Provincial Parks & Campgrounds

Address: Alberta Highway 881, 11 kilometres east of Highway 63

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Gregoire Lake Provincial Park is the largest front country provincial protected area in the region, located just 35 kilometres south of Fort McMurray. Open from May through October, the fully-serviced park offers camping, day-use facilities, flush toilets, showers, a playground, hiking trails, and a camp store. The park also offers some day use areas around Willow Lake that are open year-round to allow access to the lake in winter.

The park features 140 campsites suitable for tents or RVs (some with power hookups), 3 group camping areas, a day-use area with a beach, and a boat launch. Hiking trails wind throughout the park and an extended loop takes hikers through a recovering patch of forest from the 2016 Horse River wildfire, with views over Willow Lake. There's also another boat launch on the lake’s south shore along Highway 881. The nearby hamlet of Anzac also offers a day-use area with a boat launch, playground, and firepits.

As Willow Lake is one of the favourite spots for locals to get out on the water or relax on the beach, campsites do book up early and the day-use areas can get quite busy on sunny summer weekends. If you are planning to stop by the park, remember to bring bug repellent, bear spray, fishing gear—and depending on the season, boats, jet skis or snowmobiles.

Visit the Gregoire Lake Provincial Park website for more information.

Address: Highway 63 South, 38kms south of Fort McMurray

This 56-site unserviced campground is suitable for tents and RVs, and is located a short drive south of Fort McMurray on Highway 63. This small, quiet campground offers basic camping facilities, a playground, and picnic shelter. You'll need to bring your own water and firewood, and don't forget to pack bug repellent and bear deterrent as well.

Visit the Hangingstone PRA website for more information.

Address: 85212 Range Road 90B, Chard

Located atop Stony Mountain, about 50 kilometres from Fort McMurray, you'll find a day-use area with a small beach and a beautiful lake, along with two group camping sites reservable from June through September. As motorized vessels are not allowed on Maqua Lake, it is a haven for kayakers, canoeists and standup paddle boarders. Anglers may wish to leave their rods at home, as the locals say the lake hasn’t been stocked in many years. The road in to Maqua Lake can be quite rugged so a 4WD vehicle with good ground clearance is recommended in spring and essential in the winter.

Visit the Maqua Lake PRA website for more information.

Address: Alberta Highway 881

A year-round fishing destination, Engstrom Lake is located 78 kilometres from Fort McMurray via Highway 881. This park is a day-use area only, so overnight camping and campfires are prohibited, including on the lake’s surface in winter. Motorized boats are allowed, but only up to 9.9 horsepower, so it is a good place for canoes and kayaks as well. The park’s services are limited, so bring what you need, and then pack everything out when you leave. There's also a hiking trail that follows the eastern shore of the lake and is not well marked - but that's part of the adventure!

Visit the Engstrom Lake PRA website for more information.

Looking for even more adventure on a grand scale?

Learn more about Wood Buffalo National Park, Canada’s largest National Park.