Alberta’s UNESCO Sites
Alberta has a few gorgeous sites to visit and explore, here are the globally recognized wonders on offer!
What is a UNESCO Site?
- Short for: United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization
- Designated for having cultural, scientific, historical, or other great significance to have “outstanding value to humanity”
- UNESCO recognizes over 1,000 Heritage sites, globally
- Alberta has the most UNESCO sites in Canada!
Dinosaur Provincial Parks
- Designated: 1979
- Within Alberta’s expansive badlands dinosaurs once roamed, now one of the richest deposits of fossils in the globe you can take a trek through history with guided tours, hikes, and attractions
- Once a subtropical ecosystem with lush forests and flowing rivers it is now a unique landscape of carved bedrock, dry adapted flora and stunning views of hills, valleys, and hoodoos.
Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump
- Designated: 1981
- One of the world’s oldest and best-preserved buffalo jumps; used by indigenous hunters for nearly 6,000 years. You can now visit to learn about over 6,000 years of Plains Buffalo culture.
- Tour the cliffs with an Indigenous guide to learn about the history and importance of the location, and be educated on the cultural significance of this cliff to the Plains People that sustains to this day.
- The Interpretive Centre has 7 levels of exhibits, topped by a viewpoint with a spectacular view of the surrounding landscape.
Wood Buffalo National Park
- Designated: 1983
- The largest national park in Canada at 44,807 km², it’s home to a boreal forest, abundant wildlife like wolves, bears, moose, owls, and it’s namesake: over 3,000 free ranging bison.
The world’s largest dark sky preserve, it overlaps with the Northwest Territories (see our post about Dark Sky Preserves where we look at Jasper, the largest accessible preserve for us Albertans).
Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks
- Designated: 1984
- Includes Banff and Jasper National Parks in Alberta, as well as Yoho and Kootenay National Parks in British Columbia
- The quintessential Canadian experience for winter activities like skiing and snowboarding, or summer and year-round outdoor activities such as hiking, climbing, swimming, rafting, or horseback riding, just to name a few. It’s also home to some of the most luxurious spa experiences you’ll ever float away during.
Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park
- Designated: 1995
- Stunning lakes, art worthy mountain views, bright wildflowers, and incredible hiking trails for all experience levels
- The deep south of Alberta, overlapping into Montana you can take a cruise to visit both sides of the border in one day and get an incredible experience out of the deal
- Visit Red Rock Canyon, Blakiston Falls, and the Prince of Wales Hotel.
Writing on Stone / Áísínai´pi
- Designated: 2019
- Name translates to “it is pictured/written” in Blackfoot
- Central to many Indigenous cultures and rich in stories and tales of truth and history.
- Guided tours offer views of petroglyphs (rock carvings) and pictographs (rock paintings)
Information from Travel Alberta, UNESCO World Heritage Convention