Alberta’s Fishing Holes – Cast, Click & Capture

Themed Photo Stop Map | Province-Wide Road Trip Challenge

In Alberta, the best stories are told by the water. Whether it’s a sunrise cast, a shoreline campfire, or that “just one more cast” moment, our fishing holes are where memories are made.

The Fishing Themed Photo Stop Map highlights Alberta’s top lakes and rivers — perfect places to cast a line and snap a photo. From prairie reservoirs to mountain streams, every stop is a chance to reel in a story and enter it in the Rumble Alberta Photo Contest.

🎣 Fishing Holes You Can’t Miss

• Cold Lake – one of Alberta’s premier fishing spots, famous for lake trout

• Lesser Slave Lake – walleye and pike in a massive northern setting

• Sylvan Lake – fun, busy, and photogenic year-round

• Pigeon Lake – a classic central Alberta fishing & camping hub

• Red Deer River – winding, wild, and full of surprises

• Oldman Reservoir – mountain views meet fishing paradise

• Bow River (Calgary stretch) – legendary trout fishing

• Beaver Lake (near Lac La Biche) – quiet, scenic, and well-stocked

Every lake and river on this map is more than a fishing hole — it’s a photo stop waiting for you.

🚗 Rumble Alberta Photo Contest
Snap a shot while you fish, submit it at rumblealberta.com/photo-contest, and you could win!

How it works:

1. Explore Alberta’s fishing holes with the Photo Stop Map.

2. Take creative photos of fishing moments, boats, or lakeside life.

3. Upload to the contest site (multiple entries allowed).

4. Winners chosen by public voting — not random draw.

Prizes:

• 🥇 1st Place – $2,500 Alberta Vacation Package

• 🥈 2nd Place – $1,500 Alberta Getaway

• 🥉 3rd Place – $500 Road Trip Bonus

Eligibility: Must be a registered Rumble Alberta member.

Timeline: Winners announced March 2026; travel between April–October 2026.

☕ Hidden Gems Along the Way

• Chain Lakes Reservoir – quiet mountain valley spot, perfect at dawn

• Medicine River – lesser-known but photogenic prairie waters

• Winchell Lake (near Water Valley) – stocked and scenic for quick getaways

• Paddle River Reservoir – tucked in the north with wide-open skies

• St. Mary Reservoir – big water with a southern Alberta vibe

📸 Pro Tip:
Photos don’t have to be of fish — the best shots often capture sunrise reflections, boats on the water, or the quiet moment before a cast.

Map: Themed Photo Stop Map – Fishing Holes
Highlights: Cold Lake, Lesser Slave Lake, Sylvan Lake, Pigeon Lake, Red Deer River, Oldman Reservoir, Bow River, Beaver Lake, plus dozens of stocked and natural spots across the province.

Alberta’s Big Icons – Roadside Legends & Photo-Op Treasures

Themed Photo Stop Map | Province-Wide Road Trip Challenge

Alberta doesn’t just do things big — it builds them giant. From food statues to cultural symbols, our highways are lined with oversized icons that turn small towns into must-stop destinations. These quirky landmarks are part history, part community pride, and 100% road trip fun.

This isn’t a circle tour. The Big Icons Themed Photo Stop Map covers the entire province, challenging you to collect photos of Alberta’s boldest roadside treasures. And while you’re at it — enter your shots in the Rumble Alberta Photo Contest for a chance to win!

🌟 Big Icons You Can’t Miss

• 🥚 Vegreville Pysanka – world’s largest Ukrainian Easter egg

• 🌭 Mundare Sausage – a towering tribute to local food tradition

• 🥟 Glendon Perogy – fork included!

• 🦖 Drumheller T-Rex – climb inside for a badlands panorama - soon to be removed 

• 🔥 Donalda Oil Lamp – world’s largest, glowing over prairie fields

• 🛸 St. Paul UFO Landing Pad – intergalactic welcome mat

• 🍄 Vilna Mushrooms – paying homage to a quirky prairie crop

• 🦆 Andrew Mallard – a prairie bird gone mega-sized

And that’s just the start — dozens more icons are scattered across Alberta, each one a perfect excuse to pull over and snap a shot.

🚗 Rumble Alberta Photo Contest
Every photo you take at these icons is a chance to win. Just upload your best shots at rumblealberta.com/photo-contest.

How it works:

1. Explore Alberta’s Big Icons with the Photo Stop Map.

2. Snap creative photos — bonus points for fun angles, sunrise/sunset, or including your bike/ride.

3. Upload to the contest site (multiple entries allowed).

4. Winners chosen by public voting — not random draw.

Prizes:

• 🥇 1st Place – $2,500 Alberta Vacation Package

• 🥈 2nd Place – $1,500 Alberta Getaway

• 🥉 3rd Place – $500 Road Trip Bonus

Eligibility: Must be a registered Rumble Alberta member.

Timeline: Winners announced March 2026; travel between April–October 2026.

☕ Hidden Gems Along the Way
Not all icons are world-famous — some are hidden gems worth the detour:

• Sangudo Sundial – small-town science in giant form

• Grimshaw Mile Zero Monument – gateway to the Mackenzie Highway

• Elk Point Anchors – prairie meets naval history

• Foremost Windmill – prairie power remembered

• Medicine Hat Teepee – the Saamis Teepee, tallest in the world

📸 Pro Tip:
Don’t just snap and run. Frame your ride, friends, or gear into the photo, or wait for golden hour to make Alberta’s giants glow. The more creative your entry, the better your shot at prizes.

Map: Themed Photo Stop Map – Big Icons
Icons & Towns (sample highlights): Vegreville (Pysanka), Mundare (Sausage), Glendon (Perogy), Drumheller (T-Rex), Donalda (Oil Lamp), St. Paul (UFO), Vilna (Mushrooms), Andrew (Mallard), Medicine Hat (Teepee), Grimshaw (Mile Zero), Sangudo (Sundial), Elk Point (Anchors).

Circle Tour: Airdrie to Brooks – Badlands, Backroads & Prairie Crossroads

From Foothills to Farmland | South Central Alberta Road Trip

This South Central Alberta circle tour links Airdrie with Brooks, crossing through foothill towns, prairie crossroads, and Alberta’s badland edges. It’s a route built for variety — one day you’re rolling past farmland and foothills, the next you’re stepping into dinosaur country and wide-open skies.

What makes this tour special? It connects the west’s mountain gateway with the prairies’ farming backbone, offering small-town stops that make the road as interesting as the destination.

🌄 From Airdrie to Brooks: Foothills to Badlands
Leave Airdrie and swing west toward Cochrane, Cremona, and Water Valley, where foothill forests meet farmland. Head north into Olds, Didsbury, and Carstairs, towns with vintage main streets and local cafés.

Push further east into the prairie grain belt — Three Hills, Torrington, and Delia deliver Alberta’s classic small-town character. Hanna, Youngstown, and Big Stone add pioneer grit and photo ops before the land stretches toward Jenner, Patricia, and finally Brooks, a prairie hub along the Bow River.

🌾 Return from Brooks: Prairie Roads & Quiet Hamlets
Heading back west, pass through Duchess, Rosemary, and Rosebud — towns filled with local pride, history, and, in Rosebud’s case, a thriving theatre scene. Continue through Standard, Hussar, and Carbon, with their prairie main streets and heritage sites.

Roll north through Beiseker, Acme, and Linden, then finish the loop in Airdrie, where prairie highways reconnect with city bustle.

☕ Hidden Gems Along the Way

• Rosebud Theatre & Art School – world-class performances in a tiny prairie town

• Torrington Gopher Hole Museum – Alberta’s quirkiest attraction

• Hanna’s Pioneer Museum – rail and ranching heritage

• Patricia Hotel – Rumble Alberta Stop, rustic with true prairie character

• Duchess Heritage Museum – small but packed with local history

📸 Pro Tip:
Catch sunrise near Rosebud or sunset on the prairie roads outside Youngstown — two of Alberta’s most photogenic small-town scenes.

Maps: SC AB R7 & R8
Towns: Airdrie, Cochrane, Cremona, Water Valley, Olds, Didsbury, Carstairs, Three Hills, Torrington, Delia, Hanna, Youngstown, Big Stone, Jenner, Patricia, Brooks, Duchess, Rosemary, Rosebud, Standard, Hussar, Carbon, Beiseker, Acme, Linden

Circle Tour: Airdrie to Wayne – Hoodoos, Highways & Prairie Legends

From Grainfields to the Badlands | South Central Alberta Road Trip

This South Central Alberta circle tour links the bustling hub of Airdrie with Wayne, the “Ghost Town of 11 Bridges,” deep in the Drumheller Valley. The route winds through farmland, hoodoo country, and small prairie towns — each with its own stories and surprises.

What makes this tour special? It’s the perfect mix of prairie roads, badland scenery, and Alberta’s quirkiest small-town stops.

🌾 From Airdrie to Wayne: Prairie Roads to the Badlands
Start in Airdrie, then head east through Irricana, Kathyrn, and Beiseker, where grain elevators mark the horizon. Continue north to Acme, Linden, and Three Hills, small towns rich in farming heritage.

From there, take a detour through Torrington, famous for its quirky Gopher Hole Museum, then into Trochu, where the Arboretum offers a peaceful prairie walk. Wimborne and Carbon provide quiet small-town charm before you reach Drumheller, gateway to the badlands and hoodoo country. Just south lies Wayne, with its 11 historic bridges and ghost-town atmosphere.

🛣️ Return from Wayne: Badlands Backroads & Prairie Hamlets
Looping back west, take the scenic roads through Dalum, Dorothy, and Finnegan, where abandoned farmsteads and coulees create unforgettable prairie views.

Continue through Standard, Rockyford, Nightingale, and Hussar — quiet farming towns where Alberta’s rural roots run deep. Finish the loop back into Airdrie, closing the circle where city and prairie meet.

☕ Hidden Gems Along the Way

• Roadhouse Bed and BBQ, Rosedale – Rumble Alberta partner stop with food, rest, and stories

• Wayne’s Rosedeer Hotel – Alberta’s famous “last chance saloon”

• Torrington Gopher Hole Museum – quirky, hilarious, and unforgettable

• Dorothy’s Abandoned Church – haunting prairie photo stop

• Trochu Arboretum & Gardens – a prairie oasis

📸 Pro Tip:
Sunset along the 11 bridges to Wayne or early morning mist near Dorothy delivers Alberta’s badlands at their most dramatic.

Maps: SC AB R5 & R6
Towns: Airdrie, Irricana, Kathyrn, Beiseker, Acme, Linden, Three Hills, Trochu, Torrington, Wimborne, Carbon, Drumheller, Wayne, Dalum, Dorothy, Finnegan, Hussar, Nightingale, Rockyford, Standard