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Compiled by the Road Trip Alberta team
Last updated on January 26, 2023
Central Alberta is a hotbed for camping, thanks to some beautiful Alberta lakes that scatter the region and offer the perfect setting to enjoy your best #beachlife! Pigeon Lake is no exception, and is especially popular because of its proximity to Edmonton (just over an hour’s drive away). There are a couple of Pigeon Lake campgrounds to choose from, offering everything from walk-in tent space to comfort camping sites. The immediate region offers several more, which we’ve included below to give you more options.
Pigeon Lake is one of the largest lakes in the province, and one of the most beloved (also because it offers some of the best beaches in Alberta). It’s stacked with many amenities; visitors enjoy fishing, and a variety of beach and water activities including swimming, kayaking, and boating. In winter, it’s a popular ice-fishing spot and the trails are also great for cross-country skiing. The seasonal town of Ma-Me-O Beach is hopping in summer, and the Village at Pigeon Lake offers some amenities year-round.
Pigeon Lake Campgrounds
Pigeon Lake Provincial Park
Location: On the east side of Pigeon Lake, access via Hwy 771.
There are many reasons to love staying right onsite at the Pigeon Lake campground, including the spacious sites and all of the amenities (showers, flush toilets, a playground, a boat launch, day-use picnic sites, and more!). And if you don’t feel like roughing it, comfort camping sites are available in the form of a fully furnished yurt – there are 18 of them in 3 different sizes.
Otherwise, choose from 108 unserviced sites, 142 powered sites, and 10 sites with both power and sewer. 10 winterized sites are also available year-round, and the Alberta Parks staff will even plow snow for you!
Enjoy 10km of trails for hikes and bikes, and as it is surrounded by mixed forest, it is especially beautiful to visit when the fall colours are on display. The beach is also sandy, wide, and gently sloped, and a great place to spend the day.
For reservations go the Alberta Parks website: Book here
Zeiner Campground
Location: On the east side of Pigeon Lake, access via Hwy 771.
Also within Pigeon Lake Provincial Park, you’ll find Zeiner Campground, just south of the Pigeon Lake Campground noted above. There are fewer sites (35 unserviced, 88 with power, and even 9 walk-in tenting sites) but some nice variety – including a loop of treed sites, and another that includes beachfront camping.
The beach is long and wide, a great place for your family’s summer escape, and comes complete with picnic tables, fire pits, and a playground set back in shade.
For reservations go to the Alberta Parks website: Book here
Nearby Options to Pigeon Lake Campground
Hilah Ayers Wilderness RV Park
Location: On the northeast side of Pigeon Lake, near the village of Mulhurst. Access via Hwy 616.
Offering a mixture of leased resort spaces along with 34 overnight sites, Hilah Ayers Wilderness RV Park offers a literal wilderness playground in a beautiful setting.
Just a half-kilometre from the shores of Pigeon Lake in Mulhurst Bay, this 45-acre site is loaded with amenities including a shower house and laundry facility, mini-golf, a beach volleyball court, horseshoe pits, and even an outdoor movie theatre!
It is also home to the Pigeon Lake Music Festival and has an onsite food trailer each summer.
For reservations: Book here
Whispering Spruce RV Resort and Campground
Location: South of Pigeon Lake on Range Road 11
Another mixed campground for year-round leases and 2 large overnight sites for groups (or individual campers, if available), you can find Whispering Spruce RV Resort just 5 km south of the Village of Pigeon Lake. Amenities include beach volleyball, a paved basketball park, several connecting hiking trails through forested areas, horseshoe pits, a convenience store, and even a small petting zoo.
There’s a pool on site but it’s not available to overnight campers (so avert your eyes if you don’t want to be sad about missing out on it)!
For reservations: Email whispering.spruce@yahoo.ca or phone 780-586-2249
Mound Red Park
Location: About 15km south of the bottom tip of Pigeon Lake, accessed via Township Rd 452
Go rustic at Mound Red Park! While there is water available near the entrance, don’t expect power hookups or modern facilities (although there are pit toilets on-site). There are 30 individual sites available at Mound Red Park from May to September, and group camping for up to 20 trailers. The campsites are quite private, some are very large, but narrow, pull-through sites are also there.
Amenities include free firewood, a playground, a picnic shelter, and horseshoe pits. Situated on a slow-moving river, bring your kayak or canoe to enjoy some time on the water!
For reservations: Email arecreation@county.wetaskiwin.ab.ca or phone 780-586-2249
Twin Lake Campground
Location: On the shores of Twin Lake, accessed via Range Road 32A, about 25 km southwest of Pigeon Lake. Don’t confuse this with the other Twin Lakes Campground in Crimson Lake Provincial Park.
Enjoy one of 60 private sites at this campground between May and September. Note that there are no power hook-ups and it is built for tents and smaller RVs.
Because no motorboats are allowed on the small Twin Lake, the swimming, kayaking, or paddling is excellent with clear and beautiful waters. It is popular for fishing, and many people even use it for scuba diving! Paddleboard rentals are also available.
For reservations: Not available. Sites are first-come, first-served.
Jubilee Park Campground on Wizard Lake
Location: Roughly 35km to the northeast of Pigeon Lake, accessed via Hwy 795
Approximately 20 minutes north of Pigeon Lake is Jubilee Park Campground. There are 111 spaces available from May long through Labour Day weekend and they include a variety of options from non-powered sites all the way to comfort cabins added in 2017.
This is a popular spot for Edmontonians (especially as it is a bit closer to the city), and has a lovely big sandy beach with a boardwalk, a boat launch, a swimming area, a concession, a playground, and hiking trails. It’s also equipped with a sani-dump and shower and washroom facilities. The comfort cabins come with firewood (you have to pay for it at campsites), and four people can sleep comfortably.
For reservations: There are a variety of opening dates for booking, see this page to choose the correct booking link.
Want to see other options for where to go? Check out our extensive guide on camping in Alberta.
And if you want to upgrade from a tent to an RV for your summer adventure, we also have a guide to RV rentals in Alberta.
If you’re looking for fun near Pigeon Lake, check out all the great things to do in Wetaskiwin!
Dalene Heck is a co-founder of Road Trip Alberta. She was born in Edmonton, grew up in the Peace Country, and has ventured to almost every corner of Alberta and the world (she’s travelled to 60 countries)! She is a serial blogger, the CEO of HMI Marketing, co-creator of the Trip Chaser card game, a leukemia-slayer, and cat whisperer.
