Things to Do in Fort McMurray, Alberta: A Local Guide to Exploring, Sports, Shopping & More

If you think you've already seen everything Fort McMurray has to offer, you might be surprised by what's hiding in your own backyard.

Fort McMurray sits in the middle of Northern Alberta's boreal forest, where the Athabasca and Clearwater Rivers meet. That gives us an unusual combination of outdoor recreation, sports, community events, entertainment and city amenities—all surrounded by some pretty spectacular Northern Alberta scenery.

Whether you're new to Fort McMurray, visiting Wood Buffalo or you've lived here long enough that you've stopped noticing what's in your own backyard, here are some local experiences worth adding to your list.

Discover the Oil Sands Discovery Centre

There may be no attraction more uniquely Fort McMurray than the Oil Sands Discovery Centre.

The centre explores the history, science and technology behind Alberta's oil sands through exhibits, films and live demonstrations. Visitors can watch a hot-water extraction demonstration showing how bitumen is separated from oil sand and learn about the technology that has transformed the industry over the years.

During the warmer months, the outdoor Industrial Equipment Garden is another highlight. It contains machinery once used in oil sands mining, including "Cyrus," an enormous 850-tonne bucketwheel excavator that is one of the largest land-based artifacts in Canada.

For visitors trying to understand why Fort McMurray became the community it is today, this is a great place to start.

Hit the Slopes—or the Tubing Hill—at Vista Ridge

Winter in Fort McMurray is considerably more fun when you lean into it.

Vista Ridge has been part of the community since 1966 and has grown into a year-round recreation destination. In winter, the facility offers eight ski runs spread across approximately 60 skiable acres, along with chairlifts and a tube park.

It's a great option whether you're an experienced skier, learning for the first time or would much rather sit in a tube and let gravity do the work.

Vista Ridge isn't only a winter destination, either. Its warmer-weather activities have expanded over the years, giving Fort McMurray another reason to get outside once the snow disappears.

Go Golfing in Fort McMurray

Golfers have plenty of options in Fort McMurray, with courses ranging from championship-style layouts to casual, family-friendly rounds.

Fort McMurray Golf Club offers 27 holes along the Athabasca River across three different nine-hole courses—and has even hosted professional PGA TOUR Canada events, making it a pretty impressive course to have right in our backyard.

Miskanaw Golf Club features an 18-hole, par-71 course surrounded by boreal forest and the Athabasca and Clearwater Rivers. And if 18 holes sounds like approximately 17 holes too many, its separate Cubs Course takes only 30–40 minutes to play and is designed for everyone—even those who've never picked up a club.

RotaryLinks Golf Course is Fort McMurray's newest golf course, offering an 18-hole links-style layout designed by renowned Canadian golf-course architect Les Furber.

And Vista Ridge may be the winner for anyone being reluctantly dragged golfing: its unusual 12-hole course has bigger, more forgiving cups and no sand traps. And if golfing still isn't happening, there's also mini-putt and an aqua driving range where you hit floating golf balls into the lake.

Serious golfer or enthusiastic passenger, there's probably a Fort McMurray course that works for you.

Cheer on the Fort McMurray Oil Barons

Hockey season means cheering on the Fort McMurray Oil Barons—or the MOB, as they're known locally. The Junior A team has won three league championships (1997, 2000 and 2006), with the legendary 1999–2000 team setting franchise records with 52 wins and 106 points before winning Canada's National Junior A Championship right here in Fort McMurray.

Even if you don't follow hockey, a MOB game is a great night out—grab some friends or bring the family and experience a hometown crowd behind their team.

Spend a Summer Evening at a Fort McMurray Giants Game

Summer means baseball with the Fort McMurray Giants of the Western Canadian Baseball League, celebrating their 10th WCBL season in 2026. The team made its first playoff appearance in 2022, returned again in 2023, and drew an impressive 5,011 fans to their 2023 home playoff game.

Their story is also uniquely Fort McMurray—the Giants launched in 2016, only to have the wildfire temporarily force the brand-new team to play in Edmonton before finally taking the field at home later that summer.

Grab something to eat, settle into the stands and enjoy a summer night of baseball under the Northern Alberta sky.

Explore the Birchwood Trails

You don't have to leave Fort McMurray to disappear into the boreal forest for a while.

The Birchwood Trails comprise approximately 135 km of maintained trails running through the Thickwood, Timberlea and surrounding areas.

The trail system includes natural, asphalt, gravel and groomed snow trails, which means it changes with the seasons. Depending on the time of year, people use the trails for walking, running, cycling, inline skating and cross-country skiing.

There are flatter routes around the perimeter as well as steeper trails through the forested ravines, so you can choose your adventure based on how ambitious you're feeling that day.

Spend Some Time Downtown

Downtown Fort McMurray is worth exploring rather than simply driving through.

You can relax at kiyām Community Park, explore the Borealis Forest area, walk or cycle along waterfront trails, spend time near the Clearwater River and stop at downtown shops and restaurants along the way.

And while you're here, there's one particular Main Street business we'd suggest visiting.

Stop by Canadian Jewellers

Canadian Jewellers has called Fort McMurray home since 1985.

Located at 9810 Main Street in downtown Fort McMurray, we've spent more than 40 years helping people in this community celebrate engagements, weddings, anniversaries, birthdays and life's other milestones.

Our store carries engagement rings, natural and lab-grown diamonds, Canadian diamonds, coloured gemstones and fine jewellery. We also help customers with custom jewellery and jewellery repairs.

You certainly don't need to be planning a proposal to come in. Stop by to browse, see what's new, ask questions about diamonds or gemstones, or simply say hello while you're exploring downtown.

Canadian Jewellers
9810 Main Street
Fort McMurray, Alberta

Visit Our Fort McMurray Jewellery Store →

Check Out Fort McMurray's Trade Shows & Markets

Fort McMurray's trade shows are major community events, with previous shows attracting 10,000–15,000 attendees and bringing together local businesses, artisans and exhibitors from across Canada. Check the Fort McMurray Chamber of Commerce calendar for current dates and events.

Catch a Concert or Show

Fort McMurray has welcomed some surprisingly big names over the years, including Snoop Dogg, Three Days Grace, Our Lady Peace, Tom Cochrane, KISS, Simple Plan, Jimmy Eat World, Alexisonfire, Finger Eleven, Matthew Good and Dean Brody.

For live theatre, Keyano Theatre has been part of Fort McMurray's arts scene since 1980, bringing Broadway favourites, dramas, comedies and touring performances to the community. Past productions have included recognizable shows such as Mamma Mia!, Chicago, Flashdance: The Musical and The Drowsy Chaperone, while recent seasons have continued with classics like Fiddler on the Roof.

Between concerts, festivals and an impressive local theatre scene, it's always worth checking what's coming up before deciding there's nothing happening in Fort McMurray.

Watch the Northern Lights

In Fort McMurray, one of the most spectacular shows is completely free. The northern lights can transform a clear night into ribbons of colour dancing across the sky—sometimes right above the city.

People travel thousands of kilometres hoping to see the aurora. In Fort McMurray, sometimes all you have to do is look up.

Make a Fort McMurray Date Out of It

You also don't need one major attraction to make a good day or date. Build your own.

Play a round of golf. Walk the Birchwood Trails. Go to a Giants or Oil Barons game. Grab dinner. Explore downtown. Check out a trade show. Go skiing at Vista Ridge.

And if the occasion happens to be an anniversary, birthday or something a little more romantic, come browse jewellery together while you're downtown.

If you're secretly trying to determine someone's ring size while making the visit look completely spontaneous, that's between you and us.

Find the Perfect Proposal Spot

Planning to pop the question? Fort McMurray has some beautiful places to make it memorable.

Birchwood Trails offer quiet, forested surroundings and scenic viewpoints; The Snye and Clearwater River waterfront make a beautiful backdrop near the heart of downtown; and Horse River Valley Trail rewards the adventurous couple with an elevated view over the river valley.

For something truly unforgettable, plan around the northern lights. Fort McMurray Wood Buffalo recommends spots including the Raphael Cree Boat Launch and Parsons Creek for aurora viewing—and a proposal beneath a sky full of northern lights would be pretty hard to top.

And, of course, there's one thing you'll probably want to arrange before choosing the location... Find the Perfect Engagement Ring →

Be a Tourist in Your Own City

Sometimes the people least likely to explore Fort McMurray are the people who actually live here.

We drive past attractions because we'll "go someday." We stop noticing the trails. We don't check the events calendar. We haven't been skiing in years. We've never actually visited the Oil Sands Discovery Centre despite explaining the oil sands to every relative who comes to town.

So make a day of it.

Visit somewhere you've never been. Go to a game. Play a different golf course. Explore downtown. Try Vista Ridge. Walk a new section of the Birchwood Trails. Check out a trade show or community event.

There are plenty of things to do in Fort McMurray—you just have to occasionally remember to look for them.

And while you're exploring, come say hello.

Canadian Jewellers has been part of Fort McMurray since 1985, and we're proud to still call this community home.