Calgary has some incredible public land right on our doorstep yet many Calgarians don’t even know of its existence. Of Alberta’s 19 Public Land Use Zones, 8 of them are within a 2 hour drive from Calgary with 2 of those being 45 minutes or less. We have gone through the PLUZ near Calgary andContinue reading “Top 3 Crown Land Locations Near Calgary”
Category Archives: Crown Land
Exploring Alberta’s Ghost Towns: Saunders, Alberta
Saunders, Alberta was a coal mining town found alongside the North Saskatchewan river between Rocky Mountain House and Nordegg. It is a popular place for hikers, adventurers, ghost town enthusiasts, and campers. It is found about 20km east of Kiska/Willson PLUZ.
Exploring Alberta’s Ghost Towns: Lille
Nestled in the Crowsness Pass area, there are the remains of the mining town of Lille, Alberta. If you are up for the moderate hike to access the former townsite, it is a beautiful trek across beautiful Alberta Rocky Mountain countryside. Lille is located within the Livingstone PLUZ. I made the hike up to LilleContinue reading “Exploring Alberta’s Ghost Towns: Lille”
An Alberta Secret: The Scalp Creek Natural Waterslides (Ya Ha Tinda)
If you happen to be planning a trip up to the Ya Ha Tinda Ranch area of the Bighorn Backcountry – there is an opportunity to slide down a natural waterslide right here in Alberta! The Scalp Creek Natural Waterslides are located along Scalp Creek on the Ya Ha Tinda ranch and they are a hidden gem only known about by a few. Of course they aren’t as large as the ones in the video above however the longest slide is a good 20ft into a natural pool of water at the bottom.
All About Ya Ha Tinda Ranch (& Bighorn Falls) – Crown Land Favourites
The Ya Ha Tinda Ranch is an operating ranch located in between the Upper Clearwater Ram PLUZ and Panther Corners PLUZ. It is owned and operated by Parks Canada (the federal government). It is the only horse ranch in Canada operated by Parks Canada. Note that the ranch is technically operated as a private ranch and is separate from the nearby National Parks.
All About Abraham Lake – A Crown Land Favourite
If you follow the Crown Land Camping Alberta Facebook group at all you will find that Abraham Lake is definitely one of the more popular destinations in the Alberta Public Land Use Zones (PLUZ). The lake is located alongside several PLUZ including Kiska Willson PLUZ, Upper Clearwater/Ram PLUZ, and Job/Cline PLUZ (technically doesn’t have any shoreline but it is very close and overlooks the lake). The David Thompson Highway runs along the northern shore of the lake and offers some amazing views if it is more of a road trip that you are searching for!
Exploring Alberta’s Crown Land: Ghost – Public Land Use Zone
Ghost is a Public Land Use Zone (PLUZ) found in Southern Alberta. Like other PLUZ, Ghost is a popular place for backcountry campers and off-road enthusiasts. For people in north Calgary (or Cochrane/Airdrie) this is the most accessible PLUZ. Due to its large size, cool terrain, and wide range of activities – Ghost has long been a favorite for people looking to enjoy our gorgeous crown land (Ghost is my personal favourite PLUZ).
Exploring Alberta’s Crown Land: Livingstone – Public Land Use Zone
Livingstone is a Public Land Use Zone (PLUZ) found in Southern Alberta. Like other PLUZ, Livingstone is a popular place for backcountry campers and off-road enthusiasts. Livingstone is one of the newer PLUZ. It was created in 2018 alongside Porcupine Hills PLUZ in order to provide designated trails to protect the environment and provide OHV recreation access for southern Albertans.
Exploring Alberta’s Crown Land: Porcupine Hills – Public Land Use Zone
Porcupine Hills is a Public Land Use Zone (PLUZ) found in Southern Alberta. Like other PLUZ, Porcupine Hills is a popular place for backcountry campers and off-road enthusiasts. It was created more recently in 2018 in order to provide users with a designated set of motorized trails.
Exploring Alberta’s Crown Land: Kananaskis – Public Land Use Zone
Kananaskis is a Public Land Use Zone (PLUZ) found in Southern Alberta. Like other PLUZ, Kananaskis is a popular place for backcountry campers and off-road enthusiasts. Kananaskis is probably the busiest PLUZ in Alberta due to its close proximity to both Calgary and to Banff. It has some of the most famous mountains and hikes in Canada.
