Lesser Slave Lake Provincial Park offers campers and outdoor enthusiasts the opportunity to explore vast acres of contrasting landscape. From sandy beaches, blowout dunes, Martin Mountain and its surrounding forests and wetlands, to Alberta's second largest lake, this park truly offers a diverse topography and many unique ecosystems.
A popular destination for nature lovers and bird-watchers, Lesser Slave Lake Provincial Park is located about 260 km or 160 miles north of Edmonton. The park is home to abundant species of wildlife and flora. However its main attraction is the Boreal Center which is one of the only boreal forest bird observatories in the world.
It is no wonder then that Lesser Slave Lake Provincial Park is a magnet for bird lovers everywhere and visitors here are never short of entertainment. The park offers plenty of hiking trails, water-based activities as well as winter activities and is open all-year round. The park also offers its guests excellent facilities and amenities to ensure a safe and comfortable stay whether they are camping in RVs, motorhomes, tents or Big Rigs.
A true nature lovers destination Lesser Slave Lake Provincial Park is an Albertan gem and a testament to Canada's diverse and unique landscape and wildlife.
Lesser Slave Lake Provincial Park is about a two and half hour drive away from Edmonton, Alberta. The park entrance is located around 28 km north or Slave Lake on Hwy. 88 and west on Twp. Rd. 752A. The roads and highways leading to the park are well-maintained and once inside gravel and paved roads lead to the campgrounds, facilities and amenities available at the park.
Lesser Slave Lake Provincial Park has two campgrounds that can service RV and tent camping as well as a couple of group campsites. Marten River Campground has over 110 campsites out of which 72 offer electric hook-ups of 15/30 amp. A few campsites are right by the lake, but most are set among the trees, offering plenty of shade and privacy. The campground has an amphitheater, playground, shower facility, vault toilets, sewage disposal, as well as a fish cleaning area and picnic shelter. Most campsites come with a picnic table and firepit area as well as access to drinking water. A-21 is and ADA accessible campsite. Firewood is available at the campground.
The campground is located right by the beach area and is designed for RVs and motorhomes that want to have a quick pit stop on their journey across Canada. The paved campsites are spacious and close to both the highway and the beach area allowing for quick access in and out. A total of 14 unserviced sites are available that come with cooking and toilet facilities. Picnic tables and a beach area make this the ideal stop for a picnic or a short camping stay.
The park's diverse topography makes it an amazing place for hiking enthusiast to stretch their legs as no two sides of the park are the same. If you fancy a walk by the beach you can embark on the almost 5 km/3 mile long hike from Devonshire beach to Northshore. For a more forested hiking experience you can choose the Lily Lake or Jack Pine trails that wind through jack pine, balsam poplar fir and ostrich fern trees. The short songbird trail is also a must hike for bird lovers. Most trails at the park can also be used for biking except the Lily Lake trail which is only for hikers.
Home to the largest auto-accessible lake in Alberta guests at Lesser Slave Lake Provincial Park have plenty of room to enjoy a spot of boating on the lakes pristine waters. Because of the park's unique topography, there is no boat launch area within park premises, but boating enthusiasts can launch their motor boats south of the park at Lesser Slave River. Kayaks and paddle boards can be directly launched at the beach area. Devonshire beach is also a popular area for windsurfing enthusiasts thanks to prevailing winds that exist all year round.
Exploring the forest lands by following the marked trails can often lead to encounters with wildlife that is abundant especially around Martin Mountain. Moose, black bear, coyotes, fisher, lynx, wolves, caribou and grizzly bears all patrol the inner and outer regions of the park. Apart from these large mammals, the park is also home to countless species of insects and small reptiles. The diverse forest of fir and fern offers shelter to abundant wildlife.
Fancy a day out soaking the sun by the beach or wandering amidst jungle-like forests? Lesser Slave Lake Provincial Park is perhaps the ideal destination for a picnic as it is such a unique and mesmerizing place. Visit with family or friends and enjoy the many facilities the park has to offer for a memorable picnicking experience. The natural groomed beach, picnic tables, showers, playgrounds, vault toilets, and fire pits make for a truly comfortable and enjoyable picnic experience.
Lesser Slave Lake Provincial Park is a designated important bird area that supports 20% of the western population of tundra swans that migrate to the lake to feed. The Boreal Center is the only boreal forest bird observatory in the world and has been recording new species of birds visiting the park every year. To date, over 175 species of birds have been recorded that include rare species like the Nashville, bay-breasted warbles, gray-checked thrush, rosy finch and western meadowlark.
During the winter this entire landscape is transformed as it is covered in snow and ice. But that doesn't mean the fun has to stop! Winter enthusiasts flock to the park every year to take part in the park's many winter based activities including snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, snowmobiling, skating, skiing and much more.
