About Castle
Castle Provincial Park is a large provincial park located in Alberta’s south westernmost regions near the Crowsnest Pass and Waterton National Park. It was established in its current form in a land use re-designation in 2017. This same designation created the nearby Livingstone PLUZ and Porcupine Hills PLUZ crown land areas as well. Castle Wildland WPP wraps around the west and southern borders in the park. Beauvais Lake Provincial Park is located just east of the park.
The Castle Provincial Park region played an important part in Canada’s early exploration and trade. For indigenous tribes, the area was used in spiritual ceremonies and a meeting point for more than 10,000 years. They guided the Europeans through the area when they arrived in the early 1800s. The Palliser Expidition in 1841 explored the area in their search for a path over the continental divide (what is today the BC/Alberta border). Castle mountain today is known as Windsor Ridge because in 1979, they renamed Mount Eisenhower in Banff National Park Castle Mountain and they didn’t want confusion.
Castle Provincial Park in one of 3 Alberta Provincial Parks located within what is known as the “Crown of The Continent” which spans about 73,000 square kilometers around where Alberta, British Columbia, and Montana meet. This is a region of cultural and environmental significance. It includes Waterton National Park as well as the headwaters for 3 different major continental river systems.
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Summer at Castle
Castle Provincial Park offers visitors a wide range of activities including good backcountry access. Camping is popular in the park both front country and adjacent back country opportunities just outside the park. The Syncline Trail Network provides nearly 20km of trails in the park for hikers, mountain bikers, and equestrians.
The lakes in the park are popular for fishers and boaters.
Castle Provincial Park is one of the few provincial parks in Alberta to allow OHV and Snowmobiling activities within the park. It is also one of the only ones to allow hunting within the park provided that the hunter obtains a firearm discharge permit.
Winter at Castle
In the wintertime, ice fishing, fat biking, snowshoeing, and cross country skiing are popular activities in the park. There are also staging areas for snowmobilers who want to enjoy the amazing snow at Castle Provincial Park. The snowfall in the park is so good that one of Alberta’s top rated ski resorts: Castle Mountain Resort is located at the end of the main highway in the park.
Camping at Castle
There are 12 campgrounds throughout Castle Provincial Park – each with different levels of service.
| Campground | Amenities | Type of Site | Amount Available | Cost/Night |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beaver Mines Lake Campground May 19 – September 29 | Boat launch, firepits, outhouses, water pumps | Unserviced | 76 | $28.00 |
| Castle Falls Campground May 19 – September 12 | Firepits, outhouses, water pumps | Unserviced | 45 | $26.00 |
| Castle River Bridge Campground May 18 – October 2 | Firepits, outhouses, water taps, power hookups | Power (30 amp) | 25 | $34.00 |
| Lynx Creek Campground May 18 – October 2 | Firepits, outhouses, water pumps | Unserviced | 27 | $23.00 |
| Designated Camping Areas 1 Campground May 1 – November 30 | Area | N/A | $20.00 | |
| Designated Camping Areas 2 Campground May 1 – November 30 | Area | N/A | $20.00 | |
| Designated Camping Areas 3 Campground May 1 – November 30 | Area | N/A | $20.00 | |
| Designated Camping Areas 4 Campground May 1 – November 30 | Area | N/A | $15.00 | |
| Designated Camping Areas 5 Campground May 1 – November 30 | Area | N/A | $15.00 | |
| Designated Camping Areas 6 Campground May 1 – November 30 | Area | N/A | $15.00 | |
| Designated Camping Areas 7 Campground May 1 – November 30 | Area | N/A | $15.00 | |
| Designated Equestrian Camping Area Campground June 1 – November 30 | Horse corrals, water pumps, outhouses, firepits, information kiosk | Area | N/A | $20.00 |
| Group Camping | ||||
| Syncline A Group Use May 18 – September 20 | Firepits, picnic shelter, outhouses, information kiosk, water taps, power hookups | Power | 11 units | $240/5 units + $36/extra unit + $8 Power |
| Syncline B Group Use May 18 – September 20 | Firepits, picnic shelter, outhouses, information kiosk, water taps, power hookups | Power | 10 units | $240/5 units + $36/extra unit + $8 Power |
| Comfort Camping | ||||
| Beaver Mines Lake Cabins May 19 – September 4 | 4 Person Cabin | 5 units | $100.00 | |
| Castle River Bridge Cabins May 19 – September 4 | 4 Person Cabin | 5 units | $135.00 |
Day Use at Castle
Castle Provincial Park is 13 designated day use areas consisting of picnic spots, staging areas, and trailheads.
- Beaver Mines Boat Launch offers great lake access and a popular place to fish, picnic, and boat.
- Open: Year-round
- Amenities: Outhouses, firepits, boat launch, information kiosk, wheelchair accessibility
- Activities: Canoeing, kayaking, fishing, picnics, power boating, ice fishing
- Beaver Mines Entrance Staging is a staging area providing access to Castle Wildland WPP as well as lake access.
- Open: Year-round
- Amenities: Information kiosk
- Activities: Fishing, Ice Fishing
- Beaver Mines Forest is a small day use area providing picnic facilities
- Open: Year-round
- Amenities: Ouhouses, firepits
- Activities: Picnics
- Beaver Mines Lakeview is a small day use area meant for picnics. Alcohol is allowed here between 11am and 9pm.
- Open: Year-round
- Amenities: Firepits
- Activities: Picnics
- Carbondale Staging is a day use area with a snowmobile focus. It serves as a staging area and also allows snowmobiling on-site.
- Open: Year-round
- Amenities: Information kiosk, outhosues
- Activities: Picnic, snowmobiling (on-site)
- Castle Falls is a day use area built around a picturesque waterfall.
- Open: May 1 – October 14
- Amenities: Firepits, firewood (for sale), outhouses, water pumps
- Activities: Picnics, hiking
- Castle River Bridge is a small day use area at the entrance to Castle River Bridge Campground.
- Open: Year-round
- Amenities: Firepits, outhouses
- Activities: Picnics
- Lynx Creek
- Open: May 1 – October 18
- Amenities: Firepits, firewood (for sale), outhouses, water pumps
- Activities: Picnics
- Syncline North provides access to the northern regions of the Syncline Trail network. Alcohol is permitted within the day use area between 11am and 9pm.
- Open: Year-round
- Amenities: None
- Activities: Hiking, Picnics
- Syncline South provides access to the southern regions of the Syncline Trail network. Alcohol is permitted within the day use area between 11am and 9pm.
- Open: Year-round
- Amenities: None
- Activities: Hiking, Picnics
- Table Mountain Staging serves as a trailhead for backcountry adventures.
- Open: Year-round
- Amenities: Information kiosk
- Activities: Backcountry hiking
- Gladstone Creek is an equestrian focused day use area.
- Open: Year-round
- Amenities: None
- Activities: Equestrian, front country hiking, mountain biking
- Syncline Barnaby Staging
- Open: May 1 – November 30
- Amenities: Outhouses
- Activities: None
Distances to Alberta Cities
Distance to Calgary: 241km
Distance to Edmonton: 521km
Distance to Red Deer: 371km
Distance to Lethbridge: 131km
Distance to Grande Prairie: 936km
Coordinates: 49°24’30.0″N 114°19’20.8″W
