Calgary 
The Crown of the Continent encompasses space in Alberta, B.C., and Montana. It is where the three territories meet with sprawling foothills, crystal clear lakes, and giant Rocky Mountains – a 73,000 square kilometre ecosystem rich in biodiversity.
Credit: Alberta Parks
You can visit a few different parks in Alberta to explore the Crown of the Continent, including Waterton Lakes National Park. If you’re after a quieter or more peaceful getaway with less tourism, you can choose one of the smaller parks in southwestern Alberta.
Beauvais Lake Provincial Park, near Pincher Creek, is one of the province’s hidden gems. The camping does not fill up as quickly as in other mountain parks. And despite that fact, there are dozens of reasons to vacation out of Beauvais Lake Provincial Park – any time of the year.
Playing at Beauvais Lake Provincial Park
Southwestern Alberta, also known as the Crown of the Continent, hosts rich, abundant, diverse ecosystems. From these, the area, including Beauvais Lake, offers excellent opportunities for wildlife viewing, photography, birding, or fishing. The natural landscapes also offer recreational fun.
- Over 180 bird species have been spotted around the lake, and one of the best ways to enjoy a day of birdwatching and photography is to travel the Chipman Creek Trail to the boardwalk.
- Powerboating and paddling are both permitted on the lake with a 12km per hour speed limit. From the water, you could spend the day fishing (stocked with brown and rainbow trout) or watching for more birds or wildlife.
- Beauvais Lake Provincial Park has an extensive network of multi-use, year-round trails. In spring-fall, enjoy a forested hike or bike ride. In the winter, you can use these trails for snowshoeing and cross-country skiing.
Hiking the Homestead or Mount Albert Loops
Beauvais Lake is surrounded by hiking opportunities of all kinds: short and easy trails, long and challenging routes, and everything in between (14 designated trails). While you’re here, take advantage of the park’s two longer hikes: The Homestead Loop, or the Mount Albert Loop.
- The Homestead Loop is 4.3km in total and takes you past a variety of scenery. The sights include historic homesteads, beaver ponds, and forest. From these ponds you will have an abundance of wildlife to watch out for on your hike.
- The ultimate challenge of a hike within the Provincial Park is the Mount Albert Backcountry Loop. The loop is only 7km, but it is the 1.6km elevation gain that makes this such a challenging trek. You will need to scramble a bit to get to the very top and Mount Albert viewing area.
If you are interested in scenic lookouts, Mount Albert, Baldy Trail, and Piney Point trails lead to lookouts or scenic viewing areas.
All of the park’s trails are year-round, about half are groomed for cross-country skiing, while the other half are only for snowshoers or hikers.
Staying at Beauvais Lake Campground
During spring to fall around the lake, you have three main options for camping: the Homestead group use area, the main front country campground, or the walk-in tenting campground. All campgrounds are connected with hiking trails.
- The main campground has powered sites and campsites without services. During May-September, these sites need to be reserved online within 90 days of arrival. During the winter camping season, 15 of the sites are open on a first-come, first-served basis.
- The walk-in tent sites are on the east side of the lake near the North Shore da noy use area. These need to be reserved online in advance as well.
- The Homestead group use area can fit up to 21 units and offers a private cook shelter and set of vault toilets.
Things to do near Beauvais Lake
Don’t limit your adventures to the provincial park. There are numerous ways to spend a day or overnight trip near Beauvais Lake.
- Travel further into the Rockies to explore Castle Provincial Park to the west or Waterton Lakes National Park to the southwest.
- Spend a day in Pincher Creek and try out the local dining or shopping. Pincher Creek is home to the large Kootenai Brown Pioneer Village, the Lebel Mansion, more camping, and hotels. Walk up Main Street to find many of Pincher Creek’s local eateries.
Year-round at Beauvais Lake Provincial Park
There is an activity for every season at this southwestern Alberta Lake! Non-seasonal activities include hiking, stargazing, and camping. Winter fun here can consist of cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, or ice fishing. And spring or fall are the best for photography and wildlife viewing, with wildflowers in the spring and the leaves changing colours in the fall.
Plan Your Trip – Beauvais Lake Provincial Park
What: Beauvais Lake, along with many other foothill lakes, is an important area for biodiversity in Alberta. The lake itself has a thriving ecosystem and is part of what’s known as the Crown of the Continent. The lake is in the foothills, but close enough to the mountains that they are visible from the shores. The park is open year-round for day-use areas and camping.
Location and how to get there: 15-minutes southwest of Pincher Creek using Highway AB-6 or AB-507
Best time to go: day use and campground open year-round
Cost: camping $28-$36 per night
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Great article. It is great to see this area get some media. It’s so beautiful.