Lesser Slave Lake Brochure

Just 2½ hours north of Edmonton, Lincoln’s sparrow, rose-breasted grosbeak, Park you will enjoy an incredible landscape of boreal hostel—located in the park at the Boreal Lesser Slave Lake Provincial Park is American redstart and least flycatcher. forests, beaches, dunes, marshes and wetlands. Centre for Bird Conservation. The town of Slave Lake and surrounding area provide for every located in a beautiful boreal forest along All the large predators of the boreal forest Winter Fun taste and budget, including bed and breakfast the eastern shore of Lesser Slave Lake. inhabit the area. Bald eagles and black bears establishments, lakeside cabins, hotels and are common sights in the park, while grey motels. The lake is more than 100 kilometres In winter, cross-country ski trails and snowshoe wolves, grizzly bears, cougars and lynx are trails lead to a magical world of snow and brilliant in length and is the largest auto- occasionally seen. accessible lake in Alberta. blue skies. Snowshoes are available at the visitor centre and an insulated shelter provides a Birding warbler species. The park protects diverse bird As a research centre, the facility boasts Summer Fun place for winter enthusiasts to warm up. Every spring, billions of gem-like songbirds and habitats including lakeshore, old growth forest, a laboratory, a resource library, and waterfowl migrate to Canada’s boreal forest. wetlands and mixedwood forest. There are a accommodations for visiting researchers, The Park Story Park visitors can take long, barefoot walks Winter is the best season to observe animal The dawn chorus of singing birds in the spring number of owl species to be found including educators, long-term volunteers and post- on the natural sands of Devonshire Beach or tracks in the park - an exciting detective is a symphony of melodies and a feast to the the great grey owl, the northern hawk owl, secondary students doing field work. Lesser Slave Lake Provincial Park protects three explore the many park trails that are well-suited adventure for the whole family. ears. Birders will not want to miss the annual the barred owl and a fall migration of northern provincially significant landscape features: to walking, biking, hiking, wildlife viewing and Songbird Festival, held the first weekend in saw-whet owl. As well, there have been rare Visit the boreal centre’s web site at • natural white sand beaches, among the finest a quiet retreat. At Lesser Slave Lake Provincial Book a weekend in The Nest, where ski trails sightings of the pygmy owl, the black guillemot www.borealbirdcentre.ca. recreational beaches in the province come right to your door. June, to hear and see up to 23 of Canada’s 28 and lazuli bunting. • a sand dune complex and major beach ridge Playing in the sand at Devonshire Beach Bird Observatory that are more than 1500 years old; and Interpretive Activities Important long-term research is conducted Boating & Fishing • the easternmost example of the Foothills in the park by the Lesser Slave Lake Bird Observatory Society at Alberta’s northern-most Lesser Slave Lake offers world-class fishing Natural Region in Alberta. Interpretive programs are presented year migration monitoring station. The observatory is for walleye and northern pike. In total, sixteen round, with weekly programming during a vital link in the Canadian Migration Monitoring species of fish inhabit the lake, from the fathead The park straddles the margin between eastern summer months. Guided hikes, entertaining Network. Visit the Lesser Slave Lake Bird minnow to the eagerly-sought-after walleye. and western forest species. Old growth forests amphitheatre performances and informative Observatory online at www.lslbo.org. Boat launches and boat rentals are available on of balsam fir mingle with stands of lodgepole presentations led by park staff bring to life the the Lesser Slave River just north of the town of pine. Heart-leafed arnica, a wildflower typical fascinating natural and cultural history of the Visitors can learn more about the work of the Slave Lake, off Highway 88. of the Rocky Mountains, is found on Marten boreal forest and Alberta’s North. observatory and boreal birds at the Boreal Mountain, which rises 450 metres above the Centre for Bird Conservation, located near the lake. Services & middle of the park. Exploring the Region The park is very popular for birdwatching and There are two other provincial parks nearby. is a globally significant Important Bird Area Boreal Centre for Bird Accommodations Hilliard’s Bay Provincial Park, located on the (IBA). Large numbers of migrating tundra swans Conservation western shore of Lesser Slave Lake, is known stop to feed on the lake and the reeds around The nearby town of Slave Lake offers all for its world-class walleye and pike fishing the lake provide nesting habitat for a globally services including laundromats, hardware and The Boreal Centre for Bird Conservation is a and provides a free boat launch and fish important western grebe population. sporting goods stores, grocery stores, gas and world-class research and education facility that cleaning facilities. Winagami Lake Provincial propane sales, auto repair shops, pharmacies, is open to the public. The centre offers many Park, located northwest of Lesser Slave Lake There is an incredible concentration and the Northern Lakes Aquatic Centre and a tourist exciting programs and features an interpretive near High Prairie, offers a peaceful camping diversity of migrant songbirds; the park’s bird information centre. exhibit gallery as well as park and regional experience in a tall aspen forest and is a checklist is at 254 species and counting! Birders tourism information services. birders paradise with more than 260 species of can spot eastern species like Cape May and The northern boreal forest provides a gorgeous waterfowl and songbirds. Canada warblers, and forest birds such as the backdrop for accommodations at The Nest—a Marten River Campground Marten River Contact N To Highway 88 Jack Lesser Pine 0 500m Campground Lesser Slave Lake Provincial Park Trail Boreal Centre for Bird Conservation Slave Lake Marten River Campground, located at the north P.O. Box 730, Slave Lake, AB T0G 2A0 7 6 5 end of the park, has power and non-power Phone: (780) 849–7100 Provincial Park 8 campsites, hot showers, flush toilets and a Fax: (780) 849–8239 3 4 9 2 D sewage disposal station. The campground’s PARK GUIDE 1 native trees and shrubs provide lots of The Nest Boreal Hostel 10 14 privacy. Campsite reservations are online Phone: 1–866–718–BIRD (2473) 11 13 12 at Reserve.AlbertaParks.ca or by phone at Email: [email protected] 13 1–877–537–2757. 12 14 Alberta Tourism, Parks and Recreation 1011 15 Parks & Protected Areas Division 16 17 9 18 2nd Floor, 9820–106 Street 8 1 Lily Creek & Marten 26 7 2 25 Edmonton, AB T5K 2J6 19 C 6 3 24 Web: albertaparks.ca 4 River Group Use 20 5 23 Phone: (780) 427–3582 21 22 Areas Toll Free: 1–866–427–3582 These beautiful group use areas are ideal Reservations 16 Web: reserve.albertaparks.ca 17 for family reunions and other special 15 Toll Free: 1–877–537–2757 Beach events; available by reservation only. Call 18 14 13 (780) 849–7100. 19 1 20 Lesser Slave Lake Regional Tourism 12 2 32 21 P.O. Box 1606, 100 Poplar Lane 11 3 30 31 10 B Slave Lake, AB T0G 2A0 4 19 Be Bear Smart 29 18 9 Web: lesserslavelake.ca 5 20 17 HOST 22 6 28 16 8 7 Toll Free: 1–800–267–4654 21 Remember, when you’re exploring Lesser Slave 27 22 15 41 26 Peace Lesser Slave Lake 23 1 Lake Provincial Park, you are in bear country. River Provincial Park Lesser 23 2 25 14 40 Both black and grizzly bears can be found in 2 2A 2 Slave 24 13 Slave 24 12 High 2 39 the park. For information about bear safety Prairie Lake Lake 3 38 49 Athabasca 25 11 during camping and hiking trips, consult a park 43 Valleyview 33 4 26 conservation officer or pick up a copy of our Grande 10 37 Prairie 27 A 44 2 28 43 Swan Hills 5 36 bear safety brochure “Alberta Parks BearSmart” 9 6 33 8 at the permit booth or Boreal Centre. Fox Creek 32 Westlock 29 7 35 18 30 34 Barrhead 31 33 32 33 Whitecourt 43 37 2 Mayerthorpe 44 Access 32 to Trans 16 Canada Edmonton Trail ISBN: 978–0–7785–9585–4 Photo Credit: Travel Alberta Printed September 2011 Lesser Slave Lake Points of Interest Beach at Lesser Slave Lake Provincial Park Marten River Cottage Marten Marten Mountain Viewpoint Subdivision 2 km River N Marten Mountain Viewpoint overlooks a striking 0 500m Marten River panorama of Lesser Slave Lake. The summit is Group Use 938 metres above sea level and is the highest (Reservations Required) point of land for hundreds of square kilometres. The extreme elevation of the mountain creates a unique microclimate quite different from that Trailer of the rest of the park. Plant species typically Jack Pine Trail Drop-o observed only in the Foothills Natural Region are found on the mountain, including lodgepole Marten River Campground Lily Lake Pier pine, devil’s club and running raspberry. (Reservations Required) Walk Through Unisex Composting Toilet Time Trail Bridges 1, 2, & 3 Devonshire Beach Bench and Viewpoint environment in the province of Alberta. The Marten Mtn. Lily Devonshire Beach is found at the south end beach is important habitat for rare plants such Lake of Lesser Slave Lake Provincial Park. This as the sitka willow, which is adapted specifically Trail 1.5 kilometre stretch of natural and groomed for this sandy lakeshore environment.

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