Chickakoo Lake is such a gem! I visited here in a warm weekday afternoon in the fall and had a…read morewonderful time exploring the trails. There's a large parking lot for day hikers and picnickers, with clean washrooms and a some picnic table sites right on the water. There are a number of trail loops, all with fantastic signage and maps at every trail junction. Trails are ranked according to difficulty, with the advanced trail presenting some serious up and down hills to get your legs burning. The less hilly trails are great for families, and there are different lengths of trails depending on how much time you want to spend. The views of the different wetland areas along the trails were really beautiful, and we were even able to see a moose across one of the water bodies taking a drink. We loved hiking here for a couple of hours, and I saw some runners tackling the trails and hills - good for them!

How has no one written a review of Chickakoo lake yet?! This is an amazing multi use area just west…read moreof Edmonton. It has great trails of various lengths for walking, running, biking (off road trail use) and in the winter snowshoeing and some tracks for cross country skiing. You can also bring your horses here to trail ride as well. Keep in mind as I said multi use. They have information boards about local wildlife and plant life and boards throughout pin pointing where the trails are and their difficulty ratings. There is a lake you can fish in or just canoe or kayak on. Also available are above ground fire stands you can BBQ on. There is a playground for the kiddies and picnic tables available. Ample parking, camp ground style bathroom facilities as well. It's worth checking out anytime of year!

A relaxing and discreet Clothing Optional corner of Alberta, Canada's North Saskatchewan River…read more Shared respectfully be Albertan Naturalists. Cottontail corner is a half an hour hike from the public beach to a serene rocky beach. Perfect for peeling your clothes off and plunking a lawn chair down and enjoying nature as it was intended!

My entire family Absolutely LOVES CottonTail Corner! My young daughter loves playing in the mud…read moreand my wife and I enjoy the sounds of nature while we get rid of any tan lines in this gem of a clothing optional area. Only 20 minutes out of the city of Edmonton too! And they have a site on Facebook as well.

Idc wat anyone says. That was the best accident anyone could have expierenced im this city of ours…read more A beach smack dab in the middle of our river right near the downtown core. Life was very grande with that occurrence. My kids loved it, was am easy after skool trip during the week . i have zero complaints at all. I do wonder is it still there? Can we still go there?

Glad I was able to check out this potentially temporary beach! We missed the main entrance but we…read morefound a secondary one that isn't as easy to use but it did the trick. We ended up on the eastern end of the beach. The sand is quite nice around there. I saw some people had a volleyball net set up and once you comb the same for rocks and branches it was perfect for volleyball. The day we went was really windy so playing would be somewhat difficult. In the middle of the beach there's a rocky section which had more litter then other areas. I saw a family picking up some litter to keep the 'park' as clean as possible. I also saw some rock gardens previous beachcombers had created including a cluster in inukshuks that mimicked the city scape behind it. Close to the main entrance to the beach (the carved out stairs) there is a really nice sandy beach. The sand is quite fine grain that it packs hard but is still really nice on the feet. It's also raised from the river but it's closest to the construction dam that allowed this beach to exist. Now regarding the water... the rivers edge appeared to be clean and the water was quite nice but I've heard without a lot of rain recently there could be some unappealing bacteria in the water. There was a section of still water that had come off the river and it definitely had an odor that told you not to go there.

This summer 2024 been there 4 times huge get together, swim floating, snacks , the kiddos make a…read moreday of it nobody burgers u or we all socialize love it!

It was better before the big slab of concrete was put in. But you know city and park planners. They…read moredon't leave the office much and it all looks good on paper? ‍

Visited River Lot 56 Nature Preserve FINALLY for the first time! There are multiple trail loops…read moresuitable for a 20 minute stroll or an hour long hike with a few hills. There are signs identifying animals and trees throughout. You can forage highbush cranberries into fall (super juicy and plentiful right now). Watch out for gopher holes - I'd be nervous to twist my ankle if running but the kids loved "fishing" for gophers, lol. We caught a frog and hunted for caterpillars. It's a great spot with arching tree lined trails for fall photos, too. In the winter, they maintain the trails here! Might be the perfect place to try out snowshoeing locally! I can't wait to go back! PS there is parking and it's located 1 minute south on Poundmaker's Road just a few blocks after Sir Winston Churchill ends (St. Albert) and Sturgeon County begins.

What a nice park! I have gone there in winter time but this was my first time in spring. It's a…read morebeautiful place and it attracts a lot of people and runners. We had a long walk and enjoyed the weather, beauty of the park and people's energy! It's a great place for walking your dog too. I enjoyed my walk and I'm sure I'll go back there for walking again!

Maybe it's being close to the whitemud equestrian centre (after all I'm a farm kid lost in the big…read morecity) but I really enjoy the layout of the surrounding park area. The closeness to the river let's you enjoy the sound of water plus the trees and birds while drowning out the busy main roads that run past. If you have the ability to hike into other parks, I'd highly suggest taking a few hours and bring a picnic with you. It's well worth the time to loop around the river valley in a circle and enjoy a picnic at the end. Lots of randomly placed picnic areas and benches throughout. Some areas more accessible than others. If you're looking for scenic area that has a flatter path to start improving your waking distance, I'd suggest this as one of the better places in the city. I also see a lot of parents helping their kids ride bikes along the paved road over the years. Smaller parking lot at the front but that takes you directly to the main paved path which makes sense why it fills up on the nice days. If you keep driving along the loop, you'll find a few more additional parking spots. Under the bridge might be a different park but allows access to parking too. I believe there's access to a stairwell on that side (but that's the last thing I'd go looking for with my bad knees!). Newer bathroom facility that even has a bottle filing area inside. No more need to desperately try and fit your reusable bottle under the tap of warm water. If you go over the grassy hill (opposite of the path) there are outdoor arenas and further along the gravel road, the newly built equestrian arena and horse pens. There's usually a fruit stand parked on the corner during summer, which is nice to grab a snack if you're sitting outside enjoying the sun. In summer you'll also see horse trailers lined up along the grass area & dirt road. As they hold shows at this location, it can get quite busy. Signs are posted for the events well in advance, just in case you wish to walk where there's less people around. Please do remember to keep dogs on leashes and bells working on your bikes (on and off the main path), as horse riders share the paths too. It really is wonderful to see so many ages and levels of physical activity enjoying one area of the river valley. Now thinking about it more, this is probably why I find myself revisiting this park at least several times from spring to fall.

This is the second time I'm adding this business! Haha It's…read moremy favourite place for Kayaking, camping and just day trips! It's about 100K from downtown Edmonton! The water is pretty clean and motor boats are not allowed! So the best place for kayaking and relaxing! :) I highly recommend this place!

This place is pretty amazing! It is so big! It has…read moremultiple playground features that would accommodate any child age group. The age suggestions for each structure is marked. There are traditional swings and slides. There is sand. There is also an impressive spray park. It will be a new favorite of ours. Easy to find parking. There were bathrooms available but quite far away. I could not see any water fountains near by. Why not 5 stars? It is so big that I had a tough time keeping track of my little kids. My radar isn't fast enough. When they get older then I can see this being perfect. Also, not much to do with your child if your child isn't good with walking.

Strathcona County has been trying really hard to make Festival Place the 'centre of the park' but…read morethey have fell flat with that idea. BUT when it comes to green space and outdoor activities, they have excelled in making this area great for everyone. The redevelopment of the park is no exception. Before the renovation, this park was 'meh' at best. Too much sand, old wooden playground sets, swings...the typical stuff you would expect to see. But after a year-long renovation this park has become a hot spot for kids and parents. Just take a look at the pictures I posted! This place is amazing. Makes me wish I was 4 foot 1 again! The spray park area is awesome! Slides, water diversion trenches and tons of fountains. Then you move into the rock area which is als as awesome. Then as you pan right some more you have this rope tower mountain that looks like something Spiderman would have webbed for a bad guy. Once you get to the top of this 3 storey structure, you fly down a tube slide that makes kids scared. LOL And it doesn't end there. Now you have this cool park area with multiple slides, climbing areas and other stuff. Then when you thought you had enough, venture on their pirate ship and THEN finish off on a swing....*panting*...ya if your kids don't get wiped out from a day here, there is something wrong with them. What makes this park even better is that the surface is completely cushioned. No sand! The only things I do not like about this place - the public bathroom is locatesd in the ice rink north of the park. SIgns are terrible but there is a bathroom somewhat close by. Secondly, there needs to be a coffee kiosk on site. Ice cream is represented, coffee...nope. So take your kids here! Bring a cooler, drinks, blankets, food. You can have a fantastic afternoon with your children at this park.

Elk Island National Park is one of my favourite spots to visit…read more The park has many hiking trails ranging from a few kilometres to over 10. So definitely a variety for all fitness levels. Hiking can be done read round, and snowshoeing in the winter. The park has a visitor centre at the south entrance with Parks Canada staff, who are very welcoming, professional and very knowledgeable about the park and the wildlife. Speaking of wildlife, Elk Island is the home of bisons, which have been introduced to the area many years ago. They are impressive beautiful animals, that I've seen up close and personal (from my vehicle). They are impressive park also offers camping at the Astotin Lake area, but also backcountry camping. The park is a short hour (or less) east of Edmonton, and it is absolutely one of the best areas you can go to in Alberta to enjoy the outdoors, outdoor sports and activities, and wildlife. Ell Island National Park is also a dark sky area, where you can enjoy a starry night sky!!!

Located east of Edmonton in Alberta. Free admission for visitors thanks to Strong Canada Pass from…read morenow till Sept 7, 2026. Do not anticipate cell phone reception. You're welcome to try Satellite connection or SOS with the sun. If it's your first time, I highly recommend entering from south entrance, start at Wahkotowin Visitor Centre, read about history, familiarize with wildlife, campgrounds, and pick up a physical map of Elk Island National Park. Staff are very knowledgeable. I was hoping to see elk, yet didn't run into any during this visit. Our goal was to stop at these four lakes: Tawayik, Moss, Astotin, and Shirley. Surprisingly, we didn't see any bison on Bison Loop Road. As we turned left, on our way to Tawayik Lake, we saw a bison standing their ground and staring at us as our vehicle approached. We slowed down, stopped the vehicle from a safe distance. I zoomed my phone in, snapped a quick photo of the bison inside my car. Quick thinking and no other vehicles in sight, I instructed my husband to slowly reverse the rental, then do a u-turn. We didn't make it to Tawayik Lake. As we drove north on Elk Island Parkway, we saw three more bison within a 12 minute span. We passed by Moss Lake and Shirley Lake without stopping. We parked in the parking lot and walked around the grassy area fronting Astotin Lake. There's a blue and green algae warning on 7/24/2026. Do not enter the water. Yet, we saw a few people in boats on the lake. We got a great view of Astotin Island. Best to carry bug spray. We drove out via North Entrance.