North Central Alberta

North Central Alberta is the part of Northern Alberta to the north and west of the Edmonton Capital Region. It is the transitional zone between the agriculturally rich "parkland" (aspen poplar forest) in the south and the more remote boreal forest to the north. Many people pass through the smaller communities found here when driving between Edmonton and points north (for example, to get to the Alaska Highway), and if that's you, here's a guide to what to do if you need to stop for a rest.

Towns

There are no cities in this region, but these are the largest towns:

• 1 Athabasca — scenic and historic (by the standards of this region) town of 3,000 people in the valley of the Athabasca River. Closest town to Island Lake, Jackfish Lake, Ghost Lake, and Baptiste Lake.
• 2 Barrhead — about the same size as Westlock, its main rival, but more off the beaten path. Campgrounds in town and at the golf course, or nearby at Thunder Lake Provincial Park.
• 3 Fox Creek — only stop of note on Highway 43 in the forested hills between Whitecourt and the Peace Country; a town of about 2,000 people. Closest town to Iosegun Lake Provincial Recreation Area and Smoke Lake Provincial Recreation Area.
• 4 Mayerthorpe — pop. 1,300, at "Trails End", at the north end of the Cowboy Trail along Highway 43. Close to the Paddle River Dam Campground.

Slave Lake shoreline

• 5 Slave Lake – pop. 6,650; on the southeastern shore of Lesser Slave Lake.
• 6 Swan Hills — a hub for hunting, fishing, off-roading, and other outdoor pursuits. The town itself operates seven different nearby campgrounds: Four Seasons Wilderness Campground, Chrystina (Windy) Lake, Freeman Lake, Trapper Lea's Recreation Area, Freeman River, Edith Lake, and Krause Lake.
• 7 Westlock — main town on Highway 44 between Edmonton and Slave Lake, with 5,000 people, several hotels and all the typical chain restaurants, but also a true farming community home to the Canadian Tractor Museum. One small campground in town, and another just outside at the golf course.
• 8 Whitecourt — the largest town in the region, with 10,000 inhabitants, and the main centre for food and lodging, along Highway 43 between Edmonton and Grande Prairie. There are campgrounds in town, or nearby in Carson-Pegasus Provincial Park.

Other destinations

The Northern Lights as seen at Thunder Lake, near Barrhead.

The main reason most people stop in this region is to camp at one of the recreational lakes, some of the most popular which are not immediately adjacent to the above mentioned towns are:

• 1 Lesser Slave Lake — Largest recreational lake in Alberta. Many areas with white-sand beaches and places where you can't see the other side of the lake; truly a surreal experience in land-locked Alberta!
• 2 Long Island Lake Municipal Campground, north from Westlock
• 3 Forfar Recreation Park Campground. (updated Mar 2020), between Westlock and Athabasca
• 4 Hubert Lake Wildland Provincial Park, north of Westlock
• 5 Fort Assiniboine Sandhills Wildland Provincial Park , north of Barrhead, includes a ski hill
• 6 Cross Lake Provincial Park , directly north of Westlock, west of Athabasca
• 7 Goose Lake, between Fort Assiniboine and Blue Ridge on Highway 658, has 53 total campsites

Understand

This is a rural region tending from agricultural in south to forested in the north. The economy is highly dependent on field crops, livestock and oil and gas drilling and lumbering. The area is not frequently travelled for tourism except by other Albertans coming to camp for the weekend and people (Americans, mainly) passing through on the way to the Alaska Highway.

Get in

By plane

There are no commercial flights here.

By bus

• Cold Shot, ☏ +1 587-557-7719, support@coldshot.ca. Operates bus services primarily in Alberta with some service reaching British Columbia. (updated Feb 2021)
  • Between Grande Prairie and Edmonton including stops in Valleyview and Whitecourt.
  • Between Peace River and Edmonton including stops in High Prairie, Slave Lake, and Westlock. Operates several days per week.
• Ebus, toll-free: +1 877-769-3287. Operates several routes in British Columbia and Alberta. (updated Mar 2022) Operates a route between Grande Prairie and Edmonton including stops in Valleyview, Whitecourt, and Mayerthorpe.

By car

Drive north from Edmonton or southeast from the Peace Country. Highway 43 enters the region traveling southeast from Grande Prairie and traveling northwest starting from Highway 16 (Yellowhead Highway) west of Edmonton. Highway 43 passes through Whitecourt.

Get around

The multi-use Athabasca Landing Trail — for most of its length — isn't a "trail" in the sense of a footpath (though it is also that in places), but rather more of a historic route that follows the country roads leading from Fort Saskatchewan to Athabasca.

See

Lakes, rivers and wide open spaces.

The Fort Assiniboine National Historic Site, NW of Barrhead, was a Hudson’s Bay Company trading post and reflects the fur-trading times that helped to establish the area.

Rochfort bridge

The Rochfort Trestle Bridge, SE of Mayerthorpe, is one of North America’s longest wooden train trestles.

The Whitecourt meteor impact crater, southeast of Whitecourt is a fascinating place to explore.

When in Westlock, check out the Canadian Tractor Museum, which has 90 farm tractors! There's also a pioneer museum in Westlock if viewing 90 tractors hasn't taken up your whole day.

The Boreal Centre for Bird Conservation, north of Slave Lake , is the only educational and research facility in the world that studies boreal birds on their breeding grounds. It has indoor and outdoor exhibits, and interpretive programming.

Do

Canoe the Pembina River from Highway 16 to the confluence with the Athabasca River. There are numerous roads that cross the river that make for good places to "put in" (Sangudo, Lac la Nonne, Manola, Rossington, Dapp, Jarvie, Fawcett or Flatbush). Random camping is possible on sandbars along the river's edge.

Lesser Slave Lake offers 7 km of pristine, white sand beaches in the Lesser Slave Lake Provincial Park.

There is downhill and cross-country skiing near Westlock.

Whitecourt has 50 km of walking trails, a waterpark, and a casino.

Eat

This is meat-and-potatoes country. Chain restaurants predominate in the larger towns but there are a few local spots as well. The closest you can come to international cuisines are North American-style Chinese cafés or the donair (kebab) place in Westlock: Ramzi's.

Drink

Buy your own and bring it to your campsite. You don't come here for the nightlife. An exception is if there's a curling bonspiel (tournament) on, in which case, invite yourself into the lounge and the locals will happily explain the finer points of the sport to the curious over cheap beers or Bloody Caesars.

Stay safe

If you're out in the wilds in the autumn, wear bright colours so you won't be mistaken for a deer. In winter, make sure you have winter tires and an emergency blanket in your car. Otherwise, extremely safe.

Go next

From here it make sense to continue north to the Peace Country and on to the Alaska Highway, or go west though the Foothills and into the Alberta Rockies.