The Park Lake Campground is part of Park Lake Provincial Park and is situated about 20 km north of Lethbridge, Alberta.
We stayed at the Park Lake Campground on a warm and sunny weekend in July. When we arrived Saturday afternoon we luckily still had a limited choice of spots. We found one to our liking (number 35) next to the lake. The campsites were nicely priced: $15 for a basic spot, $21 for a spot with electrical hook-up.
Each campsite had a gravel pad set farther back from the vehicle path. We tried to put up our tent on this gravel pad, but our metal pegs simply would not go in; they kept hitting rock. We gave up and instead staked our tent - albeit closer to the vehicle path - on the only good-sized soft grassy pad within our spot.
Every spot had its own little fire pit, but the campground does not offer any firewood, so if you want to make a fire you will need to bring your own wood and/or charcoal.
The washrooms were outhouses (not flush toilets). They were fairly clean but smelled a fair bit. More importantly, they have no light whatsoever, so you will need a flashlight when you go at night.
The weekend we were there, Park Lake Campground was full of families with kids, who were probably attracted to the nice lake and beach. This also means that the campground is noisier during the day. At night it was fairly quiet and we had no trouble falling pleasantly asleep.
The campground was well supervised. We were welcomed by a host couple, whose job is to address campers’ needs and questions. We observed the park warden making regular rounds and even the RCMP driving through.
Conclusion: The Park Lake Campground is nicely situated by the lake, with enough trees to offer some reprieve from the sun on a scorching day. It is well run and should be a hit with kids. The washrooms are okay but should have some lighting for the campers’ safety. Tent campers need to be aware that most of the ground is too hard for tent pegs to penetrate.
Would I go back? It’s not a bad campground for the price, but it also did not “wow” me. The next time I’m in the area I will probably explore my options and check out a different campground.
Surroundings ++++
Campsite ++++
Noise level ++++
Washrooms +++
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