Glamping in Alberta is the perfect solution for those who enjoy being in the great outdoors, but don’t relish the idea of setting up a tent and sleeping on the hard ground. It’s what you get when you combine “glamour” and “camping.” Also known as Comfort Camping, glamping takes all the hard work out of camping. Glamping accommodations all offer some level of luxury like comfortable beds. running water and sometimes even private bathrooms with flush toilets. Here’s a list of ten amazing places to experience glamping in Alberta, Canada.
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Glamping at Writing-on-Stone Provincial Park in Alberta
Alberta Parks uses the term “comfort camping” to describe the glamping facilities at Writing-on-Stone Provincial Park and in truth they are very comfortable. Each high-quality canvas tent comes with comfortable beds, an electric heater, a fan, electric lights and electric plug-ins. There’s a private deck, a fire-pit, a picnic table, a gas barbecue, a mini-fridge, cooking and dining implements, a coffee maker and a lantern. The site is surrounded by cottonwood trees and there is a separate building with coin-operated showers and flush toilets. Families particularly enjoy the educational programming in the park. This site contains one of the largest concentrations of indigenous rock art in North America. A playground and a sandy beach are near the campground. There are also amazing hiking trails and incredible scenery to enjoy. This is one of the best spots for glamping in Alberta.
Glamping in Alberta’s only Island Park
Did you know that landlocked Alberta has an island park? Sir Winston Churchill Provincial Park is located on a 662 hectare island on the eastern end of Lac La Biche. The 226-square-km lake is so big it almost seems like an ocean when you’re standing on the island’s sandy beaches. This park has 15 cabins that have running water, private bathrooms with showers and flush toilets and equipped kitchens. Five of the cabins are open year round and some are wheelchair accessible. The park also has Tipi comfort camping. There’s a cookhouse and bathroom facilities as well as comfy beds inside the tipis. You can rent Hudson Bay bedding for the tipis and indigenous cultural programming can also be arranged. When it comes to glamping in Alberta, Sir Winston Churchill Provincial Park offers a good experience.
Glamping at Alberta’s Elk Island National Park
Elk Island National Park is Canada’s only fully fenced national park and it contains the densest population of hoofed mammals in Canada. It’s a great place to see buffalo, elk, deer and other animals. It also contains an incredible array of bird life. More than 250 different species of birds have been sighted inside the park. Parks Canada operates five oTENTik sites at Elk Island National Park. Each oTENTik A-frame tent has beds for up to six people, a table and chairs, a lantern, electric heat and electric outlets. There’s a fire-pit, a deck, a bbq, a shared kitchen shelter and accessible washroom and shower facilities. Elk Island is an hour west of Edmonton and it’s a great spot for glamping in Alberta.
Related: Discover the Best Kept Secrets in the Canadian Rockies – Where to stay, dine and explore.
Stay in The Nest at Lesser Slave Lake Provincial Park
In the heart of Alberta’s Boreal Region, Lesser Slave Lake Provincial Park is home to one of the nicest beaches in the province. It’s also one of the best birding regions in North America. Fittingly, the comfort camping facility at this park is known as The Nest. The timber frame building is next to the Boreal Centre for Bird Conservation. It has room for 10 guests. There are two washrooms with showers and a large common room with a fully equipped kitchen and a fireplace. There’s also a large outside deck with a barbecue, a firepit and a picnic table. The Nest is very close to the Songbird Trail.
Glamping Yurts at Pigeon Lake Provincial Park in Alberta
About an hour’s drive southwest of Edmonton, Pigeon Lake Provincial Park is popular with families. Kids can spend time at the playground and the beach. Families can enjoy walking on trails by the lake. Eight yurts offer year-round glamping in Alberta. The insulated and heated yurts have accessible wooden decks and are equipped with a fridge, a bbq, and comfortable beds. There is a shared vault toilet and nearby flush toilets. Note: Pigeon Lake has had some issues with blue-green algae in the past. Alberta Parks will issue a warning on their website if there is an algae bloom and swimming is not recommended.
Rent a Trapper’s Tent in Rocky Mountain House National Historic Site
There’s no better place to learn about the history of the fur trade in Canada than Rocky Mountain House National Historic Site. Visitors can enjoy amazing indigenous programs and fascinating displays. You can also relive the fur trade by glamping in a Métis Trapper Tent or a tipi. Camping fees include a Fur Trade Camp Kit: bison hide, period cooking kit and utensils, blow tube and flint/steel fire-starting kit, bannock mix, trapper’s tea, spices, oil and soap. It’s one of the most educational and unique glamping experiences in Alberta.
Luxury Glamping Tents at Mount Engadine Lodge in Alberta
In the heart of the Canadian Rockies of Kananaskis, Mount Engadine Lodge is a backcountry lodge that is accessible by car. The lodge is surrounded by mountains and it’s common to see moose in the meadows behind it. There are regular lodge rooms, cabins, a yurt and glamping tents. The heated glamping tents have queen beds, living areas with fireplaces, electric lights, and private bathrooms with flush toilets and hot showers. Gourmet meals and afternoon tea are included, making this one of the most luxurious glamping experiences in Alberta.
Stay in an oTENTik in Banff or Jasper National Park
Banff National Park was Canada’s first national park and Jasper National Park is one of the largest national park in the Canadian Rockies. Parks Canada offers oTENTiks in prime locations in both parks. These fully-equipped A-frame canvas walled tents have everything you need for a great Alberta glamping trip – soft beds, electricity, a deck, fire-pit and more. Both parks have fantastic educational programming, plenty of well-maintained trails and lots of amenities. This experience lets you try glamping in the two most popular mountain parks in Alberta.
Ruckify RV – a Different Kind of Glamping in Alberta
If you’ve always wanted to try RV camping, Ruckify RV might be for you. This RV sharing site is kind of like Airbnb for RVs. It connects travelers to RV owners who are willing to rent out their trailers and RVs when they are not using them. If you think about it, an RV can turn any Alberta campground into a glamping experience.
Sleep in a Tipi or a Trapper’s Tent at Sundance Lodges in Kananaskis
Located in a wooded area in Kananaskis Country, Sundance Lodges campground has hand-painted Sioux canvas tipis and trapper’s tents on wooden platforms. Each unit is equipped with wood-frame beds with foam mattresses, a small heater, a lantern, a picnic table and a fire-pit with a half-grill. There’s also an onsite camp store and you can rent bedding if needed. This glamping spot is in a great location to access hiking trails in Kananaskis and nearby Banff.
Related: In Kananaskis Country, you’ll want to check out the Grassi Lakes Hike. It’s one of the prettiest hikes in the Rockies and great for all ages.
Stay in a Cabin at Cypress Hills Provincial Park
About 45 minutes southeast from Medicine Hat, Cypress Hills Provincial Park is a year round travel destination. Summer is the time to enjoy beaches, playgrounds, fishing, hiking and other adventures. There’s a skating trail, downhill and cross-country skiing, sledding and other fun adventures to enjoy in winter. It’s also a dark sky preserve and stargazing is good year round. Sixteen huts or cabins provide the opportunity to enjoy glamping in Cypress Hills, Alberta. Some cabins have electric lights and outlets and furnishings while others do not. Check the website to see all the amenities before you make a reservation.
Yurt Life at Miquelon Lake Provincial Park
Miquelon Lake Provincial Park is about 45-minutes southeast of Edmonton. The park has a sandy beach, picnic areas and a playground, but low water levels mean the lake is not good for swimming. There are biking and walking trails around the lake and some are wheelchair accessible. Family Discovery Packs are available at the visitor centre and provide everything you need to take your family on a nature adventure. There’s also an 18-hole golf course adjacent to the park. The park has four insulated yurts that sleep up to six people and are wheelchair accessible. Each yurt has an electric heater and lights, cooking implements, a coffee maker, comfy beds, a gas barbecue, a deck with a picnic table, a fire pit, a fridge and freezer and a table and chairs. Miquelon Lake is a great spot for glamping near Edmonton, Alberta.
Comfort Camping Closure – Dinosaur Provincial Park
You may find Dinosaur Provincial Park on many lists of places to go glamping in Alberta, but those lists are not current. As of March 2020, the comfort camping facilities at this park have been closed. It’s part of an unfortunate decision by the Alberta government to close and delist many provincial parks.
Supplies for Glamping in Alberta
The whole point of glamping is that you don’t need to bring as many supplies. That said, you’re still going to need a few things. You’ll need a water bottle for hiking and good hiking boots. Many comfort camping facilities require you to bring your own bedding as well. A propane camping stove can also be very useful.
More Great Alberta Adventures: Read about Table Mountain – A Most Instagrammable Alberta Hike.
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