The best day trip from Edmonton is 40 minutes east: Elk Island National Park, where plains and wood bison graze beside the park roads and the night sky is dark enough to be a preserve. Beyond it, the outings within 90 minutes split three ways: trails and lakes (Strathcona Wilderness Centre, Chickakoo, Miquelon), history (the Ukrainian Village, the Reynolds-Alberta Museum, Métis Crossing), and quick stops for an afternoon. Several close or cut their hours in winter, so the season matters as much as the drive.
Location: Elk Island National Park
Pick by the time you have
| Where | Drive | What you go for | Season and cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lois Hole Centennial Provincial Park (Big Lake) | 30 km, 30 min | A 1.3 km step-free boardwalk to a bird viewing platform | All year; no fee |
| University of Alberta Botanic Garden | 34 km, 35 min | Gardens 5 km north of Devon, the Aga Khan Garden among them | Closed November 15 to January 17 |
| Strathcona Wilderness Centre | 40 km, 35 min | Forest trails; in winter 12 km of groomed ski trails, 2.3 km of them lit | Winter ski pass $10.25 an adult |
| Elk Island National Park | 49 km, 40 min | Bison, the Astotin Lake trails and dark skies | Open around the clock all year; $10 an adult |
| Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Village | 51 km, 40 min | A living-history village of the first Ukrainian settlers | Closed until May 2027; $18 an adult in 2026 |
| Chickakoo Lake Recreation Area | 46 km, 40 min | 11 km of trails, track-set for skiing in winter | All year; no swimming |
| Cooking Lake–Blackfoot Provincial Recreation Area | 55 km, 45 min | A long trail network for hiking, horses and skiing | Ski trails set from December 1 to March 31 |
| Wabamun Lake Provincial Park | 69 km, 55 min | A large beach and day-use area | Check the algae advisories before swimming |
| Miquelon Lake Provincial Park | 70 km, 1 h | 15 km of trails and dark skies | All year; not a swimming lake |
| Reynolds-Alberta Museum, Wetaskiwin | 73 km, 1 h | Vintage cars, farm machinery and aircraft | Tuesday to Sunday, 10 to 5; $18 an adult |
| Vegreville Pysanka | 106 km, 1 h 10 | The giant Ukrainian Easter egg, 31 feet tall | All year |
| Métis Crossing, near Smoky Lake | 115 km, 1 h 30 | Métis culture, a guided wildlife tour with white bison, sky-watching domes | Open all year; site free, wildlife tour $81 an adult |
Drive times are from downtown Edmonton in light traffic, rounded. Prices and seasons checked 25 October 2026 on each operator's site.
Three full days
Elk Island, bison and stars. Drive the Bison Loop Road while it is open to cars, then walk at Astotin Lake: the Shoreline Trail is 3 km each way, the Lakeview loop 3.7 km, and a 400 m boardwalk suits small legs. For a long day, the Wood Bison Trail south of Highway 16 is a 15.6 km loop of four to five hours. In summer the Ukrainian Village is 3 km east of the park and the Vegreville Pysanka about half an hour further on, so the day can run east along Highway 16 and back after dark.
West of the city. Start on the Lois Hole boardwalk at Big Lake in the morning, when the birds are busiest, then walk Chickakoo Lake's trails and finish on the beach at Wabamun Lake. Both lakes sit off Highway 16 west. Chickakoo is not for swimming, and Wabamun had a blue-green algae advisory from September 18, 2026, so check the AHS advisory list before anyone goes in.
A day for any weather. The Reynolds-Alberta Museum in Wetaskiwin is an hour south and open Tuesday to Sunday all year. Métis Crossing, an hour and a half northeast, opens every season: the guided wildlife tour leaves at 10:30 a.m. or 1:30 p.m. and takes an hour and a half, and in winter there is skating, tubing and snowshoe rental on site.
Winter day trips
- Cross-country skiing: Strathcona Wilderness Centre grooms about 12 km, 2.3 km of it lit for the evening, with snowshoes to rent. Cooking Lake–Blackfoot sets about 85 km of classic track and 35 km for skating from December 1 to March 31, snow allowing, and Chickakoo Lake is track-set too.
- Elk Island: the trails are not groomed, but you can snowshoe any of them, and skating on Astotin Lake depends on the weather. The Bison Loop Road closes to cars every winter.
- Downhill: Rabbit Hill Snow Resort, at the city's southwest edge, was selling passes for the 2026 to 2027 season.
- Closed in winter: the Ukrainian Village until May 2027, and the Botanic Garden from November 15 to January 17.
Elk Island at night
Elk Island is open around the clock all year, and night visits are welcome. The park sits in the Beaver Hills Dark Sky Preserve, created in 2006, and the Astotin Lake area is its viewing spot. Clear skies and the northern lights are never guaranteed, so check the forecast and the park bulletins before you go. Bison are out at night too: within 100 m of one, stay in your vehicle.
The official pages
- Elk Island fees Day admission and camping fees. https://parks.canada.ca/pn-np/ab/elkisland/visit/tarifs-fees
- Elk Island bulletins Road and trail closures, wildlife rules. https://parks.canada.ca/pn-np/ab/elkisland/securite-safety/bulletins
- Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Village The season, hours and admission. https://www.ukrainianvillage.ca/visit-0
- Métis Crossing Hours by season and the wildlife tour. https://metiscrossing.com/
- Botanic Garden hours Seasonal hours and the winter closure. https://www.ualberta.ca/en/botanic-garden/visit/hours-location.html
- Strathcona Wilderness Centre Trails, ski passes and rentals. https://www.strathcona.ca/wildernesscentre
- Reynolds-Alberta Museum Hours and admission. https://reynoldsmuseum.ca/visit
- Alberta Parks advisories Trail closures and lake advisories, park by park. https://www.albertaparks.ca/albertaparks-ca/advisories-and-public-safety/
Common questions
- What is the best day trip from Edmonton?
- Elk Island National Park, 40 minutes east on Highway 16: bison, lakeside trails at Astotin Lake and a dark sky preserve. Admission is $10 an adult, and the park is open around the clock all year.
- How far is Elk Island from Edmonton?
- About 49 km from downtown to the south entrance on Highway 16, roughly 40 minutes, and 50 minutes to Astotin Lake. Admission is $10 an adult or $19.50 for a family or group in one vehicle, and youth enter free.
- Can you see bison at Elk Island in winter?
- Yes. The bison stay in the park all year, but the Bison Loop Road closes to cars every winter, from November into spring. Within 100 m of a bison, stay inside your vehicle.
- Is the Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Village open in winter?
- No. It closed on September 14, 2026 and plans to reopen in May 2027. In 2026 it opened Wednesday to Sunday from May 16 to September 7, with adult admission at $18.
- Where can you cross-country ski near Edmonton?
- Strathcona Wilderness Centre grooms about 12 km, 2.3 km of it lit; Cooking Lake–Blackfoot sets trails from December 1 to March 31, snow allowing; and Chickakoo Lake is track-set too. Elk Island's trails are not groomed, but you can snowshoe any of them.
Tip
Staying the night? Camping near Edmonton compares the campgrounds, and Edmonton to Jasper covers the long weekend west. For the drive itself, how to plan a road trip.