Get your camping gear ready because the great outdoors is calling your name, and there are plenty of bucket-list spots in Alberta to answer that call just in time for the 2026 May long weekend.
From spots to pitch a tent in the Rockies to ones nice and close to some towering waterfalls, here are 14 bucket-list places you should consider snagging a spot at to enjoy your long weekend.
Writing on Stone Provincial Park Campground
Writing on Stone Provincial Park is the perfect place to get away from the city and get in touch with your Canadian roots — all while enjoying a lazy day near Milk River or taking a dip in the refreshing water. The campground is open year-round.
Distance from Calgary: 340 km
Distance from Edmonton: 631 km
Cold Lake Campground
There are sites for every camper, including power and power/water hookups and walk-in tenting. The surrounding forest offers a private and relaxing experience. Enjoy the sandy beach, canoeing, sailing, and wildlife watching on one of the largest lakes in northern Alberta.
Distance from Calgary: 600 km
Distance from Edmonton: 295 km
Three Sisters Campground
Just over an hour from Calgary, the Three Sisters Campground sits in the heart of the Bow Valley, offering unbeatable Rocky Mountain Views. It’s a great spot for hiking, biking, and exploring Canmore. It features a mix of serviced and unserviced sites.
Distance from Calgary: 96 km
Distance from Edmonton: 382 km
Crimson Lake Campground
Crimson Lake Provincial Park offers year-round camping just 14 km west of Rocky Mountain House. With more than 100 sites to choose from during the peak camping months, there’s plenty of hiking, biking, and lounging on the beach to be had.
Distance from Calgary: 230 km
Distance from Edmonton: 226 km
Sir Winston Churchill Provincial Park
With year-round cabins, the islands of this park are open to exploration in the summer and winter. Rentals of canoes, kayaks, and stand-up paddleboards are available to discover the waters of Lac la Biche. Trails throughout the old-growth forest allow campers to hike and bike to all the sandy beaches.
Distance from Calgary: 528 km
Distance from Edmonton: 224 km
Brazeau River Campground
Brazeau River Campground, in the Brazeau River Provincial Recreation Area, is 72 km north of Nordegg on Forestry Trunk Road (Highway 734). This small, treed campground along the Brazeau River has a cook shelter and provides opportunities for activities in the surrounding area. These include canoeing/kayaking, fishing, horse riding, and OHV trails (outside the recreation area). You’re in the thick of the wilderness, and the beauty of nature is bountiful out here.
Distance from Calgary: 366 km
Distance from Edmonton: 279 km
Elk Island National Park
You won’t want — or need — to go home after watching a beautiful sunset or catching the Northern Lights at Elk Island National Park. The national park boasts three camping sites with options to stay in a tent, RV, or the backcountry. Plus, the wildlife viewing is incredible here.
Distance from Calgary: 343 km
Distance from Edmonton: 48 km
Tunnel Mountain Village I/II
These are some of Banff’s most popular and stunning campgrounds. Tunnel Mountain Village I is just 4.5 km from the Banff townsite, while Village II is 2.5 km away. The second village offers more than 200 sites, and Village I has more than 600.
Distance from Calgary: 127 km
Distance from Edmonton: 413 km
Kananaskis Interlakes Campground
Visiting the Kananaskis Lakes is like stepping into a postcard photo. The area features a beautiful lake, soaring mountains, and thick wilderness. A visit will leave you wanting to hit up Peter Lougheed Provincial Park every single May long weekend. The campground along the shores of Lower Kananaskis Lake has around 45 well-treed campsites for RVs and tents. From here, there is easy access to the lakes for those hoping to canoe, fish, or boat.
Distance from Calgary: 139 km
Distance from Edmonton: 425 km
Wapiti Campground
On the shore of the Athabasca River, Wapiti Campground offers 125 sites for tenting and electrical hookup spots for RVs. Amenities include hot showers, electricity, and fire pits.
Distance from Calgary: 410 km
Distance from Edmonton: 370 km
Dinosaur Campground
Dinosaur Campground is in Dinosaur Provincial Park, 48 km northeast of Brooks off Highway 876. There are over 120 RV and tent-friendly sites, including unserviced, powered, and pull-through options. This full-service campground is nestled in a valley by the Red Deer River and shaded by cottonwood trees. Many sites back onto a creek.
Distance from Calgary: 219 km
Distance from Edmonton: 438 km
Rolling Hills Reservoir Campground
Approximately 20 km south of Brooks, the Rolling Hills Reservoir Campground has plenty of trees to keep you cool and secluded, and, of course, there’s plenty of water to splash around in. A total of 110 daily-use sites are available. The remaining 35 are seasonal lease sites designated through an annual campsite draw at the beginning of April.
Distance from Calgary: 217 km
Distance from Edmonton: 450 km
Carson-Pegasus Provincial Park
This campground is a fantastic spot for fishing, swimming, hiking, bird watching, and camping, of course! It’s absolutely stunning, and there are nearly 200 campsites to select from that offer plenty of privacy.
Distance from Calgary: 471 km
Distance from Edmonton: 204 km
Firerock Campground at Cypress Hills Provincial Park
Located in Cypress Hills Provincial Park, just 20 km southeast of Medicine Hat, Firerock Campground is as serene as can be, with plenty of time to laze on the beach, go boating on the lakes, hike, bike, or enjoy an interpretive program.
Distance from Calgary: 361 km
Distance from Edmonton: 595 km
Are you planning on going camping in Alberta this May long weekend? Let us know in the comments.
Originally published on Daily Hive.
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