Sylvan Lake is about 140 kilometres north of Calgary and 25 kilometres west of Red Deer on Highway 11. By car from Calgary, allow about 90 minutes; from Edmonton, about 2 hours south on Highway 2 and then west on Highway 11A.
There is no direct bus or train service to Sylvan Lake. The nearest major centres with bus connections are Red Deer (served by Greyhound and Alberta Stage Lines) and Calgary. From Red Deer, a taxi or rideshare to Sylvan Lake takes about 25 minutes.
In summer, the town gets very busy on weekends and long weekends; parking near the waterfront fills up early. Consider staying in Red Deer and driving in early if you're coming for the day.