If you’re into glamping (glamour camping) Alberta has tons of options. Camping (I’m talking about a tent here) tends to lose its lustre when children are brought into the fold. Fortunately, there’s an entire world of outdoor luxury accommodation out there. Here’s a few of my favourite spots for glamping in Alberta.
If only tent camping was as idyllic as this makes it look
Updated April 2021. This post may include affiliate links. If you make a booking via one of these links, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Table of Contents
Glamping in Alberta
Many campgrounds nowadays offer glamping options in Alberta and across Canada. But there’s two things you need to know. First, they go fast. You need to make glamping reservations as soon as you can, because when they open, they’re reserved quickly!
Second, Alberta Parks and Parks Canada doesn’t use the term glamping. Alberta Parks call their glamping units comprised of tents, tipis, yurts, cabins, etc… comfort camping. Parks Canada uses the terms: unique and roofed accommodation. Regardless of what it’s called, below is a list of my favourite glamping options in Alberta.
When glamping, you can do everything campers do, and you’ll likely be better rested.
Rocky Mountain House Glamping
If you’re looking to bed down in unique tents, look no further than in Rocky Mountain House National Historic Site. Campers can spend the night in one of two very unique experiences.
You have a choice between a First Nations Tipi or a Métis Trappers Tent (real beds in this one). To get you in the mood, Parks staff offers fire starting kits and even a period cooking class.
I recommend having the kids watch the cooking class, too. If only so they realize just how hard it is to cook a marshmallow without burning it. Don’t bring any food or toiletry items into the tents, though! #wildlife
Step back in time at Rocky Mountain House. (Credit: Travel Alberta/AV Wakefield)
Caboose Cabins
The campground at Aspen CrossingAspen Crossing has retrofitted old train cars into adorable glamping units. Each train car comes equipped with real beds (and bedding), a private deck with BBQ, fireplace, air conditioning and TV! Best is that they’re winterized, so you can camp here all year long.
Aspen Crossing is about a 20-30 minute drive south of Calgary, so it’s even possible to camp here on a weeknight and head into work the next day.
Caboose cabins are winterized, so you can camp all year long. (Credit Aspen Crossing)
Elk Island
There is one great glamping option directly within Elk Island National Park and another is just a few minutes drive from the Park site.
Astotin Lake Campground
At this Parks Canada run campground there are 75 unserviced sites – 15 of which are for tents. They also offer 5 oTENTiks – a hybrid between an A-frame cabin and a tent. Check the section below for more info on what staying in an oTENTik is like.
Elk Island Retreat
Situated outside of Edmonton, a few minutes from Elk Island National Park, Elk Island Retreat is private campground offering an assortment of glamping options. You could bed down in a yurt, trapper cabin or tipi. They even have sites for RVs.
Newly opened are their geo domes. These futuristic looking digs have a wall of windows – perfect for stargazing and taking in the Northern Lights. Because Elk Island Retreat is within Beaver Hills Dark Sky Preserve, you’ll notice less light pollution and lots and lots of stars!
Best is that you can order a wine and charcuterie board to be delivered to your glamp-site!
At Elk Island Retreat, glampers have their own deck and BBQ (Credit: Elk Island Retreat)
oTENTiks in Alberta
Three National Parks within striking distance of Calgary and Edmonton: Banff National Park, Jasper National Park and Elk Island National Park offer oTENTik experiences. An oTENTik is essentially a tent-cabin combo.
Each A-frame-style oTENTik is equipped with a bbq, table and chairs and electric plug-ins. Yes, electricity means it also has light! It sleeps six on two-queen sized and one double-sized bed.
You bring your own bedding, camping stove and cutlery. It makes camping such a breeze, you’ll wonder why you ever pitched a tent.
But for those who feel camping requires a tent, but don’t have their own, these three National Parks also offer Equipped Campsites. You can read more about my experience with Eve in an equipped site in Banff at Two Jack Main Campground here.
Essentially, you get a six-person tent set up for you with a sleeping pad, stove, eating utensils, pots and lantern provided. You only need to bring your sleeping bag. And food. And mama might require wine.
This my friends, is what an oTENTik looks like. (Photo credit: Parks Canada/Paul Zizka)
Tipi Tent Camping
Close to Calgary, you can bed down in tipi at Blackfoot Crossing Historic Park. Staying overnight at their Chief Crowfoot Tipi Village is so much more than a camping experience. Staying here grants you access to the Historic Park so you can hike along their paths, take in the exhibitions and watch dance performances.
As you’re being shown your tipi, a local interpreter will introduce you to the flora and fauna of the region and will likely pass on some survival skills. You may even get to watch a hide tanning or meat smoking demonstrations.
Dinosaur Provincial Park Comfort Camping
The Comfort Camping suites in Dinosaur Provincial Park are in a word: amazing. You get to spend the night in this massive safari-like tent in one of the world’s most significant dinosaur sites.
This is a world renowned fossil park, and no other site in the world comes close to the number of dinosaur fossils or complete skeletons found. There’s also regular camping to be had in Dinosaur Provincial Park, but it’s decidedly not as glamorous, hence the term: glamping. Wink.
Each glamping tent is decked out with a fridge, proper bed and even an electric fireplace. They’ve got cutlery, lights and a couch, too! Eve and I spent some time in one of these tents, but weekend availability is pretty hard to come by.
Still, there are typically plenty of mid-week options available each summer when you book in with Alberta Parks.
Writing on Stone Cabins
Further south, Writing on Stone Provincial Park is another excellent camping option. The campground is paces away from a natural sand beach, where you can swim or tube. And you’ll love all the shade provided by those towering cottonwood trees in the Milk River valley. There’s great hiking amid the hoodoos and this sacred site contains the largest concentration of First Nations pictographs in North America.
Each of the Writing on Stone cabins has its own private deck, fire pit and barbecue. Indoors you’ll get a bunk bed (single mattress overtop a double), small kitchen and electricity.
Note: Writing on Stone campground is getting busier and busier. Reservations are essential in the summer months. More info here.
The campground is to the left- in all those trees. In the foreground are all the hoodoo trails for you to explore.
Camper rentals in Alberta
I never understood why people invest in RVs. They’re expensive and a hassle to deal with off season. Why buy when you can score camper rentals in Alberta?
Apparently over 1 million travel trailers in Canada only get used 14 days a year. Even in season, where do you park the massive beast? Tally up your insurance costs and storage fees, and you might as well spend a week at a resort instead. This my friends, is where Wheel Estate comes into play.
Wheel Estate has a variety of cutesy (and of course, very manly) campers to choose from.
For those folks who love the novelty of camper camping, but don’t want to shell out for their own trailer, Wheel Estate comes to the rescue. This nifty online service allows trailer owners to rent their units to verified guests.
Owners earn money by listing their trailers for free and renters get use of a camper without the hassles of ownership. It’s a also a cool way to test drive units you’ve got your eye on. Think of Wheel Estate like Airbnb for outdoorsy folks.
Car camping looks cool, but its reality is something different
Yurts Alberta
Forget the tent! There are now lots of yurts in Alberta to spend the night in. About an hour’s drive from Calgary, Mount Engadine Lodge has a winterized yurt. It sleeps four with two bunk beds and offers the same all inclusive dining program as guests of the lodge have.
Mount Engadine Lodge is a private facility so its yurts and front-country lodge are open all year round.
Pigeon Lake Yurts
Other popular yurts are found at Pigeon Lake – about an hour’s drive from Edmonton, Alberta and a two-hour drive from Calgary. Pigeon Lake was the cool lake when I went to University. And by cool, I mean warm.
This is a warm lake, where all the cool people cabined. Sorry for the confusion. Here, you’ll find insulated yurts (round tent-like structures) that are mounted on a spacious wooden deck on the shores of the lake.
Back to the yurts, they’re set up just like a hotel room, only you bring the bedding. They’ve got so many bed options, and I especially love how they’re wheelchair accessible.
Now if you really, really want four solid walls around you, check out The Village at Pigeon Lake. Here, you’ll find a hotel, spa, some really good restaurants and lots of fun shops. I’m so enamoured by this complex it’s on my spring bucket list.
How magical does this yurt at Pigeon Lake Provincial Park look? (Photo credit: Alberta Parks)
Lesser Slave Lake Cabins
Still not convinced camping is your thing? There are plenty of cabins to rent all over Alberta. You could head up north and rent The Nest. Ideal for larger groups and family reunions, this timber frame lodge is situated in the Boreal forest at Lesser Slave Lake Provincial Park.
The Nest is an actual cabin, so you won’t have to deal with sleeping upon uneven ground, and you’ll stay toasty warm inside should it rain. It’s got a wood burning fireplace in the great room plus laundry facilities.
If this isn’t one of the best Alberta Parks cabins for families to rent, I don’t know what is.
Crafting the perfectly toasted marshmallow is harder than it looks, people.
Save this info
Keep this information on where to go glamping in Alberta close at hand. Just pin the image below to Pinterest and you’ll always be able to reference it!
Have you ever gone glamping? Where are your favourite spots to rent?
It’s like you wrote this post for me! I’m so rubbish sleeping under canvas but I would happily spend several nights in any of these options – especially the yurts!
I know! The yurts are crazy warm, too. Something you need during crisp nights in Canada.
The tent-camping alternatives sound great and all but I’m more interested in the parks and locations you mention! Dinosaur and Writing On Stone Provincial Parks need to be added to my family’s travel hit list. But back to the camping… I stayed in a yurt in Montana that was far from luxurious, but it was so fun! I’d totally do it again.
Families love Dinosaur Provincial Park and Writing on Stone. They’re just so unique.
It is great to see so many options for glamping in Alberta. While the glamping has to be experienced, the destinations that you mention themselves look very attractive.
Yes, so many options in Alberta!
I’ve always wanted to go glamping. Camper vans look like so much fun. I definitely want to do a camper van trip either in US or in Australia. Dinosaur Provincial Park sounds like something I would like. And my husband is a dinosaur enthusiast. Thanks for the inspiration. I will keep the options in mind.
Yes, that’s the great thing about glamping. You can kind luxe spots around the world.
We have been Glamping in America for almost two years now, but after reading your article I feel we are missing out. I need to get us up to Alberta! Marshmallows are tricky and my youngest just has me toast his because getting it perfect is tough.
Well if you’re American, your dollar is worth a whole lot more in Canada. You’ll find luxurious camping options for less than you’d find in the US I imagine.
Glamping is something I am yet to experience. The idea seems adventurous, sleeping in tents and traveling in camper vans. Alberta does look like a spot to halt and experience.
I bet you’d love it!
I really love the idea of renting a camper. I guess it makes sense given the success of Airbnb. I’ve not had a chance to go glamping yet, but glad to know there are so many options. The yurt is particularly fascinating. I love the beauty of the Canadian national parks. I hope to visit sometime soon.
I hope you get to visit Canadian National Parks, too. Yes, the Wheel Estate angle is pretty cool.
Gosh, Jody. These are some fabulous ideas. I love the idea of glamping in Canada and I didn’t need kids to help me lose it’s lustre. My top pick would be Dinosaur Park, just so I could wander out at night and commune with the dinos. Though Writing on Stone Park sounds so amazing, too. I’d try Wheel Estate just for the imaginative name haha.
You need to come out to Alberta, girl!
I cannot believe I did not stay in one of those super cool camping sites in Banff National Park when we were there 2 years ago! I love camping, even in a tent, and yurts as well as cabin & tent combination cabins are amazing because they combine the comfort of staying in a proper room with the adventure associated with camping and idyllic location. What a lovely list of camping sites in Alberta!
This blog is definitely a game changer for campers, especially those who want to camp in style and comfort for a change! Camping has also been synonymous to something tedious and troublesome — which is true to some extent — which intimidates would-be campers. Glamping is also perfect for veteran campers who just want to be in the great outdoors AND be in a 5-star worthy lodging. Also, if anyone wants to try camping in a camper without hassle (and cost) of buying one, Wheel Estate is the perfect solution!