This summer, we are inviting you to discover your new favourite park. Explore eight parks that offer a chance to experience Alberta from a different point of view: enjoy campgrounds with quiet lakes, scenic rivers, historic landscapes, sandy beaches, treed campsites, and family-friendly activities. We can’t wait to see you out there!
Situated on the Alberta-Saskatchewan border, Dillberry Lake Provincial Park is bursting with biodiversity and plenty of reasons to set up camp. Spend your days on sandy beaches, let the kids loose on the playground, cast a line for some fishing, or spend a day on the water. With 5 km of backcountry multi-use trails to explore, there’s no shortage of ways to stay busy or blissfully relax. Dillberry Lake also features one of the largest group use areas in central Alberta - perfect for family reunions, group getaways, or that long-overdue gathering with friends.
As part of an Important Bird Area, Dillberry Lake is a dream come true for nature lovers. It’s one of those rare places where parkland and prairie ecosystems all mingle, creating a front-row seat to a lively cast of birds, waterfowl, butterflies, and moths. Don’t forget your binoculars, you’ll want them.
⛺ Campground Highlight:
Dillberry Lake Campground checks all the boxes for a comfortable stay, with spacious, treed sites, modern amenities including showers, and a handy camp store for those last minutes items, cold drinks, and ice cream!
💬 What visitors say:
5/5 “What a beautiful park, sites are huge and lots of privacy. We had a double site with our friends and still lots of room for both of us to stretch out. Bathrooms and sites both very clean. Fantastic beach and playground for little ones. Fishing for the fisherman. Hiking trails for those of you who like to hike. This one will definitely see a return visit.” – (Google review)
📍 Closest Municipality: Provost
Set along the northern banks of the mighty Peace River, Dunvegan Provincial Park offers a camping experience steeped in thousands of years of history. Go back in time with a visit to Historic Dunvegan where you will find a visitor centre, restored historic buildings, guided tours, and various drop-in programs that bring the past to life - all just a short stroll from your campsite!
Scenic walking and biking trails wind through the park, while picnic shelters, playgrounds, fire pits, and horseshoe pitches invite you to kick back and stay a while. If you’re looking for something extra to do, swing by the Dunvegan Gardens, complete with a large greenhouse, kitchen, and mini‑golf, or plan your visit around the annual Fresh Air Market on August long weekend for a taste of local flavours.
⛺ Campground Highlight:
Enjoy views of the Peace River Valley from a treed campsite at Dunvegan Campground, featuring 67 powered sites, wheelchair accessible washrooms, fire pits, a playground, and a sewage disposal station.
💬 What visitors say:
5/5 “Such an interesting piece of history and a nice campground and rest stop. Go in the summer and enjoy the beautiful views and the endless daylight.” - (Google review)
📍 Closest Municipality: Grande Prairie
Nestled in the heart of the Highwood Valley, Etherington Creek Provincial Recreation Area is your invitation to trade in the crowds for a quiet camping experience in the wilderness. Whether you’re here for horseback riding, hiking, or simply enjoying a quieter corner of Alberta, Etherington Creek is all about simple pleasures, fresh air, and a little extra elbow room. It’s rustic camping at its best - no frills, no fuss, just plenty of space to roam and unwind!
⛺ Campground Highlight:
Etherington Creek Campground offers spacious sites surrounded by trees, with both reservable and first-come, first-served sites. Bringing your horse along for the adventure? Take advantage of the hitching rails and a loading ramp at the Etherington Equestrian Campground. Saddle up and explore the network of trails nearby! Campers can stock up on any last minute items (ice, cold drinks, snacks, etc.) at the Highwood House Day Use Area, which features a grocery and supply store, gas station, a sewage disposal station, and a water pump.
💬 What visitors say:
5/5 “Beautiful part of Alberta off the main trail but not too far out. Loved the campground and even had a great time doing some fly fishing along Etherington Creek. The area is really beautiful for fishing, biking, hiking and camping.” - (Google review)
📍 Closest Municipality: Longview
Located along the shores of one of Alberta’s largest lakes, Lesser Slave Lake Provincial Park offers classic lakeside camping with plenty of wilderness to explore. Spend your day soaking up the sun at Devonshire Beach, a natural sand beach perfect for viewing northern sunsets, shoreline walks, and all kinds of splash-worthy fun. If you prefer to keep your feet on dry land, hike up to the Marten Mountain Viewpoint for spectacular views, or tee off for a round of golf at the Gilwood Golf Club and enjoy the scenic views while you swing.
As a designated Important Bird Area, the park is a bustling hub for feathered friends – home to the Boreal Centre for Bird Conservation and a seasonal stopover for 20% of the western population of tundra swans! With an incredible mix of migrant songbirds, it’s no wonder bird enthusiasts flock here for the annual Songbird Festival! Pack your bags, beach towels, and binoculars and start planning your visit. There’s a whole lineup of exciting events waiting for you this summer.
⛺ Campground Highlight:
For those staying longer or looking to pitch a tent, Marten River Campground is a full-service campground offering powered sites. To access the lake, boats can be launched at the municipal boat launch south of the park. Visitors can enjoy over 35 km of trails and wheelchair users can find accessible amenities at Marten River Campground and Devonshire Beach North Day Use Area.
💬 What visitors say:
5/5 “Absolutely beautiful park, Devonshire Beach is a great place to swim or have a picnic in the summer. Definitely don’t miss this place if you’re ever in the area.” – (Google review)
📍 Closest Municipality: Slave Lake
Set among rolling coulees and the sweeping southern foothills, Police Outpost Provincial Park is a scenic little hideaway with a rich history, just 40 km southeast of Waterton Lakes National Park. Once home to a Northwest Mounted Police outpost from 1891 to 1896, you’ll be camping where Alberta’s early border history took shape.
With striking views of Chief Mountain rising across the Montana border, days here are best spent on the water (paddling or casting a line) or wandering scenic trails snapping photos of local wildlife and vivid prairie skies. Peaceful and uncrowded, Police Outpost lets you experience camping at a slower pace. Trust us, no cell service will be the best thing for you out here - you’ll be back.
⛺ Campground Highlight:
Nestled on the lower southwest side of Outpost Lake, Police Outpost Campground offers well-spaced sites suitable for tents and RVs surrounded by lush poplar trees. Campers can enjoy easy access to the lake, walking trails and a playground for the kids.
💬 What visitors say:
5/5 “No cell or internet service. This is a place to totally unplug and get absorbed with nature. Catch up on your favorite paperback novel, go for hikes or a swim, do some fishing, spend some precious time with family but go!!!” - (Google review)
📍 Closest Municipality: Cardston
Journey down to southern Alberta, where St. Mary Reservoir Provincial Recreation Area delivers big skies, sweeping views, and peaceful waterfront camping with beaches! Just 55 km southeast of Lethbridge, the park is a unique retreat where the days feel slower and the views feel bigger. You’ll want to bring the crew with you for this one.
Pack your paddles! When the sun is out, the reservoir comes to life. From boating and sailing to swimming and fishing, there’s no shortage of ways to make a splash.
⛺ Campground Highlight:
Get a little more rustic at Wally’s Campground with unserviced shoreline sites, scenic views of the reservoir, and incredible night sky viewing. A few sites are shaded by trees, but most have younger, newly planted trees. Campers can choose from a mix of both first-come, first-served and reservable campsites.
💬 What visitors say:
5/5 “What a hidden gem, not overrun, very clean lots of parking and beautiful refreshing water. Mostly quiet. Sandy beach, some trees for the shade. Magical view of the Rockies in the background. Short and easy walk to the beach.” – (Google review)
📍 Closest Municipality: Lethbridge
If you’re looking for simplicity and solitude, Thompson Creek Provincial Recreation Area is the park for you! Set along the peaceful banks of the North Saskatchewan River, and just minutes away from the Banff National Park entrance, Thompson Creek offers a quiet retreat for you to disconnect from the hustle and bustle, unwind by the fire, and get reacquainted with nature. With the incredible Icefields Parkway, scenic David Thompson Corridor, and plenty of hiking opportunities all just minutes away from your peaceful campsite, this park in the Rockies is more than just your average pit stop.
⛺ Campground Highlight:
Enjoy the relaxing sounds of Thompson Creek running through the centre of Thompson Creek Campground, equipped with over 50 unserviced, well-treed campsites, including three walk-in tenting sites. Campers can choose from a mix of first-come, first-served or reservable sites. While you are here, take a hike along the Thompson Creek trail which starts directly across the highway from the campground.
💬 What visitors say:
5/5 “What a gem of a campsite! The camp hostess was so nice and helpful. The sites were well shaded. Bathrooms spotless and no odors. One of the best places we have camped in Alberta!” – (Google review)
📍 Closest Municipality: Nordegg
Tucked into a network of lush, forested landscapes, Whitney Lakes Provincial Park is your go-to for a quieter, laid-back camping escape, just three hours northeast of Edmonton. The park wraps itself around four beautiful lakes - Whitney, Ross, Laurier and Borden – making it a choose-your-own-adventure kind of destination for water lovers and wanderers alike. Enjoy a day at the beach on a hot summer day!
With over 30 km of trails weaving along peaceful shorelines and through dense forest, this park lets you slow down, breathe a little deeper, and tune into your surroundings. Anywhere you look, wildlife is abundant. Did you know more than 145 species of birds and waterfowl have been spotted here? Don’t be surprised if your hike turns into a full-on birding expedition.
⛺ Campground Highlight:
Ross Lake Campground, a full-service campground complete with showers and access to the Ross Lake Beach just steps away, is perfect for families looking for a classic camping experience. Campers can also find a camp store with firewood, ice, and treats at Ross Lake.
💬 What visitors say:
5/5 “Highly recommend this park! Awesome dirt running trails that twist through the park. Well kept clean beaches and camp sites. Some beaches have kids playset too. All of the lakes are filled with clean cool water. Perfect place to spend the weekend with the family!” - (Google review)
📍 Closest Municipality: Lloydminster
