Whether you want to explore some of Canada's best hiking trails, be mesmerized by glacial lakes, or try to spot some wildlife, you can do it all without having to go very far from the city.
Ready to head out? Here are seven national parks that are 3 hours or less from Calgary to visit this summer.
Banff National Park
Travel Time: 1 hour
Why You Need To Go: Banff National Park is an iconic park located close to Calgary. Canada's first national park, Banff just might be the most famous national park in the world, and for good reason.
Here, you'll find the stunning turquoise waters of Lake Louise and Moraine Lake, majestic mountains and outdoor adventures of all kinds.
The park offers tons of hiking opportunities, with more than 1,600 kilometres of trails in the Banff area, Lake Louise area, Castle Junction area and around the Icefields Parkway, with easy, moderate and more challenging hikes to suit all levels.
The park is also home to over 1,000 glaciers, as well as hundreds of species of wildlife, including grizzly bears, wolves, elk and more.
Banff National Park is about 1 hour away from Calgary along the TransCanada Highway, making it an easy day-trip spot.
Banff National Park website
Cave and Basin National Historic Site
Travel Time: 1.5 hours
Why You Need To Go: Cave and Basin National Historic Site near Banff has been a special place for Indigenous peoples for over 10,000 years, according to Parks Canada, and continues to be so today.
The rocky cavern is home to a legendary natural hot spring that looks otherworldly. Here, steam rises from geothermally heated waters, and earthy mineral scents fill the air.
According to Parks Canada, in 1883, three railway workers found the thermal springs, sparking a series of events that led to the creation of the first national park in Canada, Banff National Park.
Today, visitors here can enjoy interactive exhibits, short films, seasonal activities, and stunning views of the Rocky Mountains.
While you can't take a dip in the hot spring, you can enjoy a soak in the nearby Banff Upper Hot Springs during your visit.
Cave and Basin National Historic Site website
Kootenay National Park
Travel Time: 1.5 hours
Why You Need To Go: Set in the Rocky Mountains of southeastern British Columbia, Kootenay National Park is home to incredible scenery and abundant wildlife.
The park is full of forested valleys and canyons carved by glaciers, towering summits, grasslands and colour-splashed mineral pools that make it a beautiful place to visit.
For those who enjoy a good hike, Kootenay National Park has more than 200 kilometres of hiking trails, both casual and challenging.
One of the most popular spots in the park is the Radium Hot Springs hot pools.
Located at the southern end of the park and set against a gorgeous rock outcrop, the Radium Hot Springs are natural mineral springs that are heated deep in the Earth's crust where you can stop in for a soothing soak.
The park is also home to tons of wildlife, including big horn sheep and mountain goats, badgers, wolves and more.
Kootenay National Park website
Yoho National Park
Travel Time: 2 hours
Why You Need To Go: Yoho National Park boasts towering rock walls, spectacular waterfalls and stunning mountain vistas that make it a breathtaking place to visit.
The park is located on the eastern edge of British Columbia approximately 2 hours from Calgary along the TransCanada Highway, and about 30 minutes past Lake Louise.
Here, you'll find the gorgeous Emerald Lake, a gem-coloured body of water around which you can admire views of mountain peaks and wildflowers.
On a scenic drive on the Yoho Valley Road, you can take in the incredible Takakkaw Falls, one of the highest waterfalls in all of Canada as well as one of the most dramatic.
Other points of interest in the park include Wapta Falls, the largest waterfall on the Kicking Horse River, and the Burgess Shale fossil, one of the world's most important fossil finds that preserves the remains of an incredible variety of life forms from the Middle Cambrian time period.
If you want to see Burgess Shale fossils for yourself, you can go on a guided hike in the park, with three unique locations to choose from.
While you can admire the water views here, do note that bodies of water in both Yoho and Kootenay national parks are currently closed to watercraft and angling until March 31, 2025.
Yoho National Park website
Waterton Lakes National Park
Travel Time: 2.5 hours
Why You Need To Go: Waterton Lakes National Park is known as one of the most beautiful destinations in the Canadian Rockies.
Located approximately 2.5 hours from Calgary in southwest Alberta, the park is home to diverse wildlife (including more than 60 species of animals such as bighorn sheep, elk, and black bears) dozens of different wildflowers and some of the best hiking in North America.
You'll also find here majestic waterfalls and pristine mountain lakes where you can take a dip or enjoy canoeing, kayaking or paddleboarding.
While you're here, check out the Bison Paddock loop, a short, scenic driving route that passes through fescue grasslands inside the park's summer paddock.
The loop allows you to view bison in their natural habitat as they roam freely and graze.
Waterton Lakes National Park website
Elk Island National Park
Travel Time: 3 hours
Why You Need To Go: Located near Edmonton about 3 hours from Calgary, Elk Island National Park offers wilderness, wildlife, and star-filled skies, and is perfect for those looking to connect with nature.
The park is home to several hiking trails of different levels of difficulty, with routes that take you through aspen forest and meadows, allowing you to view bison, moose and elk, and through forests and marshes, where you might be able to spot beavers and waterfowl.
The park also has a pleasant beach area at Astotin Lake where you can float your own boat or canoe, kayak or stand-up paddle board.
The park is also part of the Beaver Hills Dark Sky Preserve, meaning it’s a great place for stargazing, allowing viewers to see star clusters, nebulae and galaxies.
Elk Island National Park website
Glacier National Park
Travel Time: 3 hours
Why You Need To Go: Just 3 hours from Calgary across the Canada-U.S. border, you can visit the breathtaking Glacier National Park in Montana.
Established in 1910, the national park is a land of mountain ranges carved by prehistoric ice rivers, and features beautiful alpine meadows, deep forests, waterfalls, glistening glaciers and 200 sparkling lakes.
The park is home to over 700 miles (1,126 kilometres) of hiking trails, with opportunities for both short hikes and extended backpacking trips, and something for every skill level.
The national park also offers guided experiences, such as guided horseback rides, which are available inside the park at Many Glacier, Lake McDonald, and Apgar.
Glacier National Park website
Enjoy!
Before you get going, check out our Responsible Travel Guide so you can be informed, be safe, be smart, and most of all, be respectful on your adventure.
