If you can handle the rush and the whitewash, the most exciting way to see the mountains and rivers of Alberta is on a white-water raft. You don’t even have to paddle down these rivers: all that glacier-fed water from the mountains will push you downstream at a rate of knots. Just hold on. From the wild rivers near Banff National Park just outside Banff to the famous rivers of Jasper National Park, Alberta offers something for first-time paddlers right through to experts. You’ll see elk grazing on the banks and beavers splashing about, while eagles and ospreys fly overhead. There’s a choice of thrilling rivers like Jasper’s mighty Fraser and Sunwapta Rivers offering tight canyons with maximum backwash, but there’s also more introductory float tours too, where the spectacular scenery outweighs the thrills.