Camping at Hope Lake, Athabasca County, Alberta

A few weekends ago, we towed our little vintage camper to Hope Lake for the very first time– and it won’t be our last.

Hope Lake Campground is located in Athabasca County, Alberta, near the village of Boyle. It’s not far off Highway 63, on the right heading North. Lucky for us, this little gem is only about 40 minutes from where we live, but it feels like a true getaway. Bookings can be made through the Athabasca County website and sites are unserviced and affordable. There are non-potable water pumps on site (so bring your own drinking water), a dump station, and lots of outhouses. The check-in office sells firewood, snacks, ice cream, and bags of ice and is open from 9 am to 9 pm which is quite impressive for such a small campground!

We had campsite #14 which was not the best pick in the park but it was a lovely place to set up nonetheless. This site is in the middle of a loop, so while we had a few trees, we had neighbors in every direction. The sites on the outside of the ring would be much more private and tucked away. We were only a short walk from the water pump, the beach, the shop, and a ATV/walking trail.

There are lots of awesome opportunities for adventure and activities at Hope Lake. In non-Covid times, you can rent kayaks, canoes, paddleboards, and paddle-boats. Lots of other campers had towed out their own small motorboats and we spotted lots of people fishing from the shorelines and little wharf. It also seems to be a prime dirt bike/ATV location as we seen (and heard) lots of them. There is also a geocache in the area if that’s what you’re into.

We spent most of our Saturday sunbathing on the beach and Mack even took a dip. There were lots of little kiddos swimming but the water was too cold for me! I’ve heard that Hope Lake is one of the only lakes in the area safe for swimming because it’s leech and algae free. There’s even a little platform for jumping off of. The beach is beautiful, clean, and has soft sand just like the Caribbean (well maybe not exactly like the Caribbean, but pretty great for Alberta!). We had our little speaker, cooler with ice and cold drinks, beach blanket, and our tiny folding chairs. It was a great day and the weather was gorgeous!