Southfork Lakes

686m total elevation / ~5 hours

In June last year I wanted to check out some of the trails in the semi-recently designated Castle Wildland Provincial Park. Some of the comments I found online mentioned poor trail-head signage, but perhaps due to recent improvements I found everything very well laid out.

The trail was well maintained all the way to the top. There was no scramble, and I did not find it overly difficult. It took me about 5 hours to reach the top and make it back to the parking lot, with a short break at the lakes.

I arrived at the parking lot shortly before noon on a weekend, and there was only a single other vehicle. The parking lot is on Alberta Highway 774, between Beaver Mines and the Castle Mountain resort. The restroom in the parking lot was clean and new. In all, I think I encountered 3 or 4 other groups on my hike; not a busy trail.

The first few minutes of the trail are flat and parallel to the road, and takes you past a University research base of some sorts. Before long you’ll reach a newly constructed bridge, and the true trail-head.

There was definitely a bit of wind exposure higher up, but you move in and out of tree cover so it’s never too long.

I had read that people camp at the lakes. I didn’t see any signs of a structured camping area, but did see evidence that people at least occasionally stay the night. The trail ends at a narrow strip of land separating the two lakes, which make a decent enough spot to stop for snacks.

Beautiful views of the valley on the way back down.

I enjoyed this day-hike, and would recommend it to others looking for something to do in the area!