Edmonton 
The foothills between Hinton and Jasper National Park can easily be explored and enjoyed with a weekend getaway to William A. Switzer Provincial Park.
Credit: Alberta Parks
The Park, which is a short drive north of Trans Canada, is made up of a series of lakes, with the largest of them on each end of the park: Jarvis in the south, and Gregg Lake in the north. The two large lakes, and the smaller ones in between, are all connected through a series of forested trails.
The Provincial Park’s lakes, forests, ponds, and beauty, in general, can all be enjoyed year-round, as the Park offers summer and winter recreation for all ages. You can bring any type of boat to the large and small lakes, and even paddle between all of them via Jarvis Creek.
The area is also popular for hiking and biking because the trails seem endless: you can explore the Hinton Nordic Centre, challenging day-hikes, or shorter hikes suited to small kids.
The large park has so much in terms of recreation; before getting started on an adventure, you can learn more about the park by stopping at the Kelly’s Bathtub Visitor Centre, or the Blue Lake Centre.
Here are all the activities to do at the park:
1. Hiking & Lookouts
The trails which run through and around William A. Switzer PP can take you to a variety of viewpoints, with all of them being worth the climb or the walk.
The Athabasca Lookout Trail has you looking out over the east side of Jasper National Park and is an uphill climb for about 1km. The Park’s trails can connect you to the various campgrounds and day use areas, the ponds and wildlife, or out onto the water.
If you’re looking for an easier or shorter hike, Kelly’s Bathtub Day Use has a simple loop to follow around the small bay with a boardwalk leading you over and across the water. The loop can take you right back to the Visitor’s Centre, or you can continue to the second 2.5km loop marked as the Friendly Vistas Trail.
2. Swimming & Beach Time
The William A. Switzer Park lakes are some of the colder places to take a dip in Alberta, but also some of the prettiest.
Kelly’s Bathtub, on the north end of Jarvis Lake, is no exception to the beauty and gives you an authentic “swimming hole” feel.
Larger beaches are also located on the opposite side of Jarvis, and on Gregg Lake. August is prime swimming time, as these waters are at their warmest out of the whole year. Besides a refreshing swim, these beaches are also great places to relax and have a picnic.
Credit: Alberta Parks
3. Canoeing & Kayaking
You can enjoy a serene paddle with mountain views from either of the two large lakes, which happen to be connected by Jarvis Lake. This means you can begin at any boat launch and find your way through narrow passages to the next lake.
Pack a picnic and make a day of seeing as much of the PP as possible. The shorelines you can access with a canoe, kayak, or SUP, may offer remote chances for wildlife viewing.
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4. Birding & Wildlife Viewing
If you head to Cache Lake Road, you can find a viewing blind separating you from a small meadow; you could spot deer, coyotes, and several other small mammals if you visit at dusk or dawn. But all around the PP there are spectacular chances for spotting birds, large or small, or mammals like moose, deer, or possibly black bears. You can also rent out binoculars and viewing guide from the Visitor Centre to enhance the experience.
5. Fishing
As some of Alberta’s prime fishing lakes, the William A. Switzer bodies of water can offer rainbow trout, northern pike, or whitefish. Jarvis and Gregg Lake both permit powerboats or fishing boats, so you can peruse the waters and find your quiet spot.
Otherwise, you can also row/paddle through Jarvis Creek for even more quiet and fish.
6. Powerboating
Both Jarvis and Gregg Lake are quite large, so exploring them with a powerboat is one of the easiest ways for you to see it all, if you can.
Launch from either the Gregg Lake day use area, or the Jarvis Lake day use, and enjoy a variety of other activities with your boat. Jarvis Lake allows for faster boating, and therefore speed suitable for tubing or waterskiing. Gregg Lake has slower speed restrictions and may be better for finding the perfect catch/fishing hole.
7. Cycling
The Hinton Nordic Centre, at the Park’s entrance, has over 35km of trails which you can bike around and explore. These trails also connect to the rest of the park trails which all permit cycling.
You can get from one end of the park to the other on your bike on over 20km of pathways, and quickly get to scenic lookout areas, quiet wildlife viewing areas, or more intense mountain biking areas.
8. Winter Activities
The park does not close over winter but allows us several ways to enjoy the fresh albeit cold mountain air.
You can spend hours exploring the Hinton Nordic Centre cross country ski trails, explore the ungroomed trails with snowshoes, bring your kids to the toboggan hill, or venture onto the lakes for ice fishing.
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You can skate here too, at your own risk; the best times for a pond skate at the park are late January or February (the coldest times of the year).
9. Camping
The year-round camping at William A. Switzer can be enjoyed at three of the park’s lakes: Graveyard, Gregg, and Jarvis. You can come out and enjoy the fall colours, several winter activities, the spring blooms, or enjoy the warm summer and beaches and combine it with tent or RV camping. The seasonal campgrounds at Halfway and Cache Lake are both smaller campgrounds that offer more rustic camping experiences with no RV services available. All the campgrounds in the park offer washrooms, firepits, picnic tables, and access to the trail or creek systems.
- Halfway Campground & Cache Lake Campground: Victoria Day to Labour Day Weekend
- Graveyard Lake Campground, Gregg Lake Campground, Jarvis Lake Campground: Year-round
Trip Planning – William A. Switzer Provincial Park
Credit: Alberta Parks
William A. Switzer Provincial Park takes up a large area in the foothills north of Hinton and east of Jasper National Park. It can be a great rest area for those travelling the Trans Canada Highway, with a first-come-first-served campground.
There are five campgrounds in total, spanning the park’s four lakes: Cache, Graveyard, Gregg, and Jarvis. Jarvis Lake, the largest of the four, is where you can find the famous Kelly’s Bathtub which can be a great picnic spot, swimming hole, or hiking area.
In terms of outdoor recreation, William A. Switzer has some of the most options out of any park in Alberta with activities for every season. Each of the lakes offers water sport opportunities, and all four are connected by Jarvis Creek; you can follow the creek by canoe or kayak to each the lakes.
Best time to go:
Open year-round
How to get there:
Follow Highway AB-16 3 km west of Hinton, turn north on Highway AB-40 and follow for 19km.
The Park is located approximately 305 km from Edmonton via AB-16.
For more information
Phone:
Hinton Office: 780–865–8395
Visitor Centre: 780–865–5600
Reservations: Toll Free: 1–877–537–2757
Gregg Lake Campground Booth: 780–865–5152
