Jasper to Edmonton International Airport (YEG), the closest airport to Jasper by about 60 miles, or back to Calgary. YEG offers nonstop service to more than 50 domestic and international destinations, but renting a vehicle at YYC is the most convenient way to get around when exploring the Canadian Rockies.
Where to stay when you arrive or before you leave Alberta
Photo: Jeff Whyte
/Shutterstock
Before traveling from Calgary to Banff or flying home from YYC, stay at Grey Eagle Resort and Casino on the Tsuut’ina Nation. Dine at the resort’s Little Chief restaurant, named after a powerful warrior, great chief, and the older brother of Chiila (Bullhead) who signed Peace Treaty Number 7 with Canada on behalf of the Tsuut’ina Nation in 1877. There, Chef Brandon Dashnay’s Indigenous-inspired dinner menu features dishes like the Indian Taco, made with fry bread and spiced beef. Try the fry bread and oven-baked bannock, a bread that originated with Indigenous peoples, paired with local Peace River honey and the chef’s choice preserves.
Grey Eagle Resort and Casino: 3777 Grey Eagle Dr, Calgary, AB T3E 3X8, Canada 