Welcome TO OUR BACKYARD!
YELLOWHEAD COUNTY
Summer E xplorer Passport & PHOTO CONTEST! www.VisitYellowheadCounty.com
YELLOWHEAD COUNTY
Welcome
TO OUR
BACKYARD! Š Clearwater County 2013
Congratulations on picking up your Yellowhead County Summer Explorer Passport - your guide for exploring all the great spots throughout the Yellowhead County! Celebrate this amazing area by visiting these great points of interest in this guide and enter to win with each spot you visit! And remember to keep an eye out for Sasky da Sasquatch, he’ll be visiting various locations and events throughout the summer across Yellowhead County reminding everyone to 'Not Leave a Trace!" Get out there, have some fun, and win some great prizes! The contest runs from JULY to SEPTEMBER. Go to our Facebook and Instagram pages often for monthly prizes! Yellowhead County would like to remind you that, although these places are open to the public, it is advised that anyone visiting these areas take necessary precautions. Wildlife, abrupt weather changes, and other natural and industry related factors can affect your travel and safety when visiting these locations. Some of these areas are remote and have limited amenities including food, cellular service, shelter, and fuel. Use proper maps and have adequate supplies on hand in the case of an emergency.
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SUMMER PASSPORT EXPLORER
Pack your bags & hit the trail! How To Use Your Passport
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West Locations
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Map 8 Central Locations
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East Locations
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Sasky da Sasquatch
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PASSPORT CONTEST
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YELLOWHEAD COUNTY
How to use your passport: 1. Grab your gear and hit the road! 2. Explore YC's amazing locations listed in the Summer Explorer Passport. 3. Snap a photo or two of your adventure. 4. Tag or mention @yellowheadcounty and @yellowheadcountyrec when you share your YC photos on Facebook and Instagram. Remember to name each location! 5. And use hashtags #exploreyellowhead
#YHCsummer2020 and #LeaveItPristine You’ll receive one entry into the draw for each photo submitted, so submit your photos often! You can also enter by emailing your entries to hello@yellowheadcounty.ab.ca
Winners of the summer prize pack will be announced on Facebook and Instagram.
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SUMMER PASSPORT EXPLORER
Solomon Creek Boat Launch 6 Brule Bike Park 6 Solomon Hill Lookout 6 Switzer Park Visitor Centre & Kelley's Bathtub 6 Beaver Board Walk 7 Whitehorse Wildland Trail 7 Jasper-Hinton Airport 7 Cadomin 7 Heritage Site #1 - Empyrean Cemetery 10 Heritage Site #2- All Saints Anglican Church 10 Heritage Site #3- Mercoal Mine Landscape 10 Pump & Play (Peers, Wildwood & Evansburg) 11 Disk Golf Courses (Cadomin, Jerry V. & Bear Lake) 11 Wild Sculpture Trail (Hoodoos) 11 Willmore Park & Bike Park 12 Millers Lake (Trail Loop & West Playground Trail Head) 12 YoHo Museum 12 Rosevear Ferry Park 12 Tipple Park & Museum 13 Chip Lake Park 13 Pembina River Park 13
Visit Yellowhead County's website and facebook pages to see a full list of all the amazing places to visit in Yellowhead County! You can also see our extensive interactive online Google map of our Yellowhead County Heritage Sites that has over 70 unique historical locations.
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YELLOWHEAD COUNTY
west region
Rockies & Foothills From west of Edson to the border of the Jasper Park down to the Northern Rockies foothills in the beautiful and historic Coal Branch area. Explore Whitehorse Wildland Park and the Cardinal Divide and then venture up to Willmore Wilderness Park and the Big Berland River area. Solomon Creek Boat Launch – The
new Solomon Creek Trailhead Staging Area near Brule is a great place to start a 2-4 hour river adventure to Hinton on the Athabasca River (the longest river in Yellowhead County and 14th longest in Canada). Be sure to have arrangements to be picked up after your trip or look at taking a guided river rafting tour who offer a range of tour types.
Brule Bike Park Located within the County’s most western Hamlet, snuggled into the Alberta Rocky Northern Mountains, the Brule Community Park has a brand new playground and the newly created Brule Bike Park – one of the many great places to ride your bike in Yellowhead County. The small but extremely fun bike park boasts a dirt pump track, dirt trails and wooden-built features. Solomon Hill Lookout - The look-
out is located just off the Brule road SUMMER EXPLORER
PASSPORT CONTEST
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overlooking the Athabasca River. The interpretive signs showcase many of the historical landmarks and locations in the area. There is information on early explorers to the area, historically relevant sites, and geographic landmarks such as the nearby sand dunes and waterfalls.
Switzer Park Visitor Centre - William A. Switzer Provincial Park is located 20 km northwest of Hinton on Highway 40 in the foothills of Alberta’s North-
SUMMER PASSPORT EXPLORER
ern Rockies. Come and take in the ous species of birds, butterflies, as gorgeous view from the Visitor Centre well as deer frequent the boardwalk deck at Kelley’s Bathtub Day Use Area. area and surrounding trail systems.
Beaver Boardwalk – The world’s longest freshwater boardwalk is located in Hinton and is a great family outing that features more than three kilometres of boardwalk, seating areas, and interpretive signs. Visiting in the warm weather months, early morning or evening is the best time to see the beavers hard at work. Numer-
Whitehorse Creek – There are a num-
ber of trails (and a campsite and equistrian staging area) at Whitehorse Creek Recreation Area south of Cadomin. Hiking trails range from moderate and short to long and difficult.
Jasper-Hinton Airport – Located just
minutes off Highway 16 west of Hinton. A small but scenic airport where you can do helicopter tours of the Northern Alberta Rockies.
Cadomin – Cadomin is a destination area for outdoor tourism. Located near Cadomin are the historical remains of the mines, Mountain Park Cemetery, the McLeod River, and scenic viewpoints, trails, and camping. *Currently, there is food, lodging and propane in Cadomin, but no gas station. Make sure to gas up in Hinton or Edson.
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© Clearwater County 2013
Welcome
TO OUR
BACKYARD!
#exploreyellowhead # YHCsummer2020 # LeaveItPristine
www.VisitYellowheadCounty.com
YELLOWHEAD COUNTY
visit history
Historic Sites Yellowhead County has a long and significant history, starting from the first nations who helped some of the early European explorers navigate the area and cross the Rockies, to the proliferation of rail travel, coal mining, farming, forestry and more. Mercoal Mine Landscape - Mercoal
(a portmanteau of McLeod River Hard Coal Company) started in 1920 to supply coal to the railroad. The community grew through the 1940s and included such amenities as a hotel, hospital, garage and dance hall. At the towns peak the population swelled to over one-thousand. By 1955, other mines along the Coal Branch had closed, leaving Mercoal as “Capital of the Coal Branch�. This was short lived however as the mine in Mercoal closed in 1959. Concrete remains and coal slack are all that remains of the mine buildings. PT 24-48-22-W5
All Saints Anglican Church - This church was built in 1926 by local volunteers in the early 20th Century Gothic Revival style typical in rural Alberta. It maintains almost all of its original construction, excepting the point arch window that was once stained glass. Use of the church was discontinued in 1965, but the local community society is looking to conserve and preserve this historic resource for future generations. Located at 55502 Range Road 122 10
Empyrean Cemetery - Wildwood (formerly Junkins) was established in 1908 as one of the few communities in Alberta to be settled by an African population. The Empyrean Cemetery predates the community, beginning in 1900 making it one of the oldest cemeteries in Yellowhead County. Unfortunately a fire destroyed the burial records for the cemetery in 1957 and use of the cemetery ceased. Located at NE corner of NW 16-54-9-W5.
SUMMER PASSPORT EXPLORER
summer sports
Recreation fun for everyone! Yellowhead County is working to bring all sorts of recreational activities to hamlets and campgrounds across the county. From pumptracks for your bikes, scooters, and skateboards, to new basketball courts and disk golf courses that are fun for athletes of all ages and skill levels. Pump & Play (Peers, Wildwood, and Evansburg) - Along with the
several pump tracks located across Yellowhead County, there are now brand new basketball courts at several of these locations too. Grab a photos at one or more of these spots to for an entry .
central region
Disk Golf Courses (Cadomin, Jerry Vanderwell Memorial Park, and Bear Lake – When you're out
at one of these great recreation locations, make sure to bring some flying disks to play a few rounds of disk golf. Grab a photos at one or more of these spots as an entry.
Lakes, Rivers and Trails The central area includes numerous campgrounds, a great selection of easily accessible ponds and lakes for fishing and boating, and the McLeod River meanders across the whole region – great for short or longer river trips. There are also several great ATV and mountain biking trails in the area. Hoodoos - Check out the Wild
Sculpture Trail to see these amazing hoodoos in Sundance Provincial Park. Located 63 km north and west of Edson, the Wild Sculpture Trail hosts a multitude of hoodoos formed from several thick layers of rock that, over a period of time were eroded into their current
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YELLOWHEAD COUNTY
shape with wind and water. It's a short hike to the hoodoos which then continues on to a long meandering pond that returns you back to the parking lot.
Willmore Park Trails, Campground & Bike Park - Where else
can you bike, camp, hike, swim and paddle all in one spot! Willmore Park offers an extensive multiple-use trail system, scenic views, day use, group use, overnight and hike-in camping facilities. Willmore Park is home to Edson Cycling Association, a local grassroots group of bike enthusiasts who are adding some fantastic trails for both biking and hiking and a new bike park.
YO-HO Museum – This vintage farm and truck and tractor museum located north of Peers has been open seasonally to the public since 1988 for families to come out and explore some of our local history. Check out hundreds of old antique tractors and other types of farm equipment up close and personal. Make sure to give Bill and Isa a call first to make sure they'll be around to let you in. You can reach them at (780) 693-2193. Rosevear Ferry Park - This new
park and picnic area is located on the south side of the McLeod River at the previous location of the old Rosevear Ferry crossing. A great spot to put in your raft and head down river after checking out the heritage sign showing the history of the Rosevear Ferry.
Millers Lake - Located west of Edson, This 88-acre site, is a day-use area with a boat launch that provides good sport fishing opportunities. The lake is stocked annually with rainbow and brown trout and is aerated during the winter through Alberta Conservation Association’s Lake Aeration Program. 12
SUMMER PASSPORT EXPLORER
EAST REGION
Rolling landscapes & the Pembina River Park Starting from the Pembina River and continuing to the Peers area, this region has acres and acres of rolling farmland and wooded areas that makes for some great scenic locations. Tipple Park Museum - Just minutes away from the Pembina River Park, the Tipple Park Museum offers historical tours, historical buildings, community events and the Evansburg Farmers’ Market (May to September). After you explore the Museum, head to the park just outside to enjoy the nearby asphalt pump track, playground, walking trails, and outdoor fitness equipment.
Lake is home to over 200 species of birds making this an ideal bird watching location, there is also a boat launch and day use area located at the campground. There is great fishing for Northern Pike, Ling and Perch.
Pembina River Park - Scenic hiking
Chip Lake Park - Right near Wildwood is Chip Lake – one of the largest lakes in west central Alberta. Located north-east of Wildwood on the west side of the lake, Chip Lake Park is a campground and day-use area. Chip
trails, close river access, and a playground make this a favourite weekend spot. Tubing along the Pembina River is a great way to spend a summer day, but make sure you get off at the Pembina River Park. You can bring your own tubes, but rentals are available from the nearby rental company who also offers parking, key lock, and shuttle services. 13
YELLOWHEAD COUNTY
F IN D IT C L E A N # LEAVE IT PRIST INE
Sasky Da Sasquatch recognizes the recreational opportunities for all visitors to Yellowhead County.
Your presence in the headwaters of the Athabasca watershed means that your actions may affect water supplies which are important to a large part of Alberta’s population. Sensitive natural landscapes can be easily damaged by overuse, particularly in wet conditions. Please be aware of these areas and use appropriate judgment when camping and recreating.
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Enjoy the forests, foothills, and mountains connected by the rivers, streams and lakes of Yellowhead County, but please enjoy these beautiful landscapes with respect so that others may experience them tomorrow.
For more information on Sasquatch and Partners, visit on Facebook or www.WelcomeToOurBackyard.ca
SUMMER PASSPORT EXPLORER
© Clearwater County 2013
☑ Control your campfire and make sure it’s out when you leave. ☑ Keep campsites at least 100 metres from oil and gas facilities. ☑ Stay on existing trails with off-road vehicles and share the trails with all users. Horses, hikers, and mountain bikers.
☑ Don’t disturb environmentally sensitive areas such as creeks, wetlands, trees, and shrubs.
☑ Don’t trespass on private land or industrial operations. ☑ Respect wildlife. ☑ Pack out ALL garbage & recyclables.
© Clearwater County 2015
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You are here!
#ExploreYellowhead #LeaveItPristine #YHCsummer2020
Visit us on Facebook at: @YellowheadCounty @YellowheadCountyParksAndRec @SaskyDaSasquatch
www.VisitYellowheadCounty.com