Edmonton 
Edmonton as a city has a wonderful amount of winter recreation to keep us moving all season, but these places are often loud, busy, or both.
Take a moment, a day, or a weekend to enjoy the more serene winter scenes. The closest provincial parks to Edmonton offer a mix of activities, too. There are places to camp over the winter and extensive trail networks. These trails are suited to different types of fun, like snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, wildlife viewing, photography, hiking, or even skate skiing.
Strathcona Science Provincial Park
The Science Park includes a unique feature for a provincial park: a downhill ski area. The Sunridge Ski Area offers skiing and snowboarding, snow tubing, rentals, and a concession. And for more downhill winter fun, the park also has a toboggan hill. The cross-country ski trails are South of the ski area, which run ungroomed along the riverside. Strathcona Science Park has numerous areas for a comfortable winter picnic, too.
Where: 1 km east of Edmonton on Highway 16, and south on 17 St. NW
Miquelon Lake Provincial Park
There are exciting winter activities to experience at Miquelon Lake Provincial Park both day and night.
During the days, explore the trails on foot, snowshoes, skijors, or cross-country skis. Or spend a few hours on the park-maintained skating rink. Throughout the day and while on the trails, keep your eyes open for some of the permanent bird residents of Alberta. Miquelon Lake is an excellent birding spot near Edmonton!
Evenings here could be spent building a fire and cooking dinner or exploring more. At night, and if the skies are clear, enjoy the little-to-no light pollution around the Beaver Hills Dark Sky Preserve. The park is home to a University of Alberta observatory, as well, so it is no doubt that clear night will reveal some awesome stars here. To make the day closer to completion, take advantage of the park’s winter campsites (first-come, first-served).
Where: AB-623 from Highway AB-21
Eagle Point Provincial Park
Eagle Point Provincial Park is on the North Saskatchewan River, about an hour west of Edmonton. The area has trails which are heavily used year-round by cyclists, hikers, birders, and skiers. The trails are especially popular for winter use as this is the home of the Pembina Nordic Centre.
Thanks to them, there are over 30km worth of trails around here to ski or snowshoe. If choosing to snowshoe, be mindful of ski tracks and avoid them. This quiet riverside area can make for exceptional birding and wildlife viewing opportunities.
Where: 6 km east of Drayton Valley of Hwy. 22.
Pigeon Lake Provincial Park
Depending on where you are in Edmonton, Pigeon Lake is about an hour or two from home. The park, southwest of the city, is known for its summer fun but has many things to do on a cold day.
There are many places to warm up between the trail shelters, and during the day, use picnic areas or firepits.
Over the winter, the park has a long but simpler cross-country ski trail system. And if you come to see the lake, enjoy the lakeside area and campground as exclusive snowshoeing terrain and an 8 km long picturesque skateway.
Between the campground and trails are numerous washrooms as well.
Where: 45 km west of Wetaskiwin on Hwy. 13 & 10 km north on Hwy. 771
Cooking Lake-Blackfoot Provincial Recreation Area
The PRA has four staging areas on the four different sides of the park. From these, access trails for equestrian use, cross-country skiing, skate skiing, fat tire biking, dog sledding, and snowmobiling! Be cautious of the map and where each activity is permitted.
They offer a simple and easy-to-follow trail map which also marks where the washrooms and warmup shelters are located. Each staging area has shelters as well as firepits and picnic tables.
Where: 24 km east of Sherwood Park, south of Hwy. 16, directly south of Elk Island National Park
Aspen Beach Provincial Park
Aspen Beach Provincial Park on Gull Lake, and south of Edmonton, is officially closed to vehicle access in the winter. However, Gull Lake itself is a highly popular ice-fishing spot in central Alberta.
And many tour operators in the area offer a way to access the area in the winter for ice fishing fun. The park’s trails are also open for winter use, with several great areas for snowshoeing. Nearby there is a maintained ice rink open seasonally as well.
Cross-country skiers can take advantage of over 8km of packed and groomed trails which stretch along the lakeshore.
Where: 17 km west of Lacombe on Hwy. 12
Jarvis Bay Provincial Park
Explore Sylvan Lake’s Jarvis Bay Provincial Park this winter in a few ways: use snowshoes, hiking boots, or cross-country skis. The park is in a quiet forested area on the north side of the lake with trails that follow the lake shore or those which head back into the trees.
When heading back towards the forested area, hikers or skiers can use the Group Campground as a warm-up area or picnic site and take advantage of the cook stove.
Doing so will also create a loop out of the trails. Otherwise, use snowshoes to explore the quiet campground and the views of Sylvan Lake.
The village of Sylvan Lake is a short drive south, too. Here there are local shops, places to dine, and a skating area on the lake.
Where: 4 km north of Sylvan Lake on Hwy. 20
Vermilion Provincial Park
Explore over 15km of riverside trails east of Edmonton this winter. The Vermillion Provincial Park is between the town and the river of the same name and is open year-round for various activities.
During the winter, these trails include a set of multi-use trails, as well as groomed cross-country ski trails.
Both trails follow the river west of the park and town. Otherwise, the park also has a popular sledding hill And after all the exercise, it is possible to spend the night here. Vermillion Provincial Park offers winter camping!
Where: north on Hwy. 41, then west on 50 Ave. in Vermillion
Crimson Lake Provincial Park
There are enough activities available at Crimson Lake Provincial Park in the winters to fill an entire weekend getaway. On top of winter camping, Crimson Lake has a host of family fun for a variety of interests.
The area is popular for cross-country skiing thanks to its 10km+ of groomed trails. On the other side of the park are the multi-use trails for hiking and fat tire biking. And between the two sets of trails, in the campground, is a designated snowshoeing area.
The two trails come to a head near the campground, the lake, and the park’s winter skating rink. Around the park are more amenities for a comfortable winter stay like firepits, shelters, and washrooms. On Family Day weekend, the park hosts Crimson Lake Winterfest, featuring a polar bear dip, carnival games, sleigh rides, bonfires, snowshoeing, and more!
Where: 14 km west of Rocky Mountain House on Hwy. 11 & 6 km north on Hwy. 756
Credit: Rocky’s Freezin’ for a Reason Polar Bear Dip
JJ Collette Natural Area
Take a quick and convenient trip south of Edmonton this winter for a peaceful winter walk while surrounded by protected forests.
The JJ Collette Natural Area is a short drive from the QE2 and offers a large trail system that is open year-round. This also makes it an ideal place to rest your legs while travelling the highway.
The wetland area is home to a diverse bird and wildlife population which make for great winter photography as well. The trails are open to cross-country skiing as well. Gazebos and washrooms are scattered around the park’s trails.
Where: RR 4, Lacombe County
