Edmonton 
The long stretch of Highway 43 can take you from the western edge of Edmonton (or Spruce Grove and Stony Plain areas) all the way to Grande Prairie or Peace River in Northern Alberta.
Credit: Bernadette Gallagher
One of the first major rest stops along that route is Sangudo in Lac St. Anne County. The official rest area is about an hour from Edmonton and is marked by a sundial, a unique roadside attraction, that is in the shape of a grain elevator.
The Sangudo Sundial is situated on the southern bank of the Pembina River and is easily visible from the highway. The Sundial itself stands at 22-ft., weighs over 40 tonnes, and takes up a large field with the surrounding boulders and flag poles acting as shadow markers. The boulders are unique themselves: they were recovered from farmers’ fields surrounding Sangudo and are the result of glaciation occurring close to 20,000 years ago.
Credit: Bernadette Gallagher
The surrounding area is a great rest or picnic stop off the highway for road-trippers and day-trippers, and the nearby Pembina River provides several areas for picnics too, or places to dip your feet on a hot day. River access can be found behind Sangudo’s schools, where 54th Avenue leads you to a campground and boat launch.
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Planning your Trip to Sangudo Sundial
What: One of the largest sundials in the world, the Sangudo Sundial is a fully functioning and accurate sundial that depicts Local Solar Time in Sangudo, Alberta.
The sundial’s shape is that of a grain elevator, an important symbol in Alberta’s economic and social history, and stands at 22 feet tall while weighing over 40 tonnes. The large boulders and flag poles in the surrounding field are the sundial’s shadow markers, and the area is also a picnic site.
Credit: Bernadette Gallagher
The picturesque rest stop has two washrooms, picnic tables, and large trees for shade.
For camping in the area, you have several options: for riverside camping on the Pembina, you can park your tent or RV at the Sangudo Riverside Campground or Deep Creek Camping & Events. For Provincial Park camping, the closest options include Thunder Lake Provincial Park, Wabamun Lake Provincial Park, or Carson Pegasus Provincial Park.
Best time to go: year-round
How much: free
Getting there:
Located just over an hour from Edmonton on Highway 43, Lac St. Anne County, Sangudo Sundial is perfect for a day trip from the Alberta Capital Region.
Sangudo is on the west side of Highway 43 in Lac St. Anne County.
The Sundial is most easily accessed by turning south on 49 Avenue (757), and north on 50th Street, which comes to a dead-end at the Sundial-Grain Elevator.
