Peter Lougheed Provincial Park — Attraction in Alberta

We took an excellent hiking trail that led us to Lake Rawson, situated at the base of Mount Sarrail. The lake was quiet and peaceful. A perfect location to connect with nature, without the disturbances found at other crowded tourist areas. Ended up going beyond the trails end and climbed up the mountain side, an area covered in low lying trees and shrubs, as apposed the the rocky, steep faces (an impossible climb!)of the rest of the mountain, to a saddle, accessible from the far end of the lake. Once at the top, we enjoyed the spectacular view overlooking Lake Rawson and, what I believe was, Hidden Lake (beautiful lake), located on the opposite, side of Mount Sarrail. This “off the map” trail was a tough climb but the view was well worth it. We also had the opportunity to see a young grizzly bear who came out of his den and headed off into a wooded area. In general, you have to be very careful when you encounter a bear, especially a grizzly, but this one , lucky, had no interest in us! Being no more than 30 feet from us, it was really a rare opportunity! I’d do it again, any time. In total, it was a 5-1/2 to 6 hour hike and It’s not an ideal hike for a non...

The park has multiple campgrounds. We stayed at Elkwood Campground. Take a few minutes to stop at the visitor center when arriving for trail maps, exhibits, and to buy bear spray before heading off on trails. This is a large beautiful mountain park with tall trees and spectacular mountain views. Paved off road bike/hiking paths span distances between campgrounds. These paths include warning signs for steep hills and sharp corners. The campsite are shaded and well spaced providing privacy. A nicely equipped playground is available in the campground area along with central shower & flush toilet buildings. Lots of kids playing and biking. Campsites with power and water are available along with unserviced sites. Drinking water, sani-dump, visitor centre, great trails, great views, high elevations for cooler days in mid summer. Great park for a...

Flew up from California to visit Calgary friends in mid-January. One of the places we went was Chester Lake. Although they say May-October is preferable, it was perfectly doable in January. The roads to the parking lot were kept perfectly clear, so no problem driving there from Calgary. It was very peaceful without summertime crowds. We hiked the whole way to the frozen-over lake. It was very scenic. Encountered a couple of cross country skiers up there on the trail. In January, it was helpful to have hiking sticks and ice cleats on the shoes. We dressed warm, but I eventually had to unzip everything down to my shirt because I got so hot from the exercise. It was a great day and perfectly...