Hiking Prep 2012: Kleskun Hill Park

In preparation for our first family backpacking trip ever we have been using Kleskun Hill Park as our training ground. Kleskun Hills is located about 15 minutes east of Grande Prairie along Hwy 43. I like to use it as there is a nice trail going around the perimeter and a number of hills to go up and down to build up those leg muscles as well as get a good feel for the backpack and how it rides on your back.

Kleskun Hills is a protected area that is off limits to off road vehicles. Any place designated as off limits to ATV's, quads etc. is alright in my books! The unique thing about the Kleskun Hills is that they have been exposed due to weather and erosion. It reminds me of the badlands of Drumheller, Alberta though on a much smaller scale. It is very dry and cactus grows in among the hills. While we were out there some were in flower. There are also lots of Saskatoon bushes and we even found some wild raspberries and a couple of strawberries.

Following the trail to the northern end of the area you will come to an old native burial ground enclosed by a fence. This adds a bit of interest to the hike. There was not any details of the hike though in the past I seem to remember pamphlets being available to explain signposts along the way. I did have a book about Kleskun Hills I found at a yard sale a few years ago but I seem to have misplaced it.

You can climb on the hills which I find surprising considering their uniqueness to this area. We stuck to well trodden trails however. It seems a miracle after all these thousands of years that the hills have not washed away considering the piles of sand, rock and debris that accumulate at the base of many of them. A word of caution though. We went out there the day after a heavy rain. Though the top layer of the mud looked dry I found myself sliding out of control very quickly and ended up on my back. The mud becomes a very slick surface.

There is a campsite at Kleskun Hills of about a dozen spots and a small day use area. There is also a "museum". It composes a type of heritage village that consists of a number of pioneer buildings that have been moved in over the years. They are open on weekends apparently, though there was some private function going on the day we were there so the buildings were all shut. A couple of years ago we happened to go out on Kleskun Hills days and were able to have a look inside.

If you are from GP and have a couple of hours to kill in the summer take the drive out to the Kleskun Hills and enjoy this unique oasis in northern Alberta.