It was hot and smokey! The wildfires in British Columbia continued to burn and the smoke continued to blow into Alberta. We could not get away from it. We headed south past Brooks to Kinbrook Island Provincial Park which sits along the east side of Lake Newell. The campground is really on an island which you access via a short causeway.
The sky, on both the day we arrived and the next day, was dark and eerie. The area is a well known birding area but due to the heavy amounts of smoke we didn’t wander around much. Our goal was to stay out of the smoke.
Campground: Kinbrook Island Provincial Park
Location: South of Brooks, Alberta on Lake Newell (east side)
Site: H117
Cost: $45 (CAD) – includes reservation fee
Services: E (30AMP)
Comments: A lovely campground with 10 camping loops (199 campsites) right on the lake with beach access and a boat launch.
We were in loop H and due to the smoke we didn’t venture out and check the other loops nor did we go on the 4.5 km trail hike around the wetlands. With all the health advisories out we decided it was best to stay indoors in A/C. But the other campsites in loop H looked nice and spacious. The campground was full because it was a weekend which is typical of provincial parks in Alberta (and British Columbia) in the summer.
The campground and park was probably a wonderful place to enjoy for a few days had it not been for all the smoke. It is about a 45 minute drive northeast to Dinosaur Provincial Park (the campground was full there also) which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and about a 10 minute drive into the town of Brooks for shopping and fuel.
We continue our search for clearer skies!
Leave a Reply