Happy Camping at Pembina River Provincial Park

I’m not sure why we had never been out to Pembina River Provincial Park. Maybe because the mountains are always calling my name, or maybe because the summer is just to dang short. Either way, we finally decided to try it out for September long weekend, mostly because at under an hour from the city, it would be easy to get home if the weather ended up less then ideal.

Pembina River ended up up being a perfect choice for our  weekend. While we felt the weather wasn’t warm enough for a full day river float we were still able to enjoy everything the area had to offer.   The campground has a mix of treed sites inland and “parking lot style” sites near the river and playground. We booked a site with the best of both worlds.  And it ended up being one of our favourite camping sites to date. E- 89 was perfectly treed and private, situated on the rivers edge offering views (and our own private path) to the water. It was a quick walk to the playground and  even included a perfect climbing tree “fort” for my girls to spend hours in. The river behind the site was great for exploring- very slow moving with lots of rocks to jump across.  There were also river mussels and minnows to search for (don’t forget a bucket and a net!).  We spent two full days along the river’s edge, just wading in the water.  The adults brought down beach chairs and relaxed with our feet in the water as the kids built sand castles and climbed up the river banks. Truly the most relaxing weekend of the summer.

There’s also lots to do in the area. The most popular activity is the river float, through Pembina River Tours.  They offer a safer alternative to forging the river on your own, and the float ends right in the Provincal Day use area. Even though we felt it was too cold, there were definitely groups out enjoying the warm fall sun.

The day use area also offers a sandy beach and deeper water to swim. There is also several hikes to look-outs of the valley and hikes through the provincial park along the water.  They were all kid friendly, with none of the hikes being over 5km round trip.

Within a couple of minutes is the village of Evansburg where you can hit up their local bakery and ice cream shop for a sweet treat. Or if you end up with a warmer day, you can head into Enwistle for a swim in the local outdoor pool.  This pool is a complete hidden gem. With admission being only a couple of dollars a person (seriously, private lessons are only $15 and you can book them in advance on a weekend you’re camping!) it’s a steal of a deal and basically cheaper then showering your kids in the campground. My kids loved the waterslide and I loved the fact that kids older than 6 years don’t need a parent in the water with them as they were free to play wherever they liked after completing a swim test (I sat literally bundled in a sweater on the pool deck while my girls had the pool nearly to themselves). We will definitely being making a day trip to Entwistle next summer to spend the morning playing in the river and the afternoon jumping in the pool.  It’s awesome out there guys, just awesome.

We’ve definitely found a new area of the province we love and can’t wait to head back this summer. With reservations being taken now within the 90 day Alberta Parks window,  try to book early to get a great site along the water’s edge- it’s worth it.