AllStones Lake - Backcountry PLUZ Alberta
All Stones Lake is located in the Bighorn Backcountry just off the David Thompson Highway (Hwy 11) along Abraham Lake in Alberta, Canada. Park just to the east of the highway in the parking lot beside the lake. We would rate this as a Hard hike due to the steepness and elevation gain. Please go prepared with bear spray, proper footwear, water, map ect. DO YOUR RESEARCH!
The parking lot has map of area along with an outhouse and a beautiful view of Abraham Lake.
843 m Elevation to summit in under 5 km
Cross the highway and head to the trailhead which is well marked. Get ready to start climbing but we promise that it will be worth it. Many People enjoy this as a day hike and head up to the summit for the spectacular view of Abraham Lake and the valley below. I have done the summit before but this time it was early season and we were just looking for a place to enjoy the night and have a fire beneath the stars.
View from the parking lot/staging area
Trailhead sign to AllStones Lake
The trail is well beaten and easy to follow until you get closer to the lake and then there is a few more trails one can take. This trail is steep and has a lot of tree roots, rocks and steep slopes. Take your time and maybe not take the little ones along.
Heading up to All Stones with Abraham Lake behind us
Once you have made your way through the forest you will come to an open scree section. On a hot day the sun will be beating down on you and you will feel the burn while heading up this part of the hike. Don't worry though cause the view is great if you want to take a break at any time!
Did you know Abraham Lake is Alberta's Largest Manmade Reservoir!
After the very steep section keep following the trail and enjoy the smell of fresh pine. We took this hike in May and encountered a fair bit of snow as well as a frozen All Stones Lake. One you make it to the top of the ridge the trail forks and you can head left down toward the South end of All Stones Lake or go right and Head toward the Summit or the North end of All Stones Lake. We could hear that there were some people camping on the South side so we took the fork right and headed to the North end of the lake to find a nice sunny spot to pitch our tents.
Marmot 2P, 3P, 4P tents - Look at that set up!
After making our way through some pretty deep snow we found a nice spot perched high on the lakeside. We had a gorgeous weekend and a spectacular view of All Stones Lake.
Frozen All Stones Lake at Sun Set
We never made our way around the lake as there was just too much snow. However we know from recent hikes that there are two toilets located around the lake. Now they are not the kind of toilets you are thinking... lets just say hopefully you don't like your privacy; However you are in the middle of nowhere. There are various firepits located around the lake with areas to camp. Please look into fire restrictions before you go. Another thing to note is there are no bear bins and you will have to hang your food.
At the North end of the lake on the ridge we found a nice spot to camp with a firepit, bear pole and plenty of room to pitch 3 marmot tents. We had a beautiful view and even got to see the first signs of spring.
Prairie Crocus Flower
This Hike is used year around, people enjoy snowshoeing, ice fishing, summer fishing, swimming, camping, hiking, fires. It is located in a Public Land Use Zone (PLUZ) so it is free to camp no permit required. Please clean up after yourself and be respectful of the land, nature and others around you.
Check out the Vlog of our All Stones Hike
CLICK BELOW! DON'T FORGET TO SUNSCRIBE FOR MORE.
Thank you for following along on our Adventures!
