Alberta Parks MAGAZINE 2012 free year-round guide to activities and experiences There are still some parks that cannot be reserved online and Camping Information must be booked by calling the park directly. Camping Season Campsites at many provincial campgrounds are available on a “first come-first served” basis. This information Peak season at provincial campgrounds is mid-May until and other details about reservations are available at early September. Some campgrounds remain open longer. explore.albertaparks.ca or call our general information line at Camping season dates are listed on each park’s web page at 1–866–425–3582. explore.albertaparks.ca. Camping Fees Camping Etiquette Camping fees vary depending on facilities and services. Basic Everyone comes to parks for an enjoyable camping overnight camping fees range from $5.00–$23.00/night. experience; visitors are asked to be considerate of their fellow Additional fees of $6.00/night are charged for each of campers and refrain from disorderly behaviour and excessive the following: pre-paid access to showers, horse corrals, noise. Quiet hours in provincial campgrounds are 11:00 p.m. pressurized water, power, and sewer hook-ups. A $3.00 fee until 7:00 a.m. is charged at sewage disposal stations. Maximum stay in all provincial campsites is 16 consecutive nights. Checkout time Electric power generators should be used in moderation is 2:00 p.m. (i.e. for only a couple of hours at a time), unless required for medical reasons. Electrical sites are available at many Firewood provincial campgrounds for visitors who require power for longer periods. Constant running of generators is considered Firewood is provided at most provincial campgrounds, excessive noise. either for sale at a concession or through a surcharge on the camping fee. Alberta is currently free of Dutch elm disease, but it can easily be spread from infested elm firewood brought in from other parts of Canada or the United States. To prevent this, visitors are asked not to bring out-of-province firewood into provincial campgrounds. For More Information For current information on provincial parks and recreation areas or to obtain the “Alberta’s Parks & Protected Areas” map, contact: Alberta Parks 2nd floor, 9820–106 Street Edmonton, AB, T5K 2J6 Reserving Your Campsite Phone: 780–427–3582 Toll-free: 1–866–427–3582 explore.albertaparks.ca Many campsites and group camping areas can now be reserved online. At reserve.albertaparks.ca, you can search for Kananaskis Country information is also available year-round at: all campsites that are available on the dates you want. There are photos of campsites and other areas of the park. You can Barrier Lake Visitor Centre view the campground layouts and make your reservation in Phone: 780–673–3985 real time. You will receive confirmation once you complete and submit the online reservation form. To call any Alberta Government office, toll-free, from an Alberta telephone, first dial 310–0000. and then the number. For assistance in making online reservations call 1–877–537–2757. 2 Explore Alberta Parks Magazine explore.albertaparks.ca Explore Alberta Parks Magazine explore.albertaparks.ca 3 Northwest MOSQUITO Contents MOSQUITO 3 Camping Information 6 Welcome to Alberta Parks 7 Parks 80th Anniversary 8 Map of Alberta Information 10 Northwest Northeast 11 Lesser Slave Lake Provincial Park explore.albertaparks.ca 13 Peace River Country 16 Northeast Reservations Introducing the BroadstoneTM 17 Cold Lake reserve.albertaparks.ca Introducing the BroadstoneTM Euro Tent. Part of the innovative 18 Richardson River Dunes Euro Tent. Part of the Broadstone line available 22 West Central innovative Broadstone line Survey 23 Exploring Alberta’s Northern Rockies exclusivelyavailable exclusivelyat Canadian at Tire. albertaparks.ca/exploresurvey 25 Alberta Parks Staff Central West Canadian Tire. 28 David Thompson Corridor Front Cover 29 Kootenay Plains Ecological Reserve Dinosaur Provincial Park 32 East Central 33 Gooseberry Lake Provincial Park 34 Vermilion Provincial Park This publication has been funded 36 Miquelon Lake Provincial Park by the Government of Alberta. 38 Need More Information? We acknowledge the sponsorship 39 William Watson Lodge of our advertisers that made this East Central 40 Canada’s Parks Day 2012 edition possible. BUILT-IN STORAGE WALL FOR LESS CLUTTER 41 Inclusion Program 41 Citizenship Ceremony Explore Alberta Parks Magazine is 42 Kananaskis published once a year by Alberta DOME SHAPE FOR SEPARATE LIVING 43 An Alberta Parks Legacy Tourism, Parks and Recreation. ADDED HEADROOM AND SLEEPING AREAS REMOVABLE WALL FOR 45 Dear Diary: The Best Classroom, Ever! 2 OR 3 BEDROOMS 250,000 copies are distributed 2 OR 3 BEDROOMS 46 Canmore Nordic Centre Provincial Park around Alberta and Western 48 Volunteer Wildlife Ambassadors Canada. 49 Managing Bears and People Kananaskis 50 A High Angle Rescue Icefi eld Heli Tours Kananaskis Heli Tours ISBN: 978–0–7785–9588–5 Canada Canada GUYLINES WITH 52 Paddling in Alberta Parks ANTI-TRIP FLAGS 53 Canadian Heritage Rivers 54 Urban Provincial Parks Equestrian Patrol GLOW-IN-THE- 55 Urban Provincial Parks: Nearby Nature DARK ZIPPERS Jasper Rocky 56 Mind Your Manners Icefield Nordegg Mountain Heli House Banff 57 Online Survey National Park Banff 58 Parks After Dark Lake Calgary Louise Canmore nanass 60 South Heli South 40 61 Southwest Tour Kananaskis 63 Kinbrook Island Provincial Park Country WELCOME WELCOME 66 Dinosaur Provincial Park MUD MAT 67 Camping in Comfort 70 Writing-on-Stone/ Áísínai’pi POSSIBLE 73 Regulations MONSTER SKUNK? MONSTER 74 Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park 76 Volunteering in Alberta Parks 77 Off-Season Camping LOGO canadiantire.ca/albertacampingcanadiantire.ca/ontariocamping CTR111060TA_ExplrAlbtaPrks_E.indd 1 12-02-15 11:41 AM 4 Explore Alberta Parks Magazine explore.albertaparks.ca Explore Alberta Parks Magazine explore.albertaparks.ca 5 CLIENT Canadian Tire APPROVALS CTR111060TA_ExplrAlbtaPrks_E.indd CREATIVE TEAM CREATED 08/12/2011 TRIM 8" x 9.5" CREATIVE Andrew H ACCOUNT Rachel Jolly PROOFREADER TAXI CANADA LTD LIVE NA MAC ARTIST Karla R/Karthika B PRODUCER Jen Shapiro x528 495 Wellington Street West PRODUCER Suite 102, Toronto BLEED NA INSERTION DATE(S) Feb. 15th AD NUMBER CTR111064TA ON M5V 1E9 STUDIO T: 416 342 8294 COLOURS CYANI MAGENTAI YELLOWI BLACKI F: 416 979 7626 CLIENT / ACCOUNT MANAGER PUBLICATION(S) Explore Alberta Parks MAGAZINE All colours are printed as process match unless indicated otherwise. Please check before use. In spite of our careful checking, errors infrequently occur and we request that you check this proof for accuracy. TAXI’s liability is limited to replacing or correcting the disc from which this proof was generated. We cannot be responsible for your time, film, proofs, stock, or printing loss due to error. Welcome to Alberta Parks Parks 80th Anniversary For 80 years, Alberta’s provincial parks have been places where families and friends gather. In 1932, Park Lake, Saskatoon Island, Gooseberry Lake, Sylvan Lake and Aspen Beach were designated as provincial parks. Camping, fishing, swimming, canoeing, picnics: these activities have provided the sparks that grew into vivid, happy memories for Every year, millions of visitors discover the beauty many Albertans and visitors to our province. Today, Alberta’s and wonder of our province when they explore provincial parks system covers more than 27,600 square provincial parks. kilometres. From the Rockies to the foothills, from the boreal forest We still have lots of great places to cool off on a hot summer to the badlands, we have almost 500 sites where we day, or to sit around the campfire. But we have evolved. Now protect some of Alberta’s most significant landscapes we also preserve important lands where habitats are protected and species. and people can still find adventure! Alberta promises travellers authentic experiences in Our parks and protected areas are where we gather and make breathtaking settings—and our provincial parks are memories. In locations all around Alberta, the nearby provincial the perfect places to start. Whether you are looking park is part of the community. Many Alberta towns see park for rugged backcountry treks or hassle-free comfort visitors picking up groceries, refueling or finding a dry bed on camping, Alberta’s parks can offer up solitude and a rain-soaked weekend. Many parks see visitors from nearby tranquility, or adventure and excitement, making towns at the beach, on walking trails, at the boat launch or memories that last a lifetime. even celebrating a family event under the roof of a park picnic shelter. We love to share our passion for parks, helping people of all ages experience Alberta’s natural heritage year- Celebrate with us as we turn 80! Parks across the province will round. So, go ahead. Turn the page and let us inspire be hosting a variety of celebrations on Canada’s Parks Day, you to Explore Alberta Parks. July 21. Details about events will be found beginning in June at explore.albertaparks.ca. 6 Explore Alberta Parks Magazine explore.albertaparks.ca Explore Alberta Parks Magazine 2012 explore.albertaparks.ca 7 8 Map of Alberta Explore AlbertaParksMagazine Explore explore.albertaparks.ca Northwest Northeast 35 Notikewin Northwest Northeast 35 Fort McMurray Notikewin Gregoire Lake Queen Elizabeth Moonshine Greene Dunvegan Lake Valley Fort McMurray Crow Lake 2 Winagami Gregoire Lake Lake Queen Lesser Slave Lake Saskatoon Elizabeth Hilliard’s Bay IslandMoonshineGrande Greene 63 Prairie 2 Lake DunveganYoung’sV alleyPoint Calling Lake O’Brien Williamson Crow Lake 2 Winagami Lake Lesser Sir Winston Slave LakeCross Lakeland Saskatoon 43 Hilliard’s Lake Churchill Cold Bay Island Grande 63 Lake Prairie 2 Young’s Point Calling Two Lake Long Lake Lakes O’Brien Williamson Moose Lake Carson-Pegasus Garner Lake Thunder Sir Winston Lake Cross 28 Lakeland 43 Churchill Pierre Grey’s Lake WhitneyCold Lakes LakesLake Two Sundance Lois Hole Long Lake Centennial Lakes Obed Lake 16 Moose Lake Carson-PegasusPembina Wabamun Vermilion William A.