Elk Island National Park is one of my favourite spots to visit…read more The park has many hiking trails ranging from a few kilometres to over 10. So definitely a variety for all fitness levels. Hiking can be done read round, and snowshoeing in the winter. The park has a visitor centre at the south entrance with Parks Canada staff, who are very welcoming, professional and very knowledgeable about the park and the wildlife. Speaking of wildlife, Elk Island is the home of bisons, which have been introduced to the area many years ago. They are impressive beautiful animals, that I've seen up close and personal (from my vehicle). They are impressive park also offers camping at the Astotin Lake area, but also backcountry camping. The park is a short hour (or less) east of Edmonton, and it is absolutely one of the best areas you can go to in Alberta to enjoy the outdoors, outdoor sports and activities, and wildlife. Ell Island National Park is also a dark sky area, where you can enjoy a starry night sky!!!

Located east of Edmonton in Alberta. Free admission for visitors thanks to Strong Canada Pass from…read morenow till Sept 7, 2026. Do not anticipate cell phone reception. You're welcome to try Satellite connection or SOS with the sun. If it's your first time, I highly recommend entering from south entrance, start at Wahkotowin Visitor Centre, read about history, familiarize with wildlife, campgrounds, and pick up a physical map of Elk Island National Park. Staff are very knowledgeable. I was hoping to see elk, yet didn't run into any during this visit. Our goal was to stop at these four lakes: Tawayik, Moss, Astotin, and Shirley. Surprisingly, we didn't see any bison on Bison Loop Road. As we turned left, on our way to Tawayik Lake, we saw a bison standing their ground and staring at us as our vehicle approached. We slowed down, stopped the vehicle from a safe distance. I zoomed my phone in, snapped a quick photo of the bison inside my car. Quick thinking and no other vehicles in sight, I instructed my husband to slowly reverse the rental, then do a u-turn. We didn't make it to Tawayik Lake. As we drove north on Elk Island Parkway, we saw three more bison within a 12 minute span. We passed by Moss Lake and Shirley Lake without stopping. We parked in the parking lot and walked around the grassy area fronting Astotin Lake. There's a blue and green algae warning on 7/24/2026. Do not enter the water. Yet, we saw a few people in boats on the lake. We got a great view of Astotin Island. Best to carry bug spray. We drove out via North Entrance.

Our recent trip to visit the homelands of our ancestors was amazing. We visited the Czech Republic,…read moreBelgium, Ireland, and Scotland over two weeks in Europe. Trying to arrange travel for four people to these multiple destinations would have been nearly impossible if not for the fantastic abilities of our travel agent, Mayurika Saxena, with Oregon Center at Expedia Cruises - Air, Land & Sea Vacations. Mayurika was fantastic in putting together this trip of a lifetime. Her attention to detail and asking all the right questions made our experience one of the best ever. I will always highly recommend Mayurika and Oregon Center at Expedia Cruises - Air, Land & Sea Vacations. You don't have to live in Oregon to work with them. If you need a reliable and dedicated travel consultant, Mayurika Saxena is the person you should choose!

I have to admit that we are not seasoned travelers, and the thought of organizing a cruses by…read moreourselves was very intimating. However our travel agent alleviated all our worries. He was there with us every step of the way, with various options, what to do and when to do it, ensuring everything went smoothy. Barry you made this one special. Kudos to Barry Dennington !

Really friendly help here - the young man looked like he was very enthusiastic about Wetaskiwin and…read moremade sure all directions were clear, even drawing them out. There are lots of brochures about central Alberta destinations, washrooms, and a few souvenirs.