Brule Sand Dunes
About a seven-minute drive west of Hinton off Highway 16 in the Wildhorse Lake Provincial Recreation Area, the Brule Sand Dunes offer riders the opportunity to ride dunes up to three storeys high.
“It’s a very popular area for ATVers and dirt bikers,” said Kimberley Worthington, economic development manager for the Town of Hinton. “You can see (Wildhorse Lake) from the sand dunes.”
For riders interested in a longer stay to play in the sand, camping is available at the Wildhorse Lake Campground.
“There’s a boat launch, fire pits, canoeing and kayaking, 23 unserviced campsites and four walk-in tenting campsites,” said Worthington. “Both are $22 per night and the campground is open from May 1 to October 31.”
Worthington said that trail conditions are weather dependent.
“We live in the Rocky Mountains, so we can get snow in May, but as long as the ice is gone I would think that it’s fine to ride,” she said. “I would say the May long weekend, if not a bit sooner.”
The Gregg Cabin Recreation Area and the Pine Management Trail
Another campground in the area that actually caters to ATV riders is called the Gregg Cabin Recreation Area, a spot with 11 campsites in the southern portion of the Hinton Wood Products’ Forest Management Area and managed by the Foothills Recreation Management Association.
The campground, where ATV use is permitted, offers access to the historic Gregg Cabin, a Dominion of Canada Forestry Service log cabin built in 1917. A picnic shelter with a wood-burning stove has been built to help protect the cabin from overuse, and there is fishing in the nearby Gregg River.
The site is also a starting point for the Pine Management Interpretive Trail, which is suitable for off-highway vehicles.
For more information on reservations, fees and driving directions, call 780-865-2154.
Wild Mountain Music Festival
If you’re planning to check out the trails this summer, Worthington said the weekend of the annual Wild Mountain Music Festival may be the best time to do it.
Set to take place on July 19, 20 and 21 at the Entrance Ranch eight kilometres north of town, the sixth annual festival will feature headliners that include the Sam Roberts Band, David Wilcox and more.
“There are also vendors, beer gardens and trailer and tent camping on site,” said Worthington. “It’s very family friendly. I went last year on Sunday afternoon and saw the wrap-up band. The music was great, it was like a Latin groove.”
She said that after the band there was also a jam session where people could just get together and jam in the beer gardens.
“The site was very clean, security was phenomenal and there were children running around dancing and clapping their hands with the music with their parents not very far off,” she said. “It was a real eclectic mix of people there and there was something for everybody between the vendors and the music.
“I’ve been to a few music festivals, like the Roots and Blues Festival in Salmon Arm, and our venue is just incredible. The backdrop is the Canadian Rocky Mountains. The scenery was spectacular. It’s one of the most amazing outdoor amphitheaters I’ve seen.”
Tickets for the Wild Mountain Music Festival are now on sale. Visit the website for more information.
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