200 Nature Hot Spots in Alberta

In May I took delivery of a box of 200 Nature Hot Spots in Alberta – The Best Parks, Conservation Areas and Wild Places, co-authored with my friend Debbie Olsen. Unfortunately, they took a while to show up in stores and on Amazon so I am penning this post to let you know the book is out and its now widely available. And once again, I swear it’s my last book. It wasn’t nearly the amount of work as the first one, which was a Globe and Mail bestseller, but Debbie and I updated the whole book, added new photos and then added another 75 nature hot spots. So it took a good chunk of our time last spring and early summer.

Again, we discovered more wonderful spots in Alberta. Every new addition to this book was explored by Debbie or myself. Some of the provincial parks we added include Dilberry Lake, Crimson Lake, and Grand Rapids Wildlands Provincial Park. We also included the Okotoks Erratic, Griffiths Woods Park in Calgary, the Alberta Birds of Prey Centre and Echo Dale Regional Park and Natural Area. In addition, we greatly expanded the special interest sections as you’ll see below. I hope you’ll check out many of the nature hot spots in this book – and explore far beyond Banff and Jasper National Parks, as lovely as they are.

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200 Nature Hot Spots in Alberta

We added to our list of nature hot spots in Alberta

To give you an idea of the landscapes you can explore have a look at some of the photos.

Class VI rapids in the Athabasca River in Grand Rapids Wildland Provincial Park
Class VI rapids in the Athabasca River in Grand Rapids Wildland Provincial Park
You'll find one of the largest concentrations of concretions in the world in Grand Rapids Wildland Provincial Park
You’ll find one of the largest concentrations of concretions in the world in Grand Rapids Wildland Provincial Park
We included a section on mountain wildflower hikes in the new book
We included a section on mountain wildflower hikes in the new book
We added Griffiths Nature Park in Calgary - a year round destination
We added Griffiths Nature Park in Calgary – a year round destination
The Okotoks Erratic made our cut
The Okotoks Erratic made our cut
View from the Athabasca Lookout in William A. Switzer Provincial Park
View from the Athabasca Lookout in William A. Switzer Provincial Park

More special interest sections

We also added to the special interest section. New additions include backcountry lodges, backpacking trails, cycling in Alberta, family-friendly hikes, wheelchair and stroller friendly hikes, hiking for food, ice walks, lake skating (not the wild stuff) and mountain wildflower hikes. We have also expanded some of the previous special interest sections like paddling in Alberta.

Charcuterie at the Cliffhouse Bistro at Mount Norquay
Charcuterie at the Cliffhouse Bistro at Mount Norquay – Photo credit: Greg Olsen
Kayaking to the Point Campground on Upper Kananaskis Lake
Kayaking to the Point Campground on Upper Kananaskis Lake
Grotto Canyon icewalk is a winter favourite in Alberta
Grotto Canyon icewalk is a winter favourite in Alberta
Warspite Lake in June
Warspite Lake in June at the end of the easy Black Prince Cirque hike
Cycling Highway 66 parallel to the Elbow River before cars are allowed (May 15th)
Cycling Highway 66 parallel to the Elbow River before cars are allowed (May 15th)
You can hike to Skoki Lodge in summer or cross-country ski or snowshoe in winter
You can hike to Skoki Lodge in summer or cross-country ski or snowshoe in winter

In the 288-page book, you’ll find location maps, lots of “Did you know? blurbs, along with numerous photos of each nature hot spot in Alberta. I hope you find the book to be both motivational and practical.

Where can you buy 200 Nature Hot Spots in Alberta?

The book is available at a number of small bookstores across Alberta – and most are happy to order it for you. It retails for $29.95 + GST. You can purchase it online from Amazon, Indigo.ca and in Indigo Stores, McNally Robinson, Owl’s Nest Books and Shelf Life Books in Calgary. Other options include Pages on Kensington, Audrey’s Books, and Polar Peek Books. It should be available at MEC very soon. And for anyone in the Calgary area interested in getting a copy of the book, I can sell you one from my box of books for $32 including delivery. Email me directly at [email protected] to set up a time if you’re interested.

I have one copy of our book to give away

Leave a comment telling me what nature hot spot in Alberta you’d most like to visit by midnight on July 28th, 2022. I will choose one winner randomly and will contact you to get your mailing address. You’ll have 24 hours to respond.

Further reading on nature hot spots in Alberta

Click on the photo to bookmark to your Pinterest boards.

200 Nature Hot Spots in Alberta

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