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Lac Ste. Anne County stretches northwest from Onoway along Highway 43 and through mostly forest and lakes. In the southeast corner of the county are Lake Isle, Lac Ste. Anne, Majeau Lake, and Lac la Nonne. When you continue Northwest on AB-43, you’ll encounter the town of Sangudo on the banks of the Pembina River, and Mayerthorpe further west.
Whether you want to plan a weekend getaway or visit as a day trip from Alberta Capital Region, here are 12 things to do this summer in Lac Ste. Anne County.
George Pegg Botanic Garden
During your visit to this garden, you can hike, explore, and picnic. You’ll get to see some incredibly unique and rare Alberta shrubs, trees, and flowers, and the special collection of Heritage Trees- these are marked by black plaques and are significant for either their size, age, or species. There are also a few preserved historical sites around the gardens, which only add to the area’s beauty and photo opportunities
Address: 56015 RR 43, Glenevis
Credit: George Pegg Botanic Garden
Picnic at the Sangudo Sundial
This remarkable structure is a quick turn off AB-43, on the south banks of the Pembina River. In addition to the large grain elevator sundial, the area is a scenic picnic location with large cherry trees, historical-looking buildings, tables, and washrooms. The Sundial is up the road from a boat-launch and bench area on the shores of the Pembina.
Credit: Bernadette Gallagher
Onoway-Stony Plain Nature Tour
In order to see some of central Alberta’s most scenic natural beauty, you can conveniently follow the Onoway-Stony Plain Nature Tour. Your adventure begins in Stony Plain with Muir Lake, Chickakoo Lake Provincial Recreation Area, Eden North Drop Zone on Kilini Creek, Salter’s Lake, the Bilby Natural Area, Devil’s Lake, Imrie Park, and lastly Onoway on the Sturgeon River. The tour covers about 40-45km of rural highways.
Credit: Onoway
Camping
There is an extensive list of regional and private campgrounds in Lac Ste. Anne available to you this summer, with some available year-round. The county-operated campgrounds include Sangudo Riverside, Lessard Lake, and Paddle River; all three offer power and water hookups, while Paddle River also offers a sani-dump station.
- Sangudo Riverside Campground (Deep Creek Camping & Events): 5251 – 54 Ave, B 219, Sangudo
- Lessard Lake Campground: Head south on Range Rd. 51 from Ab-43, then make a right turn on Township Rd. 554
- Paddle River Campground: South on Range Rd. 80 from AB-43, then it is your second right turn (west).
- Alberta Beach Family R.V. Park & Campground
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Wildlife Viewing in the Natural Areas
There is no shortage of wildlife in Lac Ste. Anne: over the summer you could encounter black bears, deer, moose, coyotes, hares, squirrels, beavers, or mink. A great place to increase your chances for these distanced meetings take a hike through the County’s numerous natural areas.
- Roselea Natural Area
- Matthews Crossing Natural Area
- Bilby Natural Area
- Holmes Crossing Sandhills Ecological Reserve
- Imrie Park Campground Loop
Unique Shopping
There are things and stores you will find out in Lac Ste. Anne Co. which you won’t be able to find anywhere else, especially in the cities. Take a driving tour of all the best of the area’s farm and market shopping by visiting these excellent local shops:
- Backwoods Buffalo Ranch
- Onoway Farmers’ Market
- Alberta Beach Farmers’ Market
- Ever After Antiques & Collectibles
Sky Dive
Go sky diving or learn how to at Eden North and experience the rush of freefall above Lac Ste. Anne County.
Address: 2023 Township Rd 540 Onoway
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Canoeing and Kayaking
There are several county-operated boat launches that span Lac Ste. Anne, Lac la Nonne, Devil’s Lake, Nakamun Lake, Lake Isle, Lessard Lake, Lake Romeo, and the Paddle River Dam Reservoir. The County has conveniently listed all of their boat launches with GPS coordinates, rural addresses, and neighbourhood names. The smaller lakes of Lac Ste. Anne, apart from the actual Lac Ste. Anne, which is quite large, are perfect for canoeing and kayaking and catching a relaxing sunset over the water.
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Fishing
You have choices between where you want to fish, and the types of fish you want to find in Lac Ste. Anne County. These lakes are not suited to powerboating but do offer serene and quiet places to paddle or pontoon while you catch fish of all sorts of types like trout, burbot, northern pike, or walleye.
- Muir Lake (Brown & Rainbow trout)
- Paddle River Dam Campground & Boat Launch
- Salter’s Lake (rainbow trout)
- Devil’s/Matchayaw Lake (burbot, northern pike, walleye, whitefish, yellow perch)
Museums & History
Explore these indoor and outdoor experiences in Lac Ste. Anne that celebrates history, honours Canadians, and pays special tribute to different cultures. In Onoway is an indoor museum experience, while the Mayerthorpe Fallen Four Park is part memorial, part park, part outdoor education area. And if you’re spending the day on Alberta Beach, you can stop in at their local museum.
Barry’s Ultra Motorsports Park (BUMP)
Test your racing and riding skills on the tracks of BUMP: Barry’s Ultra Motorsports Park. You and your friends, or you and your kids, can have a cost-effective and thrilling afternoon at BUMP as you try their bikes, ATVs, and UTVs on their 5 main tracks, and their treed-in trails.
Address: 57218, Range Rd 14, Busby
Go Cycling
Whether you want to tour the smaller towns and hamlets of Lac Ste. Anne by bike, or tour the natural areas and hiking trails, you have plenty of options. The summer village of Alberta beach as well as the Lake Isle Natural Area have numerous sidewalks and country roads to explore. For towns to explore by bicycle, you can park in Sangudo (where you can also explore the Pembina), Onoway, and Mayerthorpe.
Alberta Beach
Alberta Beach on the southeast shores of Lac Ste. Anne might be the best-known summer destination in the region. Have fun in the sun at Alberta’s summer village with a sandy beach, picnic area, boat launch, camping and join for the annual summer festival, Polynesian Days.
