Edmonton 
Located northwest of Edson, Sundance Provincial Park protects approximately 9200 acres of Alberta’s Foothills Natural Region. This lower foothill park is divided into two main areas and is an incredibly diverse landscape in terms of geological features, vegetation, and wildlife.
Credit: Alberta Parks
The lower end of the Park begins at Highway 16 in aspen uplands and stretches north through the Sundance Valley, the Sundance Canyon, and Marl Bog. The northernmost boundaries of the park are marked by Emerson Creek Road.
What to See and Do at Sundance Provincial Park
Sundance Provincial Park has two distinct areas: Sundance Valley on the east and Emerson Lakes on the west side.
Sundance Valley:
Hiking through Sundance Valley allows you to see the best of what the Park has to offer in terms of its hoodoos, sandstone cliffs, and deep forested valleys. The three trails (Lake Trail, Skyline Trail and Hoodoo Trail), part of the Wild Sculpture Trail system, will take you past Beaver Lake, Little Sundance Lake, Sundance Lake and Sundance Creek, rare plant species, and an old-growth forest. It will also allow you to see some of Alberta’s wildest natural sculptures, the Sundance Hoodoos, only a little over 1 km into the trail.
Skyline Trail and Hoodoo Trail offer views of the sandstone cliffs and hoodoos from various perspectives.
The Lake Trail section of Wild Sculpture Trail continues for approximately 8 km through the forest, following Little Sundance Lake and Sundance Lake to Sundance Creek.
There are backcountry campsites available along the trail.
Emerson Lakes:
There is even more hiking available at Emerson Lakes, which are enclosed by over 7 km of trails. The hiking trails wind around all of the small lakes and offer incredibly scenic sunset/sunrise views. There are trails suited to cross-country skiing, hiking, and cycling.
Boating is another popular way to explore the Emerson Lakes, and the park requires electric motors only- otherwise, canoes and kayaks are welcome too.
This area has 15 non-serviced campsites with fire pits, firewood, washrooms, and a fish-cleaning station.
The Emerson Lakes provide excellent brook trout fishing, but you may also catch some mountain whitefish, Arctic grayling, northern pike, burbot, rainbow, or bull trout.
The park is also home to moose, deer, elk, bears, and cougars.
Planning Your Trip to Sundance Provincial Park:
What:
The Sundance Provincial Park consists of two main areas: Emerson Lake on the west side, where the campground is located, and Sundance Lake on the east side of the Park.
The Sundance Valley rises high above Sundance Lake and contains some of the most distinctive sandstone features in the province, including the Sundance Hoodoos. The park also contains protected, important old-growth spruce/fir woodlands, as well as wetlands such as small lakes, bogs, and marshes.
Best time to go:
The park is open year-round.
Best to visit during Summer & Early Fall (see hoodoos backdropped in Fall colours from mid-September to Early October)
Camping open May 1 – October 31
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How much: visiting the area is free, and Provincial Park campsites are $20/night (nonserviced).
- Reservations can be made from Feb 3 – Oct 15 by calling 780-865-2154 on Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Getting There:
Sundance Provincial Park is located in Yellowhead County, 50 km northwest of Edson and 260 km northwest of Edmonton.
For more information:
