Looking for an RV getaway featuring great camping amenities within a peaceful park? If so, look no further than Williamson Provincial Park. The modern history of Williamson Provincial Park dates back to 1960 when the small 42 acre (0.17 sqkm) park was originally established. The park is named after Alexander Williamson, who was one of the area’s first settlers that came to Canada from Scotland during the 1920s. Williamson worked as a fire ranger and also hauled mail and freight in and around the area of the park. During the fur trade war he also took over operations at the Sturgeon Lake Post of the Revillon Frérés Trading Company.
The park is located on the banks of the beautiful Sturgeon Lake, which is the center of most recreational activities available at the park. The lake is a great spot to go swimming, throw out a line and try catch a fish or to go exploring on top of the water via watercraft. Since the park is quite small the activities off the lake are limited, however you can have a picnic, do some birding and go walking around the lake.
If you choose to stay the night at Williamson Provincial Park you have the option to choose between either powered or unpowered sites within the 67 site campground. The campground is very well maintained and features some great amenities, including washrooms and a dump station. Williamson Provincial Park is only open during the peak season from May until the end of September.
Williamson Provincial Park is located in the eastern region of Alberta and is situated close to Alberta Highway 43. The park has multiple entry and exit points and all of these can be accessed from the highway.
While there are some small towns located near the park, most of the services and amenities that you may need to access will be found in Grande Prairie, which is the closest city to the park at around 59 miles or 95km away. Some of the smaller towns close to Williamson Provincial Park include Valleyview (around 12 and a half miles or 20kms away), DeBolt (around 22 miles or 36kms away) and Bezanson (around 37 miles or 60kms).
Accessing the park should be quite straightforward as the roads that connect the park to the highway are all flat, well maintained and have no overhanging branches that could damage your RV. The road into the campground is kept in very good condition and it is also very wide to allow for ease of turning. During the winter the park closes down and there will be no staff on duty.
There is plenty of parking at Williamson Provincial Park.
Williamson Provincial Campground is the only campground at Williamson Provincial Park. The campground consists of multiple small loops and in total there are 67 sites for visitors to stay at. Out of these 67, 31 of the sites include the option for electrical hookups, which is a rare luxury at Alberta campgrounds. The campground sites at Williamson Provincial Campground are quite wide, flat and offer you privacy from other neighboring campers.
Along with the electrical hookups there are also other great amenities in the campground, including multiple water collection points, showers, toilet blocks, firewood and easy access to the beach. There is also a dump station and the campground is also pet friendly. If you are looking for cell phone reception you should be able to get cell phone service on all of the major providers within the campground.
Williamson Provincial Campground is a popular destination in the summer and we recommend that you book a reservation in advance before you begin your journey to the park. Some sites will also be available on a first come, first served basis and the campground is open from May until the end of September.
There is no better way to spend a hot summer day at Williamson Provincial Park than by taking a dip in Sturgeon Lake. The beach is more pebble and grass than sandy and the lake is known for having clearer water in comparison to other lakes in central Alberta. There is no marked swimming area at the lake but the most popular place to swim is near the day-use area. Be aware that if you are swimming in the lake that there are no lifeguards, so swim to your ability.
Along with being a great swimming area, Sturgeon Lake is also a very popular location for those who love to get out on the water. The lake (which is 18.95 sq mile or 49.1sq km) is plenty large enough to spend most of the day out exploring and is popular with both locals and visitors. If you have a watercraft that you want to launch into the lake there is a boat ramp located to the right of the day use area that you can use. Please note there are no rentals available at Williamson Provincial Park so you must bring your own.
Williamson Provincial Park has a great day-use/picnic area located on the banks of Sturgeon Lake that is the perfect spot to have a lovely relaxing picnic. The day-use/picnic area has some great facilities that include shaded picnic tables, toilets, garbage collection, parking and water collection points. None of the picnic tables at Williamson Provincial Park are reservable so we recommend getting there early if you want to secure a table for the day.
There are no public transport options that will take you to Williamson Provincial Park.
The chance to catch the big one is one of the main attractions for visitors to Williamson Provincial Park. The lake is known for being full of fish and there are many different locations around the lake that are known to be fishing hotspots. Don't be fooled by the name of the lake; there are no sturgeon but there are plenty of walleye, pike, whitefish and yellow perch. Before you throw out a line remember that you will need a valid Alberta fishing license.
Despite Williamson Provincial Park being quite a small park there are a few small trails that you can explore within the park. The most popular way for visitors to check out the park and its surroundings is to go for a walk around Sturgeon Lake. All of the small trails around the park and lake are suitable for people of all ages. Keep an eye out on the trails for some of the local animals that call the park and its surrounding Indian Reserve home.
Sturgeon Lake and the areas in and around the park are excellent areas for those who love to bird. There have been 159 different species identified at the neighboring Young's Point Provincial Park, eighteen of which are warblers. On the lake you will be able to spot many different migrating waterfowl and in the trees you may be able to spot great gray and barred owls, bald eagles, cinnamon teal, greater scaup and hooded mergansers.
