Canada: Roundtrip Northern Alberta

An RV roundtrip from Edmonton is an unforgettable way to discover the rugged beauty of northern Canada. This 22-day road trip takes you from Alberta deep into the Northwest Territories, where endless boreal forests, enormous lakes, wild rivers and remote communities dominate the landscape. Along the way, you'll explore Wood Buffalo National Park, visit the northern capital of Yellowknife and have the opportunity visit Nahanni National Park Reserve.

This route includes some long driving days and takes you far away from Canada's busiest tourist areas, making it ideal for adventurous RV travelers looking for something truly different. To get you started, our team of experts has put together this inspirational RV itinerary. Of course, it can be customized to your needs and available time.

Day 1: Arrive in Edmonton
Coming from an international destination, we reccommend planning at least one overnight stay before picking up your RV. Fortunately, Alberta's capital is a great place to start your northern Canadian adventure. Explore downtown Edmonton, visit one of the city's museums or enjoy the many restaurants and breweries before getting a good night's sleep. Tomorrow, the real road trip begins!

Day 2: Edmonton – Peace River, approx. 490 km / 305 miles – 5.5 hours
Pick up your RV and leave Edmonton behind as you start the long journey north. Today's destination is Peace River, a small town surrounded by rolling hills and farmland at the confluence of the Peace, Smoky and Heart Rivers. Once you arrive, stretch your legs and enjoy the views across the Peace River Valley before settling in at your campground for the night.

Day 3: Peace River – High Level, approx. 296 km / 184 miles – 3.5 hours
Continue north through Alberta as the landscape gradually becomes more remote. Towns become smaller, forests larger and traffic lighter. High Level is one of the main service communities in northern Alberta, making this an excellent place to refuel, stock up on groceries and prepare for your journey into the Northwest Territories.

Day 4: High Level – Hay River, approx. 312 km / 194 miles – 4 hours
Today you cross the 60th parallel and enter the Northwest Territories! Travel north through increasingly remote boreal landscapes before reaching Hay River on the southern shore of Great Slave Lake. Known as the “Hub of the North,” Hay River is an important transportation centre and a convenient place to refuel and replenish your supplies. If time allows, head to the shores of Great Slave Lake for your first introduction to one of the largest lakes in the world.

Day 5: Hay River – Fort Smith, approx. 272 km / 169 miles – around 4 hours
Leave Hay River and travel east toward Fort Smith, one of the gateways to spectacular Wood Buffalo National Park. Breaking the journey in Hay River makes the trip from High Level to Fort Smith much more comfortable for RV travellers. Services are limited along this stretch, so make sure you have sufficient fuel, food and drinking water before leaving Hay River. Once in Fort Smith, settle into your campground. With two full days ahead to explore Wood Buffalo National Park, there is no need to rush.

Day 6: Wood Buffalo National Park 
Today is your first full day exploring Wood Buffalo National Park, Canada's largest national park and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Discover the remarkable Salt Plains, where underground salt deposits have created a vast and unusual landscape surrounded by boreal forest. Spend the day hiking, looking for wildlife and experiencing the immense scale of this extraordinary wilderness. Wood Buffalo protects important habitat for free-roaming wood bison. If you encounter these impressive animals, always keep a safe distance and follow Parks Canada wildlife guidelines.

Day 7: Wood Buffalo National Park
With another full day available, you can explore Wood Buffalo National Park at a much more relaxed pace. Depending on current access and road conditions, head toward Pine Lake or choose one of the park's hiking trails. Pack a picnic, take your time and enjoy being surrounded by one of Canada's great wilderness areas.

Having two full days in the park also provides useful flexibility if weather or road conditions affect your plans. If the skies are clear after sunset, look up. Wood Buffalo National Park is a designated Dark Sky Preserve and offers exceptional opportunities for stargazing.

Day 8: Fort Smith – Hay River, approx. 272 km / 169 miles – around 4 hours
Leave Fort Smith and retrace your route west toward Hay River. Although you stopped here on your way to Fort Smith, today's overnight stay gives you another opportunity to enjoy Great Slave Lake. Spend the afternoon or evening beside the water, relax at your campground and replenish your groceries and fuel before tomorrow's longer journey to Yellowknife.

Day 9: Hay River – Yellowknife, approx. 480 km / 298 miles – 5.5 to 6 hours
Continue north toward Yellowknife on one of the most memorable driving days of the trip. Along the way, you'll cross the mighty Mackenzie River and travel through an enormous landscape of forests, lakes and rivers. Keep an especially close eye on the road around Fort Providence and through the Mackenzie Bison Sanctuary. Wood bison are regularly seen alongside, and sometimes on, the highway. Always slow down and give wildlife plenty of space. Eventually, you'll arrive in Yellowknife, capital of the Northwest Territories and your base for the next three nights.

Days 10 & 11: Yellowknife
After several days on the road, enjoy two full days in Yellowknife. Start in colourful Old Town, where historic buildings, houseboats and local businesses sit beside enormous Great Slave Lake. Explore local galleries and shops and learn more about the cultures and history of Canada's North. Yellowknife is also famous for the Aurora Borealis. Depending on the season, weather and solar activity, you may be lucky enough to see the Northern Lights dancing across the sky. Having your own RV gives you the freedom to escape the city lights and find a quiet place to enjoy the northern night sky.

Day 12: Yellowknife – Fort Providence, approx. 315 km / 196 miles – 3.5 to 4 hours
Say goodbye to Yellowknife and begin your journey west. You'll travel back through the vast northern wilderness toward Fort Providence on the banks of the Mackenzie River. Take your time along the way and continue looking for wildlife. This region is well known for its wood bison, so slow down whenever animals are near the highway and never approach them.

Day 13: Fort Providence – Fort Simpson, approx. 320 km / 199 miles – 4 to 5 hours
Turn west and follow the highway toward Fort Simpson. Located near the confluence of the Liard and Mackenzie Rivers, this small northern community is your gateway to one of Canada's great wilderness areas: Nahanni National Park Reserve. Unlike many Canadian national parks, you cannot simply drive your RV into Nahanni. There are no public roads into the park, and most visitors access its spectacular interior by chartered aircraft. Settle into your campground and prepare for the next few days.

Day 14: Fort Simpson
Take a well-deserved break from driving and spend the day exploring Fort Simpson. Walk around the community, enjoy its riverside setting or simply relax at your campground. Use some of your time to confirm the arrangements for your Nahanni excursion. Flights are weather-dependent, so keeping your plans flexible is important when travelling this far north.

Day 15: Nahanni National Park Reserve
Today could easily become one of the highlights of your entire Canadian RV adventure. Leave the camper behind and take a flightseeing tour or day excursion from Fort Simpson into Nahanni National Park Reserve. The park is famous for its enormous wilderness, dramatic canyons and Náįlįcho, also known as Virginia Falls. Seeing this vast landscape from the air really puts the scale of northern Canada into perspective.

Access and landing locations depend on your chosen excursion, weather conditions and park regulations. Be sure to arrange your excursion well in advance with an authorized operator.

Day 16: Fort Simpson – Enterprise / Kakisa Area, approx. 360–400 km / 224–249 miles – allow 5 to 6 hours
It's time to begin the journey south, but there is no need to tackle the entire distance to High Level in one day. Leave Fort Simpson and follow the Mackenzie Highway east toward the Highway 1 corridor. Depending on campground availability and your preferred route, spend the night in the Enterprise or Kakisa area. Breaking the journey here makes the return trip considerably more comfortable for RV travellers and avoids an exceptionally long day behind the wheel.

Day 17: Enterprise Area – High Level, approx. 310–330 km / 193–205 miles – around 4 hours
Cross the 60th parallel once again and return to Alberta. Today's relatively manageable journey takes you south through vast boreal landscapes to High Level. After arriving, refuel, replenish your supplies and enjoy a relaxed evening. Splitting the journey from Fort Simpson into two days makes this section much more comfortable when travelling by RV.

Day 18: High Level – Lesser Slave Lake, approx. 440–500 km / 273–311 miles – 5 to 6 hours
Continue south through Alberta's expansive boreal landscapes toward beautiful Lesser Slave Lake. Rather than returning to Peace River, today's route gives you a different perspective on northern Alberta and avoids repeating the same overnight stop from the outward journey. Settle into your campground near the lake and enjoy a relaxing evening after another substantial driving day.

Day 19: Lesser Slave Lake
Today is all about slowing down. Enjoy the natural beaches and forests surrounding one of Alberta's largest lakes. Go hiking, cycle one of the local trails, paddle on the lake or simply enjoy the view from your campsite. Bird lovers can visit the Boreal Centre for Bird Conservation in Lesser Slave Lake Provincial Park to learn more about the boreal forest, migratory birds and research taking place in the region.

Day 20: Lesser Slave Lake – Edmonton, approx. 250 km / 155 miles – around 3 hours
Make your way back toward Edmonton. Compared with some of your northern driving days, today's journey is pleasantly short. There is no need to rush, so enjoy the scenery and make a few stops along the way. Once near Edmonton, settle into your campground and enjoy a quiet evening.

Day 21: Edmonton
Visit a museum, explore one of the city's neighbourhoods, walk through the river valley or do some last-minute shopping. After your time in remote northern Canada, this is also a great opportunity to enjoy Edmonton's restaurants, cafés and breweries.

Day 22: Edmonton – Departure
Return your RV and begin your journey home.

Remember, this is just an inspirational itinerary and you can modify it to suit your interests and available time. This is a remote RV journey, so careful preparation is particularly important. Driving distances are long, services can be limited and road or wildfire conditions may change. Always check current road and park conditions before departure and refuel whenever you have the opportunity.

Campsites and excursions such as the flightseeing trip into Nahanni National Park Reserve should be booked well in advance. Please feel free to contact our customer service team if you have any questions about this itinerary or would like a free, no-obligation quote.

Travel season

The best time to travel this route is from June through September, when road conditions are favorable and temperatures are pleasant. If you visit in August or September, you'll also have a bigger chance of experiencing the Northern Lights on clear nights.