Get Back to Nature: Whitney Lakes Provincial Park

A few weeks ago the girls and I headed out on our first camping trip of the season.  I wanted to go to an area I hadn’t been before, but also one with a place for the girls to splash in the water and try out their new floaties. After some research and a few change of plans, I settled on Ross Lake Campground within Whitney Lakes Provincial Park.  

Located 2.5 hrs east of Edmonton (or over 4 hrs when severe rain, hail and thunder storms cause you to pull over several times) in the County of St. Paul, this remote campground offers stunning lake views, private, treed campsites and soft, sandy beaches with a roped off area for swimming.  

When we arrived at the campground around suppertime it was still raining with thunder and lightning, so we waited it out by watching a movie.  It soon cleared and we were able to set up, have supper and check out the playground and beach area which were next door to our site, 57. There were only pit toilets close by to us, but there were flush toilets and pay showers at a building a loop away. 

The second day was sunny and we headed to the playground in the morning and hit the water in the afternoon.  The beach had the softest sand I have encounter yet in Alberta and the water was shallow and fairly clear for them to splash around in. There were quite a few canoers and kayakers on the lakes during our stay as well. In the evening we took a short drive over to Whitney Lakes Campground and checked out another sandy beach and lakefront playground.  

There were plenty of trails in the area, with one running right behind our campsite. After supper we went for a walk and collected the ripe, juicy Saskatoon berries that were in abundance along the roads and trails. They made for a great before bed snack. The girls filled their day in with exploring the forest behind our site, coloring and our recently made slime made a surprise appearance while I was preparing supper (mmmm delicious salmon!). If our stay wasn’t shortened due to rain, we would of picked up a discovery pack available at the front booth for further nature exploration.

The second morning we woke up to rain so they girls had breakfast in the car while I packed up the site.  We gassed up in Elk Point and checked out the giant surveyor on the north side of town. The girls were also excited to check out the giant sausage in Mundare so that was a must see on the way home.  

Whitney Lakes Provincial Park also offers day use areas at Laurier, Ross and Whitney Lakes, so if you’re up for a road trip, pack a cooler and head to the beach and trails! What new campgrounds have you explored this year?