Driving Tours
Explore our beautiful area with these three scenic and educational drives!
Before heading out:
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Check Alberta 511 for road and ferry conditions.
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Fuel up before leaving town.
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Bring water and weather-appropriate riding gear.
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Allow extra time for photo and sightseeing stops.
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Watch for wildlife, especially early and late in the day.
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Confirm attraction and restaurant hours before your trip.
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Remember that the La Crete Ferry is seasonal.
Route 1: 150-170K
Fort Vermilion → High Level → Fort Vermilion
Best for: A relaxed half-day drive
Sometimes the best drive is the one where you simply point the vehicle down the highway and enjoy the road.
Start your drive in Fort Vermilion and head south on Highway 88. Follow the highway to Highway 58, then turn west toward High Level.
As you leave Fort Vermilion behind, you'll quickly get a feel for northern Alberta's wide-open landscape. Farmland, boreal forest and big skies stretch out around you, with relatively light traffic making this a comfortable drive.
Make High Level Your First Stop
Once you arrive in High Level, take some time to explore.
A great stop is the Mackenzie Crossroads Museum & Visitor Centre, located at 10803 96 Street. The museum showcases the history and development of the region, with exhibits covering farming, trapping, Indigenous history and the area's early trading-post days.
It's also a great place to stretch your legs, grab some lunch and top up your fuel before heading back.
Heading Home
When you're ready, take Highway 58 east back toward the Highway 88 junction.
Turn onto Highway 88 south and follow it back to Fort Vermilion.
Before calling it a day, take a little time to explore Fort Vermilion itself. The community has a remarkable collection of historic buildings, including the Old Bay House, heritage homes and other sites connected to the region's fur-trade and agricultural history.
Don't Miss
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Mackenzie Crossroads Museum & Visitor Centre
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Downtown High Level
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Peace River views in Fort Vermilion
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Fort Vermilion Heritage Centre
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Historic buildings and riverfront
Tip: This is the perfect drive when you want some highway time without committing to a full day.
Route 2: 200+km
Fort Vermilion → La Crete → Tompkins Landing → Fort Vermilion
Best for: History, scenery and a great lunch stop
Ready to make your drive a little bigger?
Head south out of Fort Vermilion on Highway 88, then follow the highway network toward Highway 697 and La Crete.
The farther you travel, the more the landscape opens up. This is northern Alberta at its best — farmland, forest, long stretches of pavement and plenty of room to breathe.
Stop in La Crete
La Crete is a fantastic place to make a longer stop.
One of the area's highlights is the La Crete Mennonite Heritage Village, located just outside the community. The open-air museum preserves local Mennonite history and includes historic homes, a flour mill, store, school, sawmill, farm equipment and the original Tompkins Landing ferry.
Take some time to walk around, learn about the area's settlement history and see how families built communities in northern Alberta.
Then it's time for lunch.
Lunch in La Crete:
La Crete has several local food options, making it a great place to fuel up before continuing the drive.
Grab lunch, fill your coffee cup and give the vehicle a quick once-over before getting back on the road.
Drive Toward the Peace River
From La Crete, continue along Highway 697 toward Tompkins Landing and the La Crete Ferry.
This is one of the most memorable portions of the drive.
The road takes you toward the Peace River valley, eventually bringing you to the La Crete Ferry, which carries Highway 697 traffic across the Peace River.
The ferry crossing is seasonal, so check Alberta 511 before leaving to make sure it is operating. Alberta lists the La Crete Ferry as operating 24 hours a day from mid-spring until mid-November.
Once across the river, continue along Highway 697 and follow the paved highway route back toward the Fort Vermilion area.
Don't Miss
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La Crete Mennonite Heritage Village
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La Crete local restaurants
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Highway 697
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Tompkins Landing
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La Crete Ferry
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Peace River valley
Tip: Give yourself plenty of time for this drive. The point isn't to rush from one destination to another — it's to enjoy the road, stop for photos and experience the communities along the way.
Route 3: 260KM
Fort Vermilion → High Level → Highway 35 → Highway 697 → La Crete → Fort Vermilion
Best for: The ultimate full-day driving adventure
If you're only going to do one drive, make it this one.
The High Level Circle Tour is an established northern Alberta motorcycle route of approximately 260 kilometres, connecting High Level, La Crete and Fort Vermilion. It has long been promoted as a full-day drive featuring highways, historic sites, a ferry crossing and plenty of northern scenery.
And starting in Fort Vermilion makes it even better.
Start in Fort Vermilion
Fill up before leaving town and head out on Highway 88.
Follow the highway toward Highway 58, then continue west toward High Level.
If you didn't stop in High Level on Drive 1, this is your chance.
Grab a coffee, fuel up and visit the Mackenzie Crossroads Museum & Visitor Centre.
Then it's time to head south.
High Level → Highway 35
From High Level, take Highway 35 south.
This is where the drive really starts to feel like an adventure.
The highway stretches through the northern landscape toward the junction with Highway 697.
Turn onto Highway 697 and head toward Tompkins Landing.
The Peace River Ferry
Eventually you'll arrive at the La Crete Ferry.
Load up, shut off the engine and enjoy the short crossing of the
Peace River.
It's not every day that your motorcycle tour includes a ferry drive.
The ferry crosses approximately 680 metres of river and carries Highway 697 traffic between the two sides of the Peace River.
Once you're across, continue along Highway 697 toward La Crete.
La Crete: Take a Break
By this point, you'll have earned lunch.
Stop in La Crete for a meal and take some time to explore the community.
If you have enough time, make another stop at the La Crete Mennonite Heritage Village. The village is home to historic buildings and exhibits that tell the story of Mennonite settlement and community life in the area.
Then climb back in the vehicle and head toward Highway 88.
La Crete → Fort Vermilion
Follow Highway 697 toward the Highway 88 junction.
Turn onto Highway 88 and head toward Fort Vermilion.
As you approach Fort Vermilion, the drive begins to wind down — but don't park the bike just yet.
Finish Where You Started
Back in Fort Vermilion, make one final stop along the Peace River.
The river was the original highway of this region, carrying voyageurs, traders and explorers long before today's highways existed. The Fort Vermilion Heritage Centre notes the river's importance to the area's Indigenous, fur-trade and settlement history.
For an extra dose of history, visit the Fort Vermilion Heritage Centre. The centre houses extensive collections covering Indigenous heritage, the fur trade, trapping, agriculture, transportation and the natural history of the region.
Then grab dinner, a coffee or something cold to drink and talk about the day's drive.