An illustrated guide to the best places in Alberta for connecting with the natural world: the best parks, conservation areas and wild places.

A guide to the best places in Alberta to connect with the natural world.

Since the first travelers visited the hot springs in Banff during the railway era of tourism, Alberta has been a compelling destination for visitors worldwide. Banff became Canada's first national park in 1885 and it remains one of the most popular destinations in the nation with towering mountain peaks, massive glaciers, impossibly blue lakes and abundant wildlife. The mountain parks are just one part of a province that is filled with spectacular landscapes. Canada's fourth largest province is also blessed with thick forests, sparkling lakes and mysterious badlands that conceal the fossilized remains of dinosaurs.

125 Nature Hot Spots in Alberta is a reader-friendly guidebook that explores this remarkable splendor and natural diversity. Organized by region, each hot spot entry includes a descriptive destination profile, a colour photograph and a sidebar of at-a-glance information about special features and location.

Here are a few examples of the destinations:

Whitehorse Wildland -- one of the few places in Alberta where you can drive to an alpine meadow

Wood Buffalo National Park -- free-roaming bison and the world's largest dark sky preserve

Writing-on-Stone/andAacute;andiacute;sinai'pi -- national historic site containing petroglyphs and pictographs

Columbia Icefields -- the largest icefield in the Rocky Mountains of North America

Waterton Lakes National Park -- one of the best mountain parks to view bears and other wildlife

Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park -- highest point between the Rocky Mountains and Labrador.

Travel Alberta reports that the province had a record-breaking 16 million visitors in 2016, the vast majority from the United States, the UK, Australia, Germany and Asia. This book provides fresh insights on popular spots and valuable information about lesser-known destinations that are equally worthy of a visit. 125 Nature Hot Spots in Alberta is an essential selection for libraries, tourism offices, travel agents, and bookstores.