Alberta’s Yellowhead Highway oozes cool.
 
Musicians sing about its lonely stretches and quirky roadside attractions. Melancholy sunsets flank Rocky Mountain peaks. Wild animals stroll into view. Locals are famous for their small-town hospitality, as coffee and welcoming country steam in the early-morning sun. This is Alberta’s northern arterial route and it’s called the Trans-Canada Yellowhead Highway.

The Yellowhead stretches from near the centre of Canada all the way to Prince Rupert on the west coast, and passes just minutes from Edmonton’s International Airport. Access is also just a scenic drive away from Calgary, the gateway city to the Canadian Rockies.
 
One of the most spectacular sections of this famous highway begins east of Edmonton and ends four and a half hours’ drive away at Jasper National Park, deep in Alberta’s Rocky Mountains. Or, you can take a few days to experience everything the route has to offer.

Buffalo Rub Your Car

Begin in the east at Elk Island National Park, where visitors sometimes have a unique opportunity to drive through herds of enormous buffalo.

“When the buffalo are rubbing alongside your car it’s a fantastic experience,” says Ken Fiske, Vice President of Edmonton Tourism.

Head west from Elk Island and the Yellowhead leads visitors through Edmonton, Alberta’s capital city. Edmonton rivals anywhere in the world for services and amenities and many of them can be found under one giant roof at West Edmonton Mall.

When it was built, WEM was the largest shopping mall in the world. Today it continues to amaze. In addition to hundreds of shops, an ice rink, aquarium and restaurant strip, the mall is also home to an amusement park, wave pool and giant waterslides.

“It’s the greatest indoor show on earth,” says Fiske.

Discover Festival City

But Edmonton isn’t called The Festival City for nothing and it’s the real reason drivers on the Yellowhead should pull into this city of nearly one million residents.

“Visit Edmonton because of our festivals, any one of them,” says Fiske. “Street performers, fringe theatre, folk music, jazz, symphony and many more. As far as events, if you want to see real speed come to Rexall place in July for the Edmonton Indy. It’s a fabulous race.”

That kind of speed is best left to the professionals on a closed track, leaving the Yellowhead for motorists who want to slow down and enjoy the scenery. In fact, many people drive the Yellowhead for just that reason.

Drive Yellowhead, Enjoy Wildlife

“It’s a divided highway the entire way,” says Tammy Powell, manager of Grande Alberta Economic Region. “The highway is twinned and has four lanes and paved shoulders. It’s absolutely beautiful, it’s just so open, foothills and mountains, great sunsets and beautiful sunrises. I see wildlife everyday.”

The joy of driving the Yellowhead really begins just west of Edmonton, where the traffic thins out and the scenery begins in earnest. The first sign of wilderness is Pembina River Provincial Park, famous for fishing and hiking.

In spring, keep your eyes peeled for rolling thunderstorms in the distance. Dark clouds contrast with yellow canola, gold wheat or green grasses adjacent to the highway. Relatively flat countryside also means outrageous views to the distant horizon. The first town after Edmonton is historic Entwistle. It’s worth a visit just for the main street and historic buildings.

Try Slow Pitch, Fishing and Golf

Midway between Edmonton and Jasper is Edson, the slow-pitch capital of Canada. This is a great place to stop and do some exploring. To what degree is up to you because Edson is a hive of outdoor activities. If you happen to be here in early August, stop and watch 250 teams from all over North America compete in the town’s enormous slow-pitch baseball tournament.

Edson also offers fishing on the McLeod River or play 18 holes at the Edson Golf Club. For something a little different, head 35 km (22 mi) north to
Moonlight Valley Wilderness Lodge. This backcountry lodge sits in the middle of Canada’s northern boreal forest. From here, the list of activities is not for the faint of heart.

Gateway to Jasper National Park

The next town in the journey west is Hinton. Smack dab in the forest that helps drive its economy, Hinton is the gateway to Jasper National Park.

As well as being a service and supply town for the park, Hinton has embraced tourism with all kinds of recreational opportunities. Among the best are guided walks of Cadomin Caves and endless mountain biking trails. You can hike the lush Alberta wilderness and explore the Brule Sand Dunes. Visitors can also head to Miette Hot Springs and soak up the fresh mountain air while relaxing amid spectacular views and hot water. About 75 km (47 mi) west of Hinton is the town of Jasper. 

On the way there, stop by Maligne Lake and see why it’s a Canadian treasure.

“Maligne Lake is famous because of Spirit Island,” says Helen Kelleher-Empey, general manager of Jasper Tourism and Commerce. “It’s the most photographed lake in the world. It was also voted by Reader’s Digest as the number one boat cruise in Canada.”

From Maligne, Jasper is a beautiful scenic drive as the Yellowhead winds through the Athabasca River valley. For incomparable views of this rich ecological habitat, visit Alternative Adventures for a breathtaking zip-line ride down the side cliffs above the valley.

Visit Bike Friendly Jasper

Jasper itself is an amazing town. The locals tend to be furry, four legged and wild, while residents often commute by bicycle, making this one of the most bike-friendly towns in Alberta. The trails above the town, on the Pyramid Bench, are outstanding for mountain biking and will reward the adventurous with off-the-beaten-track views and locations.

The same applies to horse lovers, who can rent horses and see the national park the way it should be seen – on horseback.

If golfing’s your thing, then the renowned Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge Golf Club is sure to impress. Or go for something completely different: Harley Davidson motorcycle sidecar tours. These tours will take clients to the jaw-dropping Columbia Icefields, Mount Edith Cavelle, Maligne Canyon or any other of Jasper’s incredible locales.

And at the end of the day, visit the Jasper Brewing Company.

“We have the only brew pub in a national park,” says Kelleher-Empey. “It’s really good. They make some nice beers, with a couple of really dark ones like Guinness and a couple of lagers.”