Chris Coosemans loves getting sick air while ramping more than anything. When he sleds around Cold Lake, he prefers to skim the water’s surface. “The lake itself is open and long with bays to shred through when you're up for a rush.”
Photo courtesy Chris Coosemans
Skimming the surfaces of Lakeland are a breeze when you’ve got a 180-horsepower machine between your legs.
Snow riders traverse the Lakeland region and other parts in Northern Alberta to get away from it all and there are many places to go to seek solitude. The area has multiple terrains. You can ride farmland, the bush or endless cutlines and you can get into some hills to climb. From Cold Lake, there are 330 kilometres of trails to access.
“In town, you can ride from your doorstep to the nearest trailhead—that is a great thing about here,” said Dean Dube, president of the Cold Lake Snowmobile Club. “Across Cold Lake and over to the Crane Lake cabin is probably my favourite ride. We do a lot of family sledding, my significant other, Lana, and the kids. They all have sleds.”
Rev the throttle and embark upon the lakes of ice in Alberta that border Saskatchewan. Or head farther north and make High Level your destination.
Want to know more about the snowmobiling in the Lakeland region? Check out our Trip Planner page.
A group of riders takes a rest on the east side of Cold Lake. The Cold Lake area ties into Saskatchewan, and sledders use the Iron Horse Trail as part of the Trans-Canadian Snowmobile Trail. This popular trail ends at Cold Lake and offers a diverse array of play areas.
Photo courtesy Glen Smith
The Iron Horse Trail leads to the Beaver River trestle. “One of the best rides that I had was using the Iron Horse Trail,” said Dean Dube, president of the Cold Lake Snowmobile Club. “It had been freshly groomed, it was a beautiful day and it was one of the only times I got to ride it—I usually groom it.”
Photo courtesy Dean Dube
Brenda Duval tends to travel the trail that goes up Watt Mountain, just west of High Level, Alberta, which is where she lives. With over 350 kilometres of trails to navigate, there’s plenty to see. “Wolves, caribou, lynx—you can see them all,” said Duval. “I enjoy the wilderness, the freedom. You’re not tied down to anything. You can go where your heart desires, away from the stresses of life. You can’t answer the phone because there’s no cell service and you can’t hear it.”
Photo courtesy Paul Catt
“We have a wonderful mix of river valley flats to rolling hills to bush trails to river running to some magnificent hills overlooking pristine valleys—it’s truly a winter wonderland,” said Jerry Bidulock of his home trails around St. Paul, Alberta. “We're not confined by bush and yet we're not in the wide open.”
Photo courtesy Jerry Bidulock
