Fortress Mountain
Canmore Engine Bridge is one of the many locations in Alberta where The Last of Us was filmed
No stranger to being a backdrop for A-list productions, Fortress Mountain in Kananaskis Country has played host to Hollywood greats such as The Revenant, Inception, Bourne Legacy, Planet of the Apes and Jumanji.
Its latest accolade is as the scene for the opening episode of season two of The Last of Us. The haunting and remote beauty of the peaks provide the ideal safe haven for the home base where Ellie and Joel are holed up.
A former ski resort, Fortress Mountain has been a favourite spot for hikers and cat skiers since 2004. Nearby Spray Lakes Provincial Park is an idyllic canoeing spot, or visitors can take in the calm of the snow-dusted landscapes from an Alpine Helicopter tour.
Fans of The Last of Us should rewatch the first season: it was filmed in more than 180 locations across Alberta, with both Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey naming Canmore as their favourite filming location.
Pipestone Creek
Walking with Dinosaurs was filmed in Pipestone Creek
As Walking With Dinosaurs makes its debut on screen after a 26-year hiatus, visitors to Alberta can walk in the footsteps of ancient Jurassic beasts.
In addition to traversing landscapes that prehistoric giants are known to have wandered themselves, visitors can join a ‘Paleontologist for a Day’ tour, digging up the past as they excavate their own fossils at the Pipestone Creek bonebed. The day trip also includes a tour of the Philip J. Currie Dinosaur Museum, which has thousands of dinosaur remains on display.
The first iteration of the BBC’s Walking With Dinosaurs was initially aired back in October 1999, with the revamped 2025 version focussing in parts on the ongoing dino digs across Alberta, particularly in Pipestone Creek. Over 300 bones per square metre have been found at this dig site by BBC researchers.
Banff
Race Across the World was filmed in Banff
Picturesque resort town, Banff is perched high in the Rocky Mountains, 4,500 feet above sea level, allowing access to some of Canada’s most popular outdoor pursuits such as trail walking, boat tours, and dipping in therapeutic hot springs.
Travellers might have been even more inspired than usual to visit the beauty spot, following its inclusion as a pit stop in BBC’s Race Across the World. For those who haven’t seen it, competing duos must find the best – and fastest – route between two points, with stops at interesting locales along the way.
Top spots that visitors shouldn’t miss include the Cave and Basin National Historic Site, which is the birthplace of Banff National Park and the national park system in Canada; Banff Park Museum which showcases Banff’s history and wildlife; and Banff Avenue, which is lined with shops, restaurants, and art galleries.
Calgary and Badlands
Cosmopolitan Calgary is probably most famous for its massive rodeo and festival that takes place each July – the Calgary Stampede. But ‘Cowtown’ has another string to its bow too.
Ghostbusters: Afterlife, the 2021 installment of the spooky franchise, was filmed here, with recognisable locales littered across the movie’s backdrops, such as the historic Lougheed House, the oldest building in Calgary.
Film buffs should also check out the Canadian Badlands, which are an easy day trip from Calgary, especially Drumheller, Horsethief Canyon and the Bleriot Ferry that crosses the Red Deer River, as they all made an appearance in the movie.
Other filming sites include the Turner Valley Gas Plant in Diamond Valley and the Empress Theatre in Fort Macleod, both of which are south of Calgary.
The Canadian Rockies
Brokeback Mountain was filmed in The Rockies
There’s no excuse not to visit the astounding Rockies on a trip to Alberta, but the fact they played host to Jake Gyllenhall and Heath Ledger is one more good reason.
As the province was a primary filming location for Cowboy-themed tear-jerker Brokeback Mountain, the summer of 2004 saw the two actors spend a considerable amount of time in the Canadian Rockies.
Visitors can spot Mount Lougheed, Fortress Mountain and Moose Mountain, which were combined in post-production to create the main peak featured in the movie.
The stunning Kananaskis Country featured extensively – for example, campsite scenes were shot in Goat Creek, Upper Kananaskis Lake and Elbow Falls – with additional filming taking place is the quaint towns of Fort Macleod and Cowley.
