Campgrounds and RV parks near Thorhild County, AB

Long Lake is the main draw. The lake supports canoeing, boating, wind surfing, water skiing, sailing and fishing, with swimming at long sandy beaches and rentals available at the day-use area in season. Long Lake offers good northern pike and walleye fishing, and anglers also target whitefish and yellow perch. Hikers and cyclists use the trail loops inside the park and the White Earth Valley Trail in White Earth Valley Natural Area adjacent to the park. A 9-hole golf course is located adjacent to the park. Families staying at Goose Hummock RV Resort near Gibbons are a short walk from Jurassic Forest, an animatronic-dinosaur park with interpretive trails, plus an 18-hole championship golf course on site.

The main camping season in Thorhild County runs from May through September, matching the operating window at Long Lake Provincial Park and most private lake campgrounds in the area. Most Alberta provincial campgrounds are open from mid-May to the end of September. July and August are the busiest months: lake water warms enough for comfortable swimming, beaches fill on weekends, and reservable sites at Long Lake book out well in advance for long weekends. June can be wet, with July experiencing the highest amount of precipitation on average in the region, so RVers should plan for thunderstorms. Late May and September offer cooler temperatures, fewer bugs and easier site availability. Many seasonal campgrounds in the county close by the end of September. Winter shifts the activity mix entirely: Long Lake Ski Area is adjacent to the park, operating downhill and cross-country trails, and ice fishing and snowmobile lake access continue through the frozen months. For year-round RV stays, Longriders RV Park near Gibbons stays open through winter.

Expect a north-Alberta lake-country experience: boreal forest, mosquitoes in early summer, warm afternoons and cool nights even in July. Long Lake Provincial Park offers both unserviced and power sites, along with six walk-in tenting sites, flush toilets, pay/coin-operated showers, laundry, a sani-station with potable water available at the sani station to fill RV and camper water reservoirs, a concession at the day-use area, firewood for sale and two sandy beach options, one being the day use area and one a private beach reserved for campers. Cell service is unreliable or not available in most of the park. Private campgrounds toward Gibbons sit on paved access closer to highways and offer fuller hookups. Campers should buy firewood locally to avoid moving forest pests.