The Peace Country offers, fittingly enough, many places for peace and quiet. The Peace River shores are lined with protected natural areas from Provincial Parks to Wildland areas. Additionally, Highway 2, which follows the Peace River, can make for a memorable road trip with a lot to see and do. And if you head further north from Highway 2 or Peace River, you’ll find even more protected natural areas that offer outdoor recreation all year-round.
Credit: Alberta Parks
The Figure Eight Lake Provincial Recreation Area is one of the smaller of these natural areas but is not short on activities for a day trip or camping trip. Figure Eight Lake is nestled in dense forest but located near the highway too. The forest areas around the park make this an exceptionally beautiful camping location during the fall colour change.
Activities in Figure Eight Lake Provincial Recreation Area
No matter your definition of relaxing in nature, Figure Eight Lake can provide with clean and clear water, an abundance of wildlife, spacious campsites, and an expansive day-use area.
- Camping at Figure Eight Lake is not considered backcountry, but the area does make for a more rustic camping experience. Still, the park provides amenities to make the experience fun and easier, like a playground, washrooms, firewood, a cook shelter, and a fish cleaning station. The sites are first-come-first-served
- Take advantage of the beach while the weather is warm! The water is crystal clear. However, it will be cold.
- The quiet, calm, and relatively sheltered lake is ideal for a canoe, kayak, or stand-up paddleboard.
- Stroll the groomed shoreline trail around Figure Eight Lake.
- Bring binoculars, cameras, and anything else to assist with wildlife viewing. You may spot a bear, too, so stay aware and keep food locked away.
- While the park is near the Peace River and the town of Peace River, it is technically in the County of Northern Lights. So as you may expect, stargazing is incredible around the lake and may reveal the Aurora.
More Parks around Figure Eight Lake
If you’re here for a while or live in the area, you can take the time to explore one of the many other Provincial Parks, hiking areas, or Recreation Areas.
- Queen Elizabeth Provincial Park on Lac Cardinal
- Greene Valley Provincial Park
- Peace River Wildland Provincial Park
Unique Attractions in the Peace Country
- The Shaftesbury Ferry can transport you and your vehicle across the wide Peace River and is one of only six ferry crossings on Alberta’s rivers.
- The End of Steel Heritage Museum in Hines Creek, west of Figure Eight Lake, offers a chance to explore several historic buildings and the importance of the railway to the area in Alberta’s earlier days.
- The town of Brownvale has some unique sights, including a giant bull and rider sculpture and the North Peace Agricultural Museum.
Dining near Figure Eight Lake
Peace River will have all you need for excellent local dining. If you want something a little closer to the PRA, there are even more choices for food on Highway 2.
- Make your first stop for local food in Grimshaw; try RJ’s Diner & Pizzeria or Norm Roadhouse for dinner.
- The Dixonville General Store, north of the park, has all your take-out and to-go needs covered for camping snacks.
Plan your trip – Figure Eight Lake Provincial Recreation Area
What: A Provincial Recreation Area on Figure Eight Lake, west of Peace River.
Figure Eight Lake, named for its pre-1970 shape with two basins, drains south to Lac Cardinal and has a maximum depth of 6 meters. The lake is annually stocked with rainbow trout. Figure Eight Lake Park spans 38.6 hectares or 95.4 acres, with the lake’s deepest part on the south side, becoming shallower towards the north.
The park has a campground, beach, shoreline trail, and day use area. Figure Eight Lake is suitable for swimming, non-motorized boating, fishing, and ice fishing. The wild and rustic camping experience still offers amenities like washrooms, fire pits, picnic tables, a beach, and cook shelters.
Location and how to get there: 45 km west of Peace River off Hwy. 35.
Figure Eight Lake is about 172 km from Grande Prairie and 530 km from Edmonton.
Best time to go: day use open year-round; camping open until October 13
Cost: camping $29 per night
For more information
Figure Eight Lake Provincial Recreation Area