There’s no place quite like Wild Rose Country if you love the outdoors.

With incredible destinations like Banff, Waterton, and Jasper National Park, open-air enthusiasts are spoiled for choice whether they love a bustling mountain town or want a quiet getaway.

Located approximately 30 kilometres from Hinton, Alberta ,William A. Switzer Provincial Park is described as “a lovely, uncrowded alternative to the Rocky Mountain national parks.”

Offering 63 square kilometres of towering trees and small lakes, this enchanting spot is beautiful all year round.

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Photo via Shutterstock

In the summertime, go swimming and fishing at Jarvis Creek, wander boardwalks, hit the beach at Kelley’s Bathtub, go hiking, or travel the interpretive canoe route along one of the “most intact river valleys in Alberta’s Foothills.”

Then when the park freezes over, go ice fishing, take the Switzer Park cross-country ski experience, warm up at the Hinton Nordic Centre, or go skating.

Want to stay the night?

Go camping when the sky is blue and even in the winter – but keep your eyes open!

According to Alberta Parks, a ton of animals live in the park including grizzly and black bears, wolves, lynx, cougar, moose, elk, deer, beavers, and 122 bird species.

It’s truly a beautiful place, so enjoy!

William A. Switzer Provincial Park

Where: Directions here

Cassandra Stefanic

Regional Editor, Prairies –Cassandra is a Calgary-based journalist with a deep appreciation for music, film, food, travelling, and storytelling. When she’s not chasing a story, writing, or editing, you’ll likely find her in the mountains, binge-watching a new series, at a speakeasy, cooking, or getting lost in a Taylor Swift re-record.

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