Indigenous glamping experiences in Alberta
Whether it’s tipis under the northern lights, riverside retreats, or forest hideaways, Alberta’s Indigenous-owned campgrounds offer more than just a place to rest your head, they invite you to make a relationship with the land. These experiences balance modern comforts with a celebration of rich Indigenous culture, creating unforgettable moments in some of the most beautiful places in the world. Right here in Alberta.
If the gnarled Cottonwood Trees along the banks of the Oldman River could talk, they would have some stories to tell. The land of southern Alberta has been the home of the Blackfoot people for thousands of years, with traditional knowledge passed down orally for generations. It is among these trees on the Piikani Nation that Buffalo Rock Tipi Camp continues this tradition.
This camp provides guests the opportunity to stay in authentic Blackfoot tipis protected by the Cottonwoods whose name the valley shares. Visitors can experience the rich history of the Blackfoot people through Elder storytelling, guided hikes, and sweetgrass harvesting. Buffalo Rock Tipi Camp also offers an introductory class on the blackout language, deepening the understanding of the people and land.
The camp is also located a short drive away from two UNESCO World Heritage Sites: Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump and Writing on Stone Provincial Park. Providing visitors a rare opportunity to learn about these significant places in Blackfoot culture, by experiencing it for yourself. After adventures across the Blackfoot Confederacy, Buffalo Rock Tipi Camp gives you a warm tipi and stories to share that will stay with you long after your campfire has dimmed.
The rolling hills of the Kikino Métis Settlement in central Alberta have many natural beauties to discover. Calming aspen forests, gentle creeks, and blankets of aspen forests hide diverse flora and fauna. Embodying the welcoming landscape of the region is Hideaway Adventure Grounds, 160 acres camping retreat. Accommodations include canvas wall tents and rustic cabins, all equipped with heaters, beds, firepits, and private outhouses, to provide the comforts of home amidst the isolation of the land.
“Hideaway is not just a campground.” Founder John Ritchie says “Hideaway is a place where people come to hear and share stories, to reconnect with themselves, with nature, and with other people.”
Ritchie offers hands-on activities that celebrate Métis culture on the very land that means so much to him. Bannock making over open fires, storytelling, guided nature walks, and shelter building.
There is a subtle beauty of the prairies. The shades of yellow in the carpet of grasses. The gentle smells on the wind of sage and sweetgrass. Clouds making their way across an endless blue sky. Fleeting glimpses of the fauna, big and small, that call the plains home. It is in this calming and peaceful landscape that you can find Pale Horse Tipi Camp.
Located on the Piikani Nation, part of the Blackfoot Confederacy, this retreat invites guests to experience authentic prairie tipi lodging among the beauty of the southern prairies. Accommodating up to four guests, each tipi is equipped with cots, chairs, and a central fire pit. Open from May to September, visitors can expect to be treated to traditional meals around the fire, and the experience of drumming, and dancing under the vibrant wide skies of the prairies.
Pale Horse Tipi Camp also provides all-inclusive summer cultural camps that honours the lands rich heritage and the enduring spirit of the Blackfoot people.
As the Elbow River winds its way from the Rocky Mountains, it passes through Onespot Crossing Campground on the Tsuut’ina Nation, just 30 minutes west of Calgary. Even during the heat of the summer the river keeps its glacial heritage, stealing breaths and refreshing minds. Despite being so close to Calgary, the sound of the city is nowhere to be heard, only rushing water, wind through leaves, and the occasional call of an eagle overhead.
The campsites across the 50 acres of Onespot Crossing have plenty of space between, giving privacy and seclusion. Guests can choose accommodations to what suits their needs: from traditional campsites, RV sites, cozy tipis, or modern domes in partnership with Elevated Escape.
“This land is special” Onespots founder David Onespot says.
The land itself provides a chance to learn from just being on the land. Whether you’re seeking solitude among the crisp mountain air or a group camping getaway that will sure to be a hit, Onespot Crossing has room for whatever you want.
An hour northwest of Calgary, Painted Warriors Ranch is an outdoor adventure company surrounded by 82 acres of pristine forest land. The ranch offers a diverse range of activities and experiences for all ambition. Days can be filled with archery, horseback riding, and snowshoeing for those looking to get their heart racing. Evenings are spend around campfires, listening to stories of times past and lessons for today.
Accommodations at Painted Warriors blend comfort with authenticity. Cozy heated wood cabins stoves provide warmth and rustic comfort that compliments the untamed wilderness.
Along a trail that follows the North Saskatchewan River, on it’s northerly most banks, there’s a place that has taken many breaths away. The forest trail that winds through river coulees, opens up and reveals a vista of the glacier-fed river to the music of bird songs and whispers of wind. This is but one of many visceral reactions of discovery and awe that showcases the deep connection of Pine Creek Retreat to the land it calls home.
“There’s and energy here that you can only experience when you’re here.” Founder Clayton Didier says.
Built on the land of the Bears Ears Reserve, Pine Creek Retreat honours the history of the land with a 20-foot teepee cultural centre as a focal point of the camp.
Pine Creek Retreat harmonizes comfort, nature, balance, reflection, and adventure. Custom A-Frame heated cabins with luxury showers create a place to recharge and rest, while trails into the stunning surroundings lead right from your front step.
Exploring an entire river valley might sound like a daunting adventure, but Pine Creek Retreat has made this accessible to most. All-terrain electric scooters give visitors of all physical abilities the chance to explore the land steeped in centuries of Indigenous and settler history. Giving you more time to have your breath taken away from the views.
Laugh and connect around the open fire at Mahikan Trails.
The majestic mountains, serene meadows, and calming pine forests of Alberta’s Rocky Mountains have much to offer. Every year, thousands of people from all around the world come to camp among the lands beauty. However, many of them are unaware the land’s beauty when intertwined with Indigenous knowledge becomes the worlds most stunning living classroom.
See the world through the Indigenous lens and embark on an immersive experience at Mahikan Trails. Led by Brenda Holder, a Cree/Iroquois Metis guide, visitors learn to foster a deep connection with the land through guided walks, listening to stories and traditions passed down through generations. Gain a profound appreciation for the land’s significance with year-round experiences that bright to light the food, medicine, and shelter the land provides. Mahikan Trails offers medicine walks in both Sundre and Banff.
Aurora Borealis Indigenous Village
The beauty of Alberta is an all-encompassing experience, even the skies have stories to share. Just south of Wood Buffalo National Park and 2.5 north of Fort McMurray is the world’s largest dark sky preserve and Aurora Borealis Indigenous Village. Far away from the lights of modern human cities, the skies in northern Alberta are one of just a handful places to experience the night sky as it once was. A mesmerizing blanket of stars explodes across the sky and, if you’re lucky, the Northern Lights paint colours across a canvas of black.
Aurora Borealis Indigenous Village welcomes guests with wooden floored tipis, wood-burning stoves, and cozy beds. Communal fires among the tipis provide the perfect place to experience the awe of a pristine night sky with friends and loved ones. Beyond the nightly aerial shows, Aurora Borealis Indigenous Village offers a diverse choice of Indigenous experiences to complement your stay. Making dry meat and bannock, ice fishing, nature trails, and storytelling among the boreal forests of Northern Alberta builds a deeper understanding of Indigenous culture.
Come for the sky, stay for the culture, Aurora Borealis Indigenous Village offers a tranquil camping retreat that you can only find in the north.