Access and Getting Around
Most practicalities and information regarding the park are available in Fort Smith . Getting to the park by road can be a slow business, and is possible only along a 280-kilometre stretch of Hwy 5 from Hay River (NWT) to Fort Smith. Frontier Coachlines, 16-102 Street, Hay River (tel 867/874-2566, fax 867/874-2388), runs buses from Hay River to Fort Smith (3 weekly on Tues, Thurs & Sat; $48.69 one-way), with services timed to connect with the daily Greyhound from Edmonton. You can also easily fly to Fort Smith on scheduled flights with Air Canada from Edmonton, Hay River, Yellowknife and Vancouver, as well as on any number of wing-and-a-prayer charter planes. Unless you're prepared to backpack or fly into the interior, the only reliable access to the park proper is along the 150-kilometre stretch of Hwy 5, which runs through the park's northeastern quadrant and provides its only all-weather road. A 298-kilometre summer-only loop branches off Hwy 5, 8km south of Fort Smith, through the park's southeast corner; some stretches of this are impassable after heavy rain, so check conditions with the park centre in Fort Smith . The west leg of the loop leads to three developed trails - Salt River (after 15km), Rainbow Lakes (after 20km) and Pine Lake (after 65km), the last with a nearby campsite . Backwoods camping is allowed anywhere as long as it's at least 1500m from Pine Lake or any road or trail. Canoeing is wide open: the Athabasca and Peace river system was once the main route for trade from the south, and still offers limitless paddling options. The park's most-visited backcountry destination is the meadowland and delta habitat at Sweetgrass Station , 12km south of the Peace River. Built in 1954 to cull and vaccinate diseased bison , the area is a prime spot from which to watch bison and admire the wildlife of the Lake Claire region. You can stay in the cabin (bunks) here free of charge, but must first register with the park visitor centre in Fort Smith . Drinking water comes from the river and needs to be boiled and treated. To get here you'll need to canoe or hand over around $370 to Northwestern Air (tel 867/872-2216) or other local airline. If this is too much, Northwestern Air runs flights over the region for around $70 per person.
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