Ya'Gotta: Lesser Slave Lake - Centre of Alberta's North

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Ya'Gotta: Lesser Slave Lake - Centre of Alberta's North

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Boating, Lesser Slave Lake

Boating, Lesser Slave Lake
Photo Credit: Travel Alberta

Alberta's Big Lake Country gets it's name from Lesser Slave Lake, which is the largest lake in the province. The area has many opportunities for adventure tourism and outdoors recreational activities including camping, hiking, birding and water sports. As well each August long weekend, the town of High Prairie hosts the Elk Pro Rodeo.

On the east end of the lake is the Town of Slave Lake and on it's west end, in the south Peace country, is Town of High Prairie. In between these two towns and on the south shore of the lake are a series of small lakeside villages and hamlets. Running from east to west, on Highway 2, are Wagner, Widewater, Canyon Creek, Assineau, Kinuso, Faust, Driftpile and Joussard. These communities are found by going west of the junction of Highway 33, coming north from the Swan Hills, Whitecourt, Ft. Assinaboine and the Provincial Capital Edmonton.

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If you're seeking aboriginal tourism experiences then visit the Driftpile First Nation, in August, when they hold their annual Powwow. Grouard, north of High Prairie, also has the Native Cultural Arts Museaum. Other websites that you may want to look at are Whitefish Lake First Nation (110k north of the town of High Prairie) and the Bigstone Cree Nation are located north of Slave Lake

North Country Fair & Folk Music Festival, Joussard

North Country Fair & Folk Music Festival
Photo Credit: Travel Alberta

For roots music fans, on a weekend close to the summer solstice (June 21), Driftpile hosts the North Country Fair, an eclectic festival of folk, blues, country, rock and world beat music that revels well into the shortest night of the year. It's a camp out festival, but don't plan to get much sleep on Friday or Saturday nights, as the activities run late. Campfire and tent concerts run after the main stage performances end (approx. 1:00 am.) and continue into the wee samll hours.

Also each year in June, when Alberta becomes a birder's dream come true and hosts a marvellous selection of migratory birds, the Lesser Slave Lake Bird Observatory holds the Lesser Slave Lake Songbird Festival. This birding observatory, just north of the Town of Slave Lake, is also a must see for nature lovers and birding enthusiasts, with the new Boreal Centre for Bird Conservation. If you're going to be in the area contact the observatory to find out their hours, as they vary with the seasons.

In mid July of each year the Town of Slave Lake holds the Provincial Sand Sculpture Championships, where competitors use the fabulous sand of Devonshire beach to build their creations. For an excellent view of the beaches and the wide vista of Slave Lake, with a view south to the Swan Hills, go to lookout at Marten Mountain where you'll also find a miniature environment of sub-alpine plant growth and the lovely hiking trail to Lily Lake.

Extreme trekers and history buffs, may also want to check out the Klondike Trail, which was the overland route to the Klondike gold fields, from Edmonton. The Chalmers section, runs past the west end of Slave Lake.

For fishing fans, Slave Lake is the largest recreational lake in Alberta with abundant fishing year round. The month of June ends and July begins with the Town of Slave Lake's Annual Centennial Walleye and Pike Classic and the end of July the Village of Joussard, hosts their Walleye Tournament.

There are an abundance of accommodations in the area and camping is available in commercial campgrounds as well as in the three Provincial parks:

Lesser Slave Lake Provincial Park, is north of the town of Slave Lake, on Highway 88
Hilliard's Pay Provincial Park is on the north-west shore, of the lake, east of Grouard, which also provides access to the Grouard-Peace River Trail section of the Alberta TrailNet.
For campers that enjoy birding, Minagami Lake Provincial Park, is west of High Prairie.

There are also the remote Lesser Slave Lake Wildland Park, available by boat, on the north shore of the lake and Grizzly Ridge Wildland Park, south-east of the Town of Slave Lake.

You can get to the area from Edmonton, or from points in northern Alberta and the Northwest Territories. Travellers from northern and central British Columbia, as well as the Yukon and Alaska reach the area via Alberta's Peace Country. It's also possible to do a circle route from Jasper, via Hinton, Grande Cache and the Peace Country. The area has excellent highways, for car and bicycle travel, as well as regular bus schedules from all directions.

If you're planning a trip the Lesser Slave Lake area Ya'Gotta Travel you can book your flights, hotels, car rentals online. You can also visit our Ya'Gotta Travel (Canada) page for more information about our services.

In order to make the best of adventure travel in northern Alberta, we suggest that you purchase good, reliable guidebooks and maps. Click here for some suggestions.