Cow Lake Campground — Hotel in Alberta

We came here on Canada Day to use the day use area because we hoped to hangout and go to the lake as were at a campground about 20 minutes away that does not have lake access. We had three dogs with us and upon entry the lady at the front office said “the area left of the beach is where dogs can swim off the dock, and you just have to them leashed at all times, and they can’t go on the sand” and we were like, okay no problem at all. The dogs are very well behaved, not an issue to leash them. When we got in and parked, we walked over to the grass with the dogs on leash to scope out where we could put some chairs, as we were discussing where we could go, a guy drove up on his ATV vehicle or whatever it was and began yelling at us, no warning, just the rudest person you’ve ever met in your life, saying “you can’t have dogs here, can’t you read? There are signs, you need to leave” (btw the signs say dogs must be leashed and no dog son beach), and we were obviously taken aback, and I asked, “oh sorry, where can we go with them then?” And he says, “nowhere, your campsite. This isn’t for dogs, it’s for him a beings”. So the opposite of what the lady at the front said. And he proceeded to yell at us, and walked away. Then we were like okay, and started to discuss what other lake we could go to, and make a plan for approximately 2 minutes, when he drives back up in a fury and screams at us, “what did you not understand, you need to get out”. We explained that we were leaving and we were taking one minute make a plan and go, and he’s like, “fine, I’ll just stand right here till you go”. This is honestly one of the worst experiences I’ve ever had in my life. All he needed to do was politely explain the situation, although if that’s the case, they need to tell you that upon entry and not give you different rules based on different people. We were just trying to have a calm day off with our family and pets and instead we got yelled at for 10 minutes for no reason. You really need to work on your professionalism when running a business and treating people with respect. We were nothing but polite to you until you started screaming at us. Will not recommend you to anyone, and will NEVER be back, with or without our dog. Thanks for being irrationally angry unprovoked. Literally cannot express how unpleasant this man and experience was.

Update based on owners review: We had shade, and thought we would have water access, so the dogs would have been comfortable. Also, you were told incorrect information. We had about 5 witness that came up to us as we left saying that the guy was out of line and they couldn’t believe him. So you can choose to believe whatever helps you get by. And still does not negate the fact that the girl at the front gate said we could go in and gave us incorrect information apparently. Whole thing could have...

We were just there July 31 till today Aug 02. I'll start with the one thing that is positive for this campground: the lake is great with nice clear water, temp is good for swimming and playing in. Now to the negatives: generators, noise, exhaust, people who party past quiet time posted, and lack of adequate water supply. That's the summary, following is the details for those who care to read. What I found disappointing was the set up of the camp ground. The open sites are located on 2 big open fields. Most of the campers are RVs. There's no power hook ups, so most of them have generators. It's a hot weekend, so many of them had generators running for long time, it's noisy and smelled of exhaust. We were hoping to be able to have a quiet camping weekend, instead it was noisy, smelly, the area full of trucks and RVs instead of nature. I would recommend the campground to either put in power lines, or to segregate tents from RVs so that people in tents can have some peace and quiet. I would recommend the campground set strict limit on the decibels that the generators could run at, instead of a vague "camp ground friendly" that is very subjective. There is only 1 for the whole campground. When we needed to fill up, there were 3 RVs lined up in front of us, so the wait was long for everyone. To save time, I decided to try what seemed to "hand pump". After 20 pumps, no water came out. I asked the camp attendance about it and they said that it's not connect to a well! Please put a sign on something that doesn't work or just take it out. I would recommend for additional water stations. Another issue is noise. We had 2 groups of people beside us. The group to our right was up till 4 am the first night, not too loud but we can still hear them. So, I had to talk to them. The group to our left was laughing and drinking till late the second night, so my husband had to go talk to them at 11:30. The quiet hour posted is 11pm. Please have camp attendance monitor and enforce quiet hours!

In summary, if you camp to enjoy quiet and nature, this place is not for you. Day use for the beach could be good option should you want to...

We had a pleasant stay at this campground during the September long weekend, and it wasn't too crowded. Our site, #59, was located near the playground. However, it's worth noting that the sites on the left and right side of the playground lack trees and are quite close together, so if you prefer a quieter experience, consider booking a treed site in the range of 1-47 or the 200s.

The campground facilities, such as the bathrooms and showers, left a bit to be desired. The outhouse bathrooms were somewhat dirty, and the showers had mold on the walls, which could definitely use some cleaning. It appears that this campground may be better suited for those with trailers.

On a positive note, the main playground was a hit with my kids, and there was ample green space and a sand volleyball area nearby. Another playground by the beach made it convenient for kids to swim and play without being out of sight. The water in the lake was relatively warm compared to other lakes I've visited.

The campground is also boat accessible with plenty of boat parking available. Don't miss the ice cream truck near the beach area – their ice cream is delicious! There are hiking trails available, although I can't comment on their difficulty as we didn't have the chance to explore them during our stay.

The camp staff organized Halloween activities and movie nights, ensuring that your kids will always have something to do. Overall, we enjoyed our time here and plan to return next year. The campground staff were friendly and helpful, and the dump station is available for a fee of $10.

While we didn't spot any bears, there was a friendly little squirrel always on the lookout for food, so be sure to secure your garbage before...