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You can take a trip to Lesser Slave Lake Provincial Park any time of year to find family fun. The year-round park is especially busy from spring to fall. In addition to camping, the park will also host festivals, offer tours, and provide a peaceful escape.
This escape can also be filled with exploring the nature around the park. From spring to fall, you can take in the beauty of Lesser Slave Lake with a boat ride (on any type of boat!), a hike, a day at the beach, or a scenic drive on the Bicentennial Highway.
Spring & Summer Events at Lesser Slave Lake
The calendar of events is now scheduled and set for spring and summer at the lake. The events range in topics, covering everything related to birds, bird education, and more! The events at Lesser Slave Lake and Marten River kick off with the Spring Songbird Festival. The park is an important habitat for Alberta’s birds, and the province’s migratory birds. The festival celebrates this fact with activities and run/walk. The events continue all summer. Stop by the Observatory to take a tour on the scheduled dates between July and August.
Kids’ Activities all Summer Long at the Lake
The Provincial Park offers three main activities for campers upon arrival and registration. First, you can get a copy of the Discovery Journal, which has activities and spaces for listing all you and your family discover on your camping trip. The park will offer Astronomy Packs as well, which help you to identify all the bright stars and constellations above Lesser Slave Lake. Lastly, the park will offer spring and summer campers a Berry BINGO booklet, meant to help identify edible berries around the lake.
Follow the Freighter Lakeshore Trail
This is a culmination of all of the lakeshore trails in the Provincial Park. So, you can easily take on parts of this 22km path. This is the trail which connects the Devonshire Day Use Area in the south to the Marten River Campground in the north. The south end at the Day Use Area begins with a peaceful boardwalk path around the duck pond. North from here you can pass through more wetland areas, lake views, and forests.
Learn and Shop at the Boreal Centre for Bird Conservation
This year-round facility is located beside the Lily Creek group camping area. Stop by during your camping trip or day visit to learn more about the birds who populate the area. There is also a gift shop where you can find locally made goods and souvenirs. This is also from where summer tours will depart.
Camping at the Marten River
Lesser Slave Lake’s main campground is at the Marten River. Groups can also book campgrounds at Marten River, or at Lily Lake. All campgrounds are steps away from the lake shores, and paths which lead to picnic and beach areas. The Park also recently added a Short Stay Campground. The Short Stay at Devonshire is first-come-first-served and intended for RVs and one-night stays.
Relaxing at the Devonshire Beach
The park’s Devonshire Beach offers 1.5km of shoreline and beautiful sand for your beach activities. And on a hot summer day, this large lake is perfect for cooling off with marked areas for swimmers. There are areas for picnickers, volleyballers, swimmers, SUPers, and those who want a relaxing float.
Boating on Lesser Slave Lake
If you bring a canoe, SUP, or kayak to explore Lesser Slave Lake with, you can use the park’s hand launch at the Marten River Campground. Larger power boats will need to use the boat launch in the town of Slave Lake. This is off Highway AB-88 (Bicentennial Highway) on Township Road 731B. Use of the boat launch and parking are both free.
Slave Lake’s Beach Fest
The Slave Lake Region will take over Devonshire Beach on August 12-13 for the annual Beach Fest. The event will have fun for the whole family, including the festival’s famous sandcastle contest. There will also be more games, onsite food, and live music.
Planning Your Trip – Lesser Slave Lake Provincial Park
What: A Provincial Park on the northeast shores of Lesser Slave Lake. The park is part of an important bird area, and the Boreal Forest. The park is busy every summer and is famous for its large and beautiful beach. The activities here span the whole year. Spring and fall offer the prettiest times for foliage, and the best times to see migratory birds passing through (like swans and pelicans!). Summers at Lesser Slave Lake are perfect for camping, festivals, beach fun, boating, and hiking.
Best time to go: Camping May-September
Day Use Areas and Bird Observatory open year-round
Location and how to get there: Drive north from the town of Slave Lake on Highway AB-88
The park takes up areas on both sides of the highway, but the day use areas and camping are all on the west side of Highway 88.
How much: Free
For more information
Lesser Slave Lake Provincial Park
Reasons to Visit the Town of Slave Lake This Summer
