Updated: August 15, 2023
Is it time to get out of the city? You don’t always have to leave for days to have fun! Day trips can really help when the vacation budget is strained, you have no camping gear or desire to sleep in the forest, you’ve already used up your holiday time at work and also for kids who sleep best in their own beds at the end of the night!
We’ve pulled together a list of day trips that take 2 hours or less of driving to arrive at your destination (and may have thrown in a couple extra special spots that take a bit longer). All times indicated are based on departing from downtown Edmonton, so adjust according to where you live!
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Table of Contents
East of Edmonton
Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Village
Head to the Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Village for a day of history and learning at this outdoor working museum.
Drive Time: 40 minutes
Length of visit: 2-4 hours
Elk Island National Park
Picnic, hike, nature watch and rent a canoe at Elk Island National Park. Bonus points if you can get the kiddos to stay out late enough to catch the amazing stars, Elk Island is a Dark Sky Preserve!
Drive Time: 40 minutes
Length of visit: 30 minutes to several days
Town of Vegreville
Stop in at the town of Vegreville and check out the largest Pysanka in the world! Check out the free canoe and bike loans at the visitor centre, too.
Drive Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
Length of visit: 30 minutes to 4 hours
Strathcona Wilderness Centre
Visit the Strathcona Wilderness Centre to hike the beautiful trails and enjoy a game of disc golf.
Drive Time: 35 minutes
Length of visit: 30 minutes to 4 hours
Miquelon Lake Provincial Park
Explore Miquelon Lake Provincial Park. While the lake might not be great for swimming here, it is perfect for paddling and birdwatching. There is also a big beach for all the sand castle building you can imagine, plus a good playground. Check the visitor centre for fun interpretive programs and activities as well as the nearby golf course that has a fun pitch’n’put.
While you’re there, visit the Hesje Observatory.
Drive Time: 50 minutes
Length of visit: 30 minutes to 4 hours
North of Edmonton
Jurassic Forest
Take your little Dino loving kid to the Jurassic Forest. This prehistoric dinosaur park is unlike anything else in the area.
Drive Time: 40 minutes
Length of visit: 1-3 hours
Prairie Garden Adventure Farm
Spend the day at Prairie Gardens Adventure Farm. City kids can still experience the country life at this family favourite farm. Petting zoo, playground area, corn maze, fresh garden goodies, crafts and more await. Check the calendar for events and festivals.
Drive Time: 35 minutes
Length of visit: 30 minutes to 3 hours
Metis Crossing
Discover Metis culture and history at Metis Crossing by Smoky Lake. Open year round – be sure to check out the bison tour!
Drive Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
Length of visit: 1 hour to all day
Whitecourt Rotary Park River Slides
Okay, this one is kind of more north/west, but you have to check out the Whitecourt Rotary Park River Slides. Bring a tube and enjoy the gentle man made “river” slide over and over and over. If the kids ever get tired of the water there is an impressive playground as well.
Drive Time: 1 hour 50 minutes
Length of visit: 30 minutes to all day
Hard Luck Canyon
Best to visit in the spring when there is still snow melting, or after getting some rain, Hard Luck Canyon is one of the closest waterfalls to Edmonton.
Drive Time: 2 hours
Length of visit: 30 minutes to 1 hour
Long Island Lake
A beautiful campground and day trip destination for those who like the beach, a trip to Long Island Lake is a great getaway.
Drive Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Length of visit: 1 hour to several days
Long Lake Provincial Park
We were so creative about naming places in Alberta! Long Lake is a different destination than Long Island Lake (above). There is a big, popular beach and plenty of grass space to spread out on here. Long Lake is also a popular camping spot.
Drive Time: 1 hour 35 minutes
Length of visit: 1 hour to several days
Kinosoo Beach (long drive – so worth it!)
Head to Cold Lake and zipline right into the water at Kinosoo Beach – or check out the spray park! Read our full Cold Lake guide.
Drive Time: 3 hours 15 minutes
Length of visit: 30 minutes to several days
West of Edmonton
Wagner Natural Area
You don’t have to go far to find nature. Escape to the woods in Wagner Nature Area between Acheson and Spruce Grove.
Drive Time: 20 minutes
Length of visit: 30 minutes to all day
Chickakoo Lake
Hike, fish & picnic at Chickakoo Lake in Parkland County.
Drive Time: 40 minutes
Length of visit: 30 minutes to 4 hours
Clifford E Lee Nature Area
Go for a walk along the boardwalk, have a picnic, and watch the birds at Clifford E Lee Nature Area, open year round.
Drive Time: 40 minutes
Length of visit: 30 minutes to 1 hour
University of Alberta Botanical Gardens
Discover the University of Alberta’s Botanical Gardens just north of Devon. Explore the new Aga Khan Garden, the meticulously landscaped Japanese Gardens, the wild alpine garden, indoor showhouses and butterfly house, and so much more. Pack a picnic or purchase one at the Patio Cafe.
Drive Time: 40 minutes
Length of visit: 30 minutes to all day
Allan Beach Resort
Just west of Stony Plain, a visit to Allan Beach is a private lake surrounded by a seasonal RV resort. The beach is open for public day-use with paid admission.
Drive Time: 35 minutes
Length of visit: 2 hours to all day
Wabamun Lake
Plan for a day at the beach at Wabamun Provincial Park and then head to the Village of Wabumun for something to eat, people watching at the marina and a cool down at the local splash park.
Drive Time: 50 minutes
Length of visit: 30 minutes to all day
Pembina River
Go rafting on the Pembina River. If you have young kids and are not comfortable with the idea of this type of activity yet, stop by Pembina River Provincial Park and take advantage of the day use facilities right beside the river.
Drive Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Length of visit: 30 minutes to all day
Chip Lake
Ever wonder what that big lake north of Highway 16 is? Chip Lake is a great spot to stop for a view, fish, and launch your canoe. They also have some lovely campsites.
Drive Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
Length of visit: 30 minutes to several days
South of Edmonton
A few of these are a little longer drive, but so worth it!
Discovery Wildlife Park
A must do for animal lovers is the Discovery Wildlife Park in Innisfail. We love the park’s dedication to the protection of wildlife, the animals are all orphans that can not be released back into the wild.
Drive Time: 1 hour 50 minutes
Length of visit: 2 hours to several days
City of Leduc
There’s always something going on in the City of Leduc. From the candy shops to the splash park, several local museums, and plenty of city-run events, this small city is a short drive from Edmonton.
Drive Time: 35 minutes
Length of visit: 30 minutes to all day
Canadian Energy Museum
Learn about the Edmonton area’s energy past at the Canadian Energy Museum just south of Devon.
Drive Time: 40 minutes
Length of visit: 1-2 hours
Devon’s Voyageur Park
If you want a change of pace from the Edmonton River Valley, head into Devon. Voyageur Park has so much to offer – a new set of stairs to concur!
Drive Time: 40 minutes
Length of visit: 30 minutes to all day
Rabbit Hill
Get out to Rabbit Hill for skiing and tubing in the winter, and even more tubing in the summer!
Drive Time: 40 minutes
Length of visit: 1 hour to all day
Reynolds Alberta Museum
Learn about machines and history at the Reynolds Alberta Museum in Wetaskiwin.
Drive Time: 1 hour
Length of visit: 1-4 hours
Pigeon Lake
Pigeon Lake is a popular cabin and camping destination for Edmonton residents. Grab an ice cream at Daisy May’s (with a jelly bean in the end!), and enjoy the little village, or head to one of several beaches around the lake.
Drive Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Length of visit: 30 minutes to several days
Breton Museum
One of Alberta’s first black settlements, the Village of Breton has transformed their old two-room school house into a museum that tells the story of the town’s past.
Drive Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
Length of visit: 30 minutes to all day
Red Lodge Provincial Park
Raft down the Little Red Deer River. You can get in at one end of Red Lodge Provincial Park Campground and there’s a sign at the end to tell you where to get out. We liked this river because (in August 2017) the water was quite low and the current was not that strong. This made it perfect for our group with 3-6 year old children.
Drive Time: 2 hours
Length of visit: 2 hours to several days
Blackfalds’ Abbey Centre
Visit the new Waterpark at the Abbey Centre in Blackfalds! Two of our contributors just checked this place out with their kids and they loved it.
Drive Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Length of visit: 2 hours to all day
Sylvan Lake
Put your toes in the water at Sylvan Lake. This is basically an summer institution in Alberta and for good reason. We like that there’s all sorts of amenities here like restaurants, change houses, playgrounds, and Aqua Splash Park and of course Moo’s ice cream.
Drive Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
Length of visit: 2 hours to several days
Red Deer
The City of Red Deer has a lot going on year round! Head down in the summer and check out:
- Discovery Canyon (go early),
- Canyon Coaster, and
- Bower Ponds for paddle boating, water balls, kayaking and more.
Read more about things to do in the Red Deer area. And be sure to pop into the Esso Sweet Market while you’re in town.
Drive Time: 1 hour 40 minutes
Length of visit: 30 minutes to several days
Bowden Sun Maze
Eagle Creek Farms is all about getting lost! Certified Organic, the u-pick farm offers a variety of plant mazes (sunflowers, corn, willow, and more are growing!) for you to explore.
Drive Time: 2 hours
Length of visit: several hours
Torrington Gopher Hole Museum
What list of day trips from Edmonton would be complete without including the Gopher Hole Museum in Torrington? All kinds of quirky, this is a must-visit destination for well-traveled Albertans.
Drive Time: 2 hour 15 minutes
Length of visit: 30 minutes to 2 hours
More Day Trips from Edmonton
These trips will require more than two hours of driving, but that’s their intention! Based on seeing as many roadside attractions as you can fit into a single day, load your favourite audiobook onto the phone and hit the road. Your kids will remember this for years, and you can see a different side of Alberta.
NE Roadside Attractions Drive
Head north east of Edmonton to spend a day between the Beaverhills Biosphere and the southern edge of the boreal forest. You’ll get to see five giant attractions on this tour to the north-east of Edmonton, including a duck, perogie, and sausage. (Did we mention this area was largely settled by Ukrainians?)
Drive Time: 8-12 hours
Length of visit: all day
North-Central Alberta Roadside Attractions Drive
Head south of Edmonton towards Lacombe and east to Heisler for a five hour (plus stops) road trip that will take you to seven different central Alberta giant roadside attractions! Plenty of playgrounds and small-town museums add to the memories made during this day on the road.
Drive time: ~5 hours
Length of visit: 5 minutes to 1 hour per stop (depending what you do)
Guide Books
Day Trips from Edmonton by Joan Marie Galat
I own an earlier edition of Day Trips from Edmonton. In general it’s targeted more towards adults than families, but has some unique suggestions. I enjoy the extra information the guidebook is able to include that lists like this leave out, but you have to be in to that kind of stuff (hello, history nerd!).
Pick up a copy from Amazon.ca, your favourite local bookstore, or hunt down an edition at a used bookstore.
Historic Walks of Edmonton by Kathryn Ivany
Published in 2003, this is an older book and can be harder to find. Amazon.ca doesn’t usually have a copy. It’s a great book for a history nerd, or to help kids with school reports. If you’re looking to get out for a walk, some of the routes suggested may be worth exploring!
Keep an eye out for a copy at your favourite second hand shop or rummage sales.
Get Social!
Sharing your exploration on social media? Throw some of these hashtags in!
- Museums: #albertahistory #albertamuseums #albertamuseum
- Edmonton: #exploreedmonton #yegfamilies #yegkids #yegmoms
- East of Edmonton: #goeastofedmonton @goeastofedmonton
- Alberta: #visitalberta #albertatourism #ruralalberta
And don’t forget to tag us! @albertamamas #albertamamas
Can you make this article better?
We’re always looking to improve! Have you noticed a spelling or information error, know of something we left out, or would like to share anything else, reach out to us!
- Email us at hello@albertamamas.com
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Let us know what your favourite easy day trip from Edmonton is! We will be adding to the list as we explore more this summer.
Kim Ouellette is a wife and mom to 5 year old who lives in Edmonton Alberta. She is passionate about travel and creating experiences with her family and friends both locally and internationally. You can find her on Instagram at @kimouelletteyeg.