Does Alberta have a provincial sales tax?

No. Alberta charges only the 5 percent federal GST on most purchases, the lowest sales tax in Canada, which makes it the cheapest province to buy gear, fuel and restaurant meals. Hotels add a 4 percent tourism levy on the room rate.

Do I need a pass for Kananaskis?

Yes, the Kananaskis Conservation Pass, bought online per vehicle before or on the day you visit, is required for stopping anywhere in Kananaskis Country and the Bow Valley corridor. It is separate from Parks Canada passes, which cover the national parks next door.

Can you camp anywhere on public land in Alberta?

On much of the province's public land, yes: random camping is free for up to 14 days at one location, packed in and packed out. In the busy foothills Public Land Use Zones a public lands camping pass is required and some corridors are day-use only, so check the area rules first.

How do you get to Moraine Lake now?

Private vehicles are banned from the Moraine Lake road year round. Access is by the Parks Canada shuttle from the Lake Louise park-and-ride, a licensed commercial bus, a bicycle or your feet, and the shuttle seats are released in batches that go quickly in summer.

Canada by province

Alberta travel guide: Rockies, badlands and no sales tax

Alberta for travellers: the 5 percent tax advantage, park and Kananaskis pass costs, random camping on public land, wildlife rules, and 511 Alberta for the passes.

4 min read 6 sections 4 questions answered

Alberta holds the marquee Rockies, the dinosaur badlands, cowboy country and the only sales tax in Canada that stops at the federal 5 percent. The mountains are the plan; the useful knowledge is how the passes, the passes you buy, and the public land actually work.

Peyto Lake's turquoise wolf-head shape seen from the Bow Summit viewpoint — Peyto Lake from Bow Summit, the Icefields Parkway's signature view. Photo: Tobias Alt, Tobi 87 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Sales tax: 5% GST only, the lowest in Canada
Road report: 511 Alberta, with mountain webcams
Fire bans: Alberta Fire Bans, one province-wide map
Provincial camping: Alberta Parks, booking opens 90 days out
Kananaskis: Conservation Pass required per vehicle
Winter tires: Recommended, not legally required

Roads and driving

511 Alberta covers conditions and closures; its webcams on Highway 93 and the Trans-Canada are the honest forecast for a mountain day.
Rural divided highways run 110 km/h. Park roads are lower and enforced, with wildlife as the standing reason.
Chinooks are the local plot twist: a warm wind swings a winter day 20 degrees and turns packed snow to glare ice by evening.
The Icefields Parkway is 232 km with two fuel stops and long stretches without cell service. Read the guide before driving it.

What it costs

Alberta prices at a glance

Cost	Typical	Notes
Sales tax	5%	GST only. Gear, fuel and meals are cheapest in Canada here
Hotel tax on top	4% + about 3%	Provincial tourism levy plus a destination marketing fee in the cities
Provincial campsite	$26 to $40 a night	Alberta Parks; the Kananaskis and Canmore sites go first
Kananaskis Conservation Pass	$15 a day or $90 a year, per vehicle	Required to stop anywhere in Kananaskis Country; enforced
National park entry	About $11 per adult, per day	Separate from the Kananaskis pass; Banff and Jasper both charge it
Fuel	Among the cheapest in Canada	The provincial fuel tax returned in 2024, so the gap narrowed

Checked August 2026. Alberta Parks and Parks Canada publish the current fee schedules.

Fire bans and camping

Alberta Fire Bans is one map for the whole province, covering provincial land, parks and municipalities, graded advisory, restriction or ban. National parks set their own rules on top. Campgrounds book through Alberta Parks. Outside the parks, random camping on public land is free for up to 14 days at a spot; in the busy foothills Public Land Use Zones a public lands camping pass applies, so check the public land camping pages for your area. National park sites run on Parks Canada and its January launch.

Rules and practicalities

What changes at the Alberta border

Category	In Alberta
Top speed limit	110 km/h on divided highways, lower and enforced inside the parks
Tolls	None anywhere in the province
Alcohol	18, the lowest in Canada. Retail is entirely private, with the widest selection anywhere
Cannabis	18. Private licensed stores, government online sales
Time zone	Mountain, with daylight saving
Wildlife	Elk in townsites, bears on verges. Stay in the car at a bear jam and keep 30 metres from elk
Moraine Lake	No private vehicles at all. Shuttle, bus or bike only
Emergency	911 province-wide; cell service thins on the Parkway and the eastern slopes

When to go

Alberta by season

Season	Best for	Watch for
May to June	Waterfalls, wildlife with young, half the crowds	Snow on high trails, storms on the Icefields Parkway
July to August	Every trail open, warm lakes, festival season	Lots full by 8am, rooms booked months out, fire bans
September to October	Larch season mid-September, elk rut, golden prairie light	First snow, shuttles winding down
November to April	Skiing, ice walks in the canyons, frozen bubbles at Abraham Lake	Parkway closures, deep cold snaps, early dark

The stops worth planning around

Banff and Lake Louise: the headline, deservedly (park guide).
Jasper: Banff's calmer sibling, dark sky preserve included (park guide).
Kananaskis: the locals' Rockies, nearly Banff scenery at half the density.
Drumheller: hoodoo badlands and the Royal Tyrrell, one of the world's great dinosaur museums.
Waterton: where prairie meets mountain with no foothills warning (park guide).
Writing-on-Stone / Áísínai'pi: sacred sandstone valley on the Milk River, hoodoos and rock art.

Peyto Lake, Icefields Parkway Open the full map

Drumheller and the badlands Open the full map

The official pages

Common questions

Does Alberta have a provincial sales tax?: No. Alberta charges only the 5 percent federal GST on most purchases, the lowest sales tax in Canada, which makes it the cheapest province to buy gear, fuel and restaurant meals. Hotels add a 4 percent tourism levy on the room rate.
Do I need a pass for Kananaskis?: Yes, the Kananaskis Conservation Pass, bought online per vehicle before or on the day you visit, is required for stopping anywhere in Kananaskis Country and the Bow Valley corridor. It is separate from Parks Canada passes, which cover the national parks next door.
Can you camp anywhere on public land in Alberta?: On much of the province's public land, yes: random camping is free for up to 14 days at one location, packed in and packed out. In the busy foothills Public Land Use Zones a public lands camping pass is required and some corridors are day-use only, so check the area rules first.
How do you get to Moraine Lake now?: Private vehicles are banned from the Moraine Lake road year round. Access is by the Parks Canada shuttle from the Lake Louise park-and-ride, a licensed commercial bus, a bicycle or your feet, and the shuttle seats are released in batches that go quickly in summer.

Tip

The Icefields Parkway guide covers the Banff to Jasper day properly: fuel, pass checks, and the stops in order.