Calgary 
Garner Lake Provincial Park near Edmonton has an activity for every season.
Credit: Alberta Parks
It is one of the closest parks to the east side of the city and one of the smallest. Despite its size, Garner Lake Provincial Park has activities for all interests.
The small and quiet park are on a small and quiet lake. This lake offers fun for visitors, and an important habitat for many types of birds. The oddly shaped lake is fun to explore via many options, and the campground makes it a convenient getaway location. The campground offers many modern amenities that are rarer in Alberta like flush toilets, potable water, and showers.
No matter your type of stay-a day trip or a camping trip- Garner Lake and the surrounding natural areas will keep you busy. The Provincial Park is near other attractions, too. Take time to visit the nearby Victoria Settlement and Metis Crossing.
Summer Fun on Garner Lake
This is one of central Alberta’s hidden gems for beaches. The lesser-known beach has sand, picnic areas, playgrounds, and warm water (check for Blue-Green Algae closures if you are going for a beach trip). The beach is also connected to the park’s main shoreline trail.
- The lake has a boat launch on the east side of the beach, and a hand launch on the west side of the beach. Power boating is allowed, as are towing things like tubes or water skiers. The quiet lake is fun to explore via canoe or kayak and is small enough that inflatables will be easy to navigate with paddles.
- The forested area beside the campground and shoreline has 5km of hiking trails. Explore the woods, the lake, and the island viewpoint.
- Garner Lake Provincial Park is an excellent day-trip destination for those in central Alberta. Besides all the recreation, the area also makes a great place for more relaxing activities like picnicking and birdwatching.
https://www.instagram.com/p/C9a7HFayd6A/
Winter Fun at Garner Lake
- Fishers can enjoy a quiet winter day waiting for the walleye, northern pike and yellow perch to bite under the frozen lake.
- The summer’s hiking trails become groomed cross-country ski tracks in the winter. The 6km of ski tracks lead to viewpoints over the lake, and travel past the picnic areas.
Spring & Fall
Certain activities might be more enjoyable around Garner Lake day use area in the spring and fall, when the weather is a bit cooler. These could include fishing, hiking, cycling, and picnics. Additionally, the trees surrounding the lake create beautiful fall scenery.
Birdwatching is especially great around Garner Lake in the spring and fall. The forested southwest corner of the park has a rich and diverse population of birds and other small wildlife.
There is no better time to visit the nearby Pumpkin Capital of Canada than in the fall. Smoky Lake, famous for its giant pumpkins, also host the annual Great White North Pumpkin Fair.
The Garner Lake Campground
This summer campground is a perfect weekend getaway location for families. The campsites include a mix of powered sites and those without services. Each campsite has a picnic table and fire ring, while the entire campground has close access to a park, cook shelter, firewood sales, showers, a pier, and a boat launch.
Plan your Trip – Garner Lake Provincial Park
What: Garner Lake is situated in the middle of Alberta’s wide-open prairies. The lake itself, however, is nestled in the trees and a small valley. Garner Lake is a year-round Provincial Park with summer lake activities and camping, birding, boating, ice-fishing and fishing, cross-country skiing, hiking, and cycling.
Location and how to get there: 50 km east of Smoky Lake on Highway AB-28 & 5km north of Spedden on Range Road 123.
2 hours (~170 km) from Edmonton.
Best time to go: Camping and day-use facilities open Victoria Day Weekend to Labour Day Weekend. May 16 – Sep 2
Year-round: Activities vary
Cost: camping $30-$38
For more information:
