Alberta Trails

Spray Valley Lakes Trail is a wide two-lane gravel road through the scenic Spray Valley Provincial Park and the Kananaskis region. There are spectacular mountain views and lakes in the area. There is a lot of wildlife in the area, including grizzly bears, so keep your eyes peeled.

This trail is suitable for any vehicle. High-clearance or 4WD is not needed. There are washboard sections, but the road is in pretty good condition overall. This is an active and heavily trafficked logging road.

The trail passes several day-use areas on the lakes and hiking trails, but no camping. There are campgrounds not too far from the beginning and end of the trail, but none on the trail. If you wish to use the day-use areas, you must purchase a $15 pass from www.alberta.ca. There are also kiosks where you can purchase the pass.

Emerson Creek Road mostly runs through Crown Land but goes through Sundance Provincial Park. Most of the road is thick tree-lined, but there are a couple of great views of the Athabasca River.

This heavily used two-lane gravel road is well-maintained. Any vehicle can drive this road. High clearance or 4x4 is not needed. There are a couple of big ruts in the road, but they're easy to avoid because it is so wide. This is a very active logging and mining road, and the speed limit is 60 KPH (36 MPH).

Emerson Lakes Campground is a nice small campground on the lake which is suitable for swimming or paddling. There are numerous hiking trails. No motorboats are allowed on the lake. Camping is $15 per day. Several sites are reservable.

If you want to escape the crowds of Jasper, take a nice drive on Celestine Lake Road. Starting in Jasper National Park, this road offers amazing views of Jasper Lake, The Athabasca River, and the surrounding Rocky Mountains.

There are deep ruts in this dirt road, some of which are hard to see, so watch your speed. There are steep windy climbs with no guardrails and a sheer dropoff down the side of a mountain, so 4x4 is needed for parts of this trail.

The end of the trail is a hiking trailhead to Celestine Lake and its campground, but you have to hike a few miles to get to them.