North Cowboy Trail Day 2: Drayton Valley to Alder Flats
- Distance One-way: 48.5km
- Round trip drive time: 1 hr 4 min
- Road trip timeframe: Full day
It is day two on your north Cowboy Trail road trip and you are refreshed and ready to tackle the day. Using Drayton Valley as your staging area head East on Hwy 22, you will head down into the North Saskatchewan River valley. The North Saskatchewan River is a recreational playground for the locals; river boating, kayaking, canoeing, and fishing are all activities enjoyed at the river.
Cresting the hill on the northside of the river valley you will see a sign for the entrance to the Eagle Point Provincial Park. In this part of the park you will find interpretive hiking/biking trails, the Willey West Campground, and boat launch area. Reserve an hour to hike the area, on a warm summer day plan to have some fun in the river down at the boat launch area.
Continuing on Hwy 22, you will turn south at the Hwy 39/22 junction and head to Alder Flats. As a side note the Blue Rapids Provincial Recreation area off the Buck Creek road is a wonderful side trip for ATV enthusiasts.
Driving to Alder Flats you start to see the landscape change to more of a rolling hill and heavy forest and to the west on a clear day you can see the Rocky Mountains.
If fishing, boating or paddle sports is your jam then off Hwy 22, mid way to Alder Flats you can first begin to access Buck Lake via Twp 464. This will take you to the Buck Lake Provincial Recreation Area. This is an Alberta Parks open style campground, with a boat launch area, pump water and pit toilet amenities.
Further up Hwy 22 you will come to the turn off to Alder Flats. The Hamlet of Alder Flats is located at most west point of Hwy 13 and at the Hwy 13 and Hwy 22 junction. Exploring the Alder Flats area you will find food, camping amenities, and tourist attractions such as golf, and a meadery.
To find out more about the Hwy 13 have a look at road trip “Homesteaders Way Hwy 13: Winfield to Alder Flats.”
Winter time at Buck Lake
Subscribe for the full Free Press Share on facebook Facebook Share on email Email Share
Try these DV100 training routes
Just beyond the western borders of Drayton Valley is a series of township roads and secondary highways that creates an amazing training ground for anyone looking to tackle the DV100, DV60 or the DV40, this September.
To market, to market: Shopping downtown Drayton Valley
Subscribe for the full Free Press Share on facebook Facebook Share on email Email Share
Tips for beginner mountain bikers
Rocks, berms, extreme pitches, however you slice it, mountain biking is not for the faint of heart. But with a little can-do attitude and grit it can become a fun pastime during any age or stage of life. This summer Rae and Bell decided that they wanted to try something new. Although they were no strangers to road cycling, the purchase of a e-mountain bike got them off the asphalt onto the trail.
Three trips for your winter wonder list
Snowshoeing is a fun way to get outside, stretch your legs and add a little interest to your snowy winter walks. With the Eagle Point Provincial Park and Provincial Recreation area right on our doorstep there are endless places to explore by snowshoe. But for those of you who are just getting started here are three of my favourite places to get you going.
The rugged and refined in Alder Flats
So I have been telling you to explore your backyard and check out places like Evansburg, Breton and Eagle Point Provincial Park. But what about Alder Flats? What the heck is there to do in Alder Flats? To answer this question I have visited Alder Flats five times since July to have a new experience, discover a new place and give you guys some actionable ideas.
