Camping & Hiking · Fishing · Scenic Views · Alberta
An off-grid provincial recreation area in west-central Alberta on a long lake with pike and perch, free firewood and private sites; there are no hookups, and some find it busy and loud with RV groups.
Medicine Lake Provincial Recreation Area is reached by about 12 km of gravel, and the reward is a good-sized, scenic lake. Reviewers describe private sites, some with their own beach access, and clean outhouses. It's off-grid: no power, water or sewer, and no cell coverage.
The lake suits paddlers. It's long enough that a full kayak loop takes most of a day, and power boats are limited to 12 km/h. Anglers report decent fishing for pike and perch. Firewood has been free, there's a day-use area and a group site, and two hiking trails, one climbing to a viewpoint over the lake.
It works well for self-contained RVers and anyone who wants simple, off-grid lake camping. One reviewer fit a 24-foot trailer into their site without trouble.
The complaints are about other campers. Two reviewers described generators at all hours, loud music and large groups, with rules on quiet hours and generators not enforced, and a tent camper felt surrounded by packed RV sites and constant through traffic on the loop road. Tenters wanting quiet may prefer weekdays or the shoulder season.
Summarised from visitor reviews on Google Maps. Based on 108 Google reviews. Details change — confirm hours, prices and bookings with Medicine Lake Provincial Recreation Area directly.
