Scenic Road Trips

Edmonton

• Before you begin your adventure into Northern Alberta, be sure to set aside some time to stroll “Old Strathcona”, the historic shopping and entertainment district centered along Whyte Avenue (82nd Ave.). Here you will find charming shops and cafes as well as some of the oldest architecture in the city.

• As you leave Edmonton on Hwy. 2, St. Albert’s Father Lacombe Chapel—Alberta’s oldest original building—offers bilingual tours, children’s programs, and special events from May to the end of August.
  

• At Morinville, a few minutes north on Hwy. 2, discover the Morinville Historical and Cultural Centre and the St. Jean Baptiste Church.

• Next, at the town of Legal, twenty-eight murals depict the lives of the area’s settlers.

Day 1: (NE Route) Edmonton to Athabasca (147 km/92 mi)

• Further north on Hwy. 2, the town of Athabasca is nestled in the river valley of the same name. Known originally as Athabasca Landing, the town was once the major staging area for goods destined for the North. Today, walk the Riverfront Trail and take in the interpretive signage or enjoy a guided walking tour with local historians.

Day 2: (NE Route) Athabasca to Lac La Biche (95 km/60 mi)

• From Athabasca you may head north on Hwy. 63 to Fort McMurray via Lac La Biche to take in the highly recommended Mission Tour and the Kak Ki Yaw Aboriginal Culture camp.

Day 3: (NE Route) Lac La Biche to Fort McMurray (291 km/182 mi)

• Cruise west and north on Hwy. 2 via Slave Lake to the route north all the way to the Northwest Territories border.
• At Fort McMurray, a well-known oil sands development centre, Heritage Park awaits with restored early settlement buildings and machinery.
  

Day 4: (NE Route) Fly from Fort McMurray to Fort Chipewyan (1 hour flight)

• Further north, Fort Chipewyan claims, in friendly rivalry with Fort Vermilion, to be the oldest settlement in Alberta (1788). Although Fort Chipewyan is only accessible by river or air, the trip is worth it to visit the Bicentennial Museum and the Roman Catholic Church featuring murals painted with local blueberry and cranberry juices mixed with fish oils.

Day 5: (NE Route) return from Fort McMurray through Athabasca to Slave Lake (436 km/273 mi)

• If you choose to go west from Athabasca, the Lesser Slave Lake area offers a glimpse of settlement history at Grouard’s Native Cultural Arts Museum, High Prairie’s Museum, and the Northshore Homestead Museum.

Day 1: (NW Route) Edmonton to Athabasca (147 km/92 mi)

• Further north on Hwy. 2, the town of Athabasca is nestled in the river valley of the same name. Known originally as Athabasca Landing, the town was once the major staging area for goods destined for the North. Today, walk the Riverfront Trail and take in the interpretive signage or enjoy a guided walking tour with local historians.

Day 2: (NW Route) Athabasca to High Prairie (283 km/177 mi)

Day 3: (NW Route) High Prairie to Peace River (126 km/79 mi)

Day 4: (NW Route) Peace River to Fort Vermilion (372 km/233 mi)

• Head west toward Peace River to see the gravesite of 12-foot Davis-named for the fortune he made from a 12-foot gold claim in the Klondike. Nearby is Grimshaw, Mile Zero of the Mackenzie Hwy., where you will find the Lac Cardinal Pioneer Village.
  

• North on the Mackenzie Hwy. (Hwy. 35), visit the Old Hospital or the Battle River Pioneer Museum in Manning to see machines that opened up the north.
  

• Approaching Alberta’s northern border is High Level, home of the MacKenzie Crossroads Museum featuring a visitor centre and a museum on Native history, trapping, and farming, including a recreated northern trading post and living quarters.

Day 5: (NW Route) return from Fort Vermilion to Grimshaw via LaCrete & ferry (336 km/210 mi)

• Take a side-trip on Hwy. 58 to Fort Vermilion, which also claims to be the oldest settlement in Alberta, to see their Heritage Centre collection.

• From Fort Vermilion, connect back to the Mackenzie Hwy. through La Crete, a thriving agricultural area home to a large Mennonite community, to see the Mennonite Heritage Village that features many unique buildings and farming artifacts.

• Taking this route also allows visitors to experience a ferry crossing of the Mighty Peace River.

Day 6: (NW Route) Grimshaw to Grande Prairie (175 km/110mi)

• Further south, Hwy 2 connects Grimshaw to Grande Prairie. At Fairview visit the RCMP Centennial Celebration Museum to learn about the pioneer officers’ lives through artifacts and displays.

• The original fur trade post at Dunvegan, in the Peace River valley, was a favourite wintering area of explorer Simon Fraser. Today, costumed interpreters lead you through the restored remains of St. Charles Mission Church and the Hudson’s Bay Company factor’s house.
  
  
• Sexsmith’s 1920s and ‘30s streetscape-carved cornices, period décor and restored first generation wooden buildings-makes a fascinating stop as does the 1916 blacksmith shop museum.
  
  
• In Grande Prairie, step into history at the restored post office, house, fire engine, school, and the pioneer church at the Grande Prairie Museum. The Heritage Discovery Centre, just up the road in Centre 2000, presents the Peace Country’s history and evolution from pre-historic to present through hands-on discovery.

Day 7: (NW Route) Grande Prairie to Edmonton (461 km/288 mi) or Grande Prairie to Jasper (397 km/248 mi)

Northern Alberta Heritage Trail
Total Distance: 2,557 km/1,600 mi
North East Route: 972 km/608 mi
North West Route: 1,900 km/1188 mi