Natural areas are protected area lands that have been set aside to support a broad spectrum of recreational activities.
The majority of natural areas are small to medium sized properties. Users of these sites include hikers, bird watchers, equestrian users, naturalists, organized conservation groups and leaseholders. Many natural areas receive a high level of public use. This is particularly true for those located near urban centres, rural communities, acreages and rural subdivisions.
Except for those sites that have grazing leases or recreation-oriented leases, natural areas are not intensively managed by the Government of Alberta. However, many natural areas have stewards. Volunteer stewards proudly maintain trails and provide general clean up and stewardship of sites. In some cases, stewards have installed site signage that identifies areas where hunting and OHV use are prohibited. Hunters are asked to respect site signage indicating hunting and OHV use prohibitions.
| Park | Nearby City/Town | Hunting |
|---|---|---|
| Alexo NA |
Nordegg (Central) |
Yes |
| Alsike Bat Lake NA |
Nordegg (Central) |
Yes |
| Anderson Creek NA |
Winfield (Central) |
Yes |
| Antler Lake Island NA |
Sherwood Park (Central) |
Yes |
| Aurora NA |
Rocky Mountain House (Central) |
Yes |
| Battle Lake NA |
Winfield (Central) |
Yes |
| Bear Lake NA |
Ft. Assiniboine (Central) |
Yes |
| Bearberry Prairie NA Note: This is a small parcel of land so hunters are reminded to consider the safety of other recreational users and the activities underway (such as frequent stopovers by geocaching enthusiasts and camping by river travelers). This island is surrounded by private land and accessible by boat. In addition to residences in the surrounding area, hunters are advised of the large industrial facility to the northwest. |
Sundre (Kananaskis) |
Yes |
| Beaverhill Lake Heritage Rangeland NA Note: Some areas under grazing lease with hunting and access restrictions |
Sherwood Park (Central) |
Yes |
| Beaverhill NA Note: Game birds only; foot/horse/bicycle access only. |
Tofield (Central) |
Yes |
| Beehive NA |
Pincher Creek (South) |
Yes |
| Bellis Lake NA |
Smoky Lake (North) |
Yes |
| Bellis North NA |
Smoky Lake (North) |
Yes |
| Bentz Lake NA |
Sundre (Kananaskis) |
Yes |
| Bigoray NA |
Entwistle (Central) |
Yes |
| Bilby NA Note: The local fish and game association holds a recreational lease for a shooting range in Bilby Natural Area. |
Onoway (Central) |
Yes |
| Bridge Lake NA Note: This is a small area - hunters should be aware of the potential for conflicts with other recreational users. |
Westlock (North) |
Yes |
| Buck Lake Creek NA |
Breton (Central) |
Yes |
| Buck Lake NA |
Winfield (Central) |
Yes |
| Burtonsville Island NA |
Drayton Valley (Central) |
Yes |
| Butcher Creek NA |
Bowden (Central) |
Yes |
| Caribou River NA |
Ft. Vermilion (North) |
Yes |
| Carnwood Modeste NA |
Breton (Central) |
Yes |
| Centre of Alberta NA |
Ft. Assiniboine (Central) |
Yes |
| Chedderville NA |
Caroline (Central) |
Yes |
| Child Lake Meadows NA |
High Level (North) |
Yes |
| Clear Lake NA |
Ft. Assiniboine (Central) |
Yes |
| Clearwater Ricinus NA |
Caroline (Central) |
Yes |
| Clifford E. Lee NA |
Devon (Central) |
Yes |
| Cow Lake NA |
Rocky Mountain House (Central) |
Yes |
| Coyote Lake NA |
Warburg (Central) |
Yes |
| Crippsdale NA Note: This is a small area - hunters should be aware of the potential for conflicts with other recreational users. |
Redwater (North) |
Yes |
| Douglas Fir NA |
Nordegg (Central) |
Yes |
| Dussault Lake NA |
Entwistle (Central) |
Yes |
| Easyford Creek NA |
Rocky Rapids (Central) |
Yes |
| Easyford NA |
Drayton Valley (Central) |
Yes |
| Edgar T. Jones NA Note: Poor accessibility for hunting - surrounded by private land |
Tofield (Central) |
Yes |
| Emerson Creek NA |
Longview (Kananaskis) |
Yes |
| Gadsby Lake NA |
Lacombe (Central) |
Yes |
| Garner Orchid Fen NA |
Plamondon (North) |
Yes |
| Genesee NA |
Warburg (Central) |
Yes |
| George Lake NA |
Busby (Central) |
Yes |
| Halfmoon Lake NA |
Edmonton (North) |
Yes |
| Halfway Lake NA |
Clyde (North) |
Yes |
| Hargrave Coulees NA Note: Some areas under grazing lease with hunting and access restrictions |
Medicine Hat (South) |
Yes |
| Harper Creek NA |
Ft. Vermilion (North) |
Yes |
| Hastings Lake Islands NA Note: Hunting for game birds only. Hunters should exercise caution - there is residential development around the lake. |
Tofield (Central) |
Yes |
| Heatburg NA |
Stettler (Central) |
Yes |
| Highway NA |
MacKay (Central) |
Yes |
| Highwood River NA |
Calgary (Kananaskis) |
Yes |
| Hoadley NA |
Winfield (Central) |
Yes |
| Hondo NA |
Slave Lake (North) |
Yes |
| Horseshoe Creek NA |
Rocky Mountain House (Central) |
Yes |
| Innisfail NA |
Innisfail (Central) |
Yes |
| Isle Lake NA |
Stony Plain (Central) |
Yes |
| J.J. Collett NA Note: Bow hunting only. |
Lacombe (Central) |
Yes |
| Kakina Lake NA |
Morinville (Central) |
Yes |
| Killarney-Reflex Lakes Heritage Rangeland NA Note: Some areas under grazing lease with hunting and access restrictions |
Provost (Central) |
Yes |
| Kleskun Hill NA |
Grande Prairie (North) |
Yes |
| La Saline NA |
Ft. McMurray (North) |
Yes |
| Lac La Nonne NA |
Gunn (Central) |
Yes |
| Lily Lake NA |
Cherhill (Central) |
Yes |
| Lloyd Creek NA |
Winfield (Central) |
Yes |
| Magee Lake NA |
Lacombe (Central) |
Yes |
| Majeau Lake NA |
Gunn (Central) |
Yes |
| Markerville NA |
Innisfail (Central) |
Yes |
| Matthews Crossing NA |
Entwistle (Central) |
Yes |
| Medicine Lodge Hills NA |
Bentley (Central) |
Yes |
| Milk River NA |
Milk River (South) |
Yes |
| Mill Island NA |
Rocky Mountain House (Central) |
Yes |
| Modeste Creek NA |
Tomahawk (Central) |
Yes |
| Modeste Saskatchewan NA |
Tomahawk (Central) |
Yes |
| Mount Butte NA |
Winfield (Central) |
Yes |
| Mt. Livingstone NA |
Nanton (South) |
Yes |
| Mystery Lake NA |
Sangudo (Central) |
Yes |
| Newton Lake NA |
Barrhead (Central) |
Yes |
| Noel Lake NA |
Ft. Assiniboine (Central) |
Yes |
| North Cooking Lake NA Note: Hunters must be aware of the weapons restrictions within the boundaries of Strathcona County (WMU 248). This is a small parcel of land so hunters are reminded to consider the distance to nearby residences, the safety of other recreational users and the activities underway. |
Sherwood Park (Central) |
Yes |
| Northwest of Bruderheim NA |
Edmonton (Central) |
Yes |
| O'Chiese NA |
Rocky Mountain House (Central) |
Yes |
| Ole Buck Mountain NA |
Calgary (Kananaskis) |
Yes |
| Onefour Heritage Rangeland NA Note: Some areas under grazing lease with hunting and access restrictions |
Milk River (South) |
Yes |
| Opal NA |
Redwater (Central) |
Yes |
| Open Creek NA |
Rimbey (Central) |
Yes |
| Otauwau NA |
Slave Lake (North) |
Yes |
| Outpost Wetlands NA |
Cardston (South) |
Yes |
| Paddle River NA |
Mayerthorpe (Central) |
Yes |
| Park Court NA |
Sangudo (Central) |
Yes |
| Parkland NA |
Tofield (Central) |
Yes |
| Pembina River NA |
Cherhill (Central) |
Yes |
| Pembina River-Moon Lake NA |
Entwistle (Central) |
Yes |
| Pinto Creek Canyon NA |
Hinton (Central) |
Yes |
| Police Point NA |
High Prairie (North) |
Yes |
| Poplar Creek NA |
Breton (Central) |
Yes |
| Prefontaine Brock Lakes NA |
Sangudo (Central) |
Yes |
| Red Rock Coulee NA |
Medicine Hat (South) |
Yes |
| Redwater River NA |
Redwater (North) |
Yes |
| Ribstone Creek Heritage Rangeland NA Note: Some areas under grazing lease with hunting and access restrictions |
Wainwright (Central) |
Yes |
| Riverlot 56 NA |
St. Albert (Central) |
No |
| Rocky Rapids NA |
Drayton Valley (Central) |
Yes |
| Roselea NA |
Barrhead (Central) |
Yes |
| Ross Lake NA Note: Some areas under grazing lease with hunting and access restrictions |
Magrath (South) |
Yes |
| Round Valley NA |
Entwistle (Central) |
Yes |
| Rumsey NA Note: Some areas under grazing lease with hunting and access restrictions |
Stettler (Central) |
Yes |
| Sand Lake NA |
Fairview (North) |
Yes |
| Saulteaux NA |
Slave Lake (North) |
Yes |
| Scalp Creek NA |
Sundre (Central) |
Yes |
| Schrader Creek - Red Deer River NA |
Bowden (Central) |
Yes |
| Sheep Creek NA |
Turner Valley (Kananaskis) |
Yes |
| Sherwood Park NA |
Sherwood Park (Central) |
No |
| Snakes Head NA |
Sundre (Kananaskis) |
Yes |
| Spruce Island Lake NA |
Westlock (North) |
Yes |
| St. Francis NA |
Calmar (Central) |
Yes |
| Sturgeon Lake NA |
Valleyview (North) |
Yes |
| Sundance NA Note: Sundance Natural Area is located within the boundaries of a coal lease - access is restricted. |
Keephills (Central) |
Yes |
| Sundre NA |
Sundre (Kananaskis) |
Yes |
| Sundre North NA |
Sundre (Kananaskis) |
Yes |
| Sundre Red Deer NA |
Sundre (Kananaskis) |
Yes |
| Sylvan Lake NA Note: This is a very small parcel of land. Hunters should be aware of the distance to nearby residences and camping units, as well as the safety and activities of other recreational users |
Eckville (Central) |
Yes |
| Tawatinaw NA |
Thorhild (North) |
Yes |
| Taylor Lake NA |
Thorhild (North) |
Yes |
| Thorsby NA |
Calmar (Central) |
Yes |
| Threepoint Creek NA |
Calgary (Kananaskis) |
Yes |
| Tolman Badlands Heritage Rangeland NA Note: Some areas under SRD grazing lease with hunting and access restrictions |
Penhold (Central) |
Yes |
| Town Creek NA |
Winfield (Central) |
Yes |
| Twin River Heritage Rangeland NA Note: Some areas under grazing lease with hunting and access restrictions |
Milk River (South) |
Yes |
| Upper Mann Lake NA |
Vilna (North) |
Yes |
| Vega NA |
Barrhead (Central) |
Yes |
| Victoria Settlement NA |
Smoky Lake (North) |
Yes |
| Wagner NA |
Edmonton (Central) |
No |
| Washout Creek NA |
Alder Flats (Central) |
Yes |
| Welch Creek NA |
Rimbey (Central) |
Yes |
| White Earth Valley NA |
Smoky Lake (North) |
Yes |
| Whitecourt Mountain NA |
Whitecourt (Central) |
Yes |
| Wildcat Island NA Note: This is a small parcel of land so hunters are reminded to consider the distance to nearby residences, the safety of other recreational users and the activities underway (such as anglers walking the river and camping by river travelers). The majority of this natural area is within Wildlife Management Unit (WMU) 320 but the adjacent floodplain/island may vary from year to year; when facing downstream it’s the right bank of the river that forms the boundary between the WMUs. |
Cochrane (Kananaskis) |
Yes |
| Wildhay Glacial Cascades NA |
Hinton (Central) |
Yes |
| Wilson Creek NA |
Rimbey (Central) |
Yes |
| Yates NA |
Edson (Central) |
Yes |
