Belly of Abraham + Abraham Slabs

One of the most popular area, especially with photographers

The Belly of Abraham and the Abraham Slabs area are often the busiest places on the lake first thing in the morning with photographers looking to catch the sunrise.

Published on January 11, 2021 | Last updated on April 6, 2022

This has long been one of the most popular areas on Abraham Lake for the ice bubbles given the short and easy access to the lake. It offers great views of Mount Michener and Elliott's Peak along with deeper stacks of bubbles in the turquoise ice.

In 2021 Alberta Environment built a new parking lot at the random camping area known as Abraham Slabs. Many visitors still choose to park along the highway instead of using the parking lot, be careful if you choose this option with traffic moving fast as they come around the corner.

It does get busy but with most visitors staying in the bay at Belly, there is plenty of room to spread out and enjoy the moment if you're willing to walk a little further.

At a Glance

Activities: Ice walks, photography, sightseeing
Time needed: Plan on at least 60 minutes
Family-friendly: Yes
Season: Late December to March
Congestion: Moderate to Busy
Management: Kiska / Wilson PLUZ

Trailhead: From Nordegg, the Abraham Slabs parking lot is approximately 40 km away travelling west on Highway 11. Coming from Saskatchewan Crossing it is approximately 50 km east on Highway 11. Parking and dry toilets are available.

Ice Safety

We've put together a guide with a few things to consider when you plan your Abraham Lake ice walk to make it a safe adventure.

Read the Guide

Head Out On Your Own

Sometimes you just want to head out on your own to explore the area. We get it. Here’s our guide for Belly of Abraham and the Abraham Slabs area. You'll find our guides to other ice bubble locations on Abraham Lake here.

Accessing the Ice

There are a few options to access the lake in this area. A popular option is to park along the highway at Belly but we recommend using the new Abraham Slabs parking lot. From the parking lot, walk down through the random camping area to the lake.

Most winters you can drive down and park in the random camping area but make sure that your vehicle will make it back out before you venture down the road.

Ice Bubbles and Ice Features

This area is similar to the nearby Ice Bubbles Parking Lot and Hoodoo creek area with interesting features along the shoreline and amazing backdrops. We always find some great options from this access, especially if we walk a little further and spend some time exploring.

Ice Bubbles & Chinook Clouds at Sunset

The sun setting on Mount Stelfox

Walking on bubbles

Mount Abraham

Safety Considerations

From a safety perspective, the access from the Abraham Slabs is one of the easiest in terms of mitigating risks. The slope is gentle with a gradual transition from shore to lake combined with no creek or rivers entering the lake.

The access from Belly is more challenging and we often see visitors take unnecessary risks in this area. The shoreline has a few gullies where the ice can easily break, increasing the risks of falls causing injuries. Once on the ice, the water source entering the bay from the west causes weak ice combined with an often hidden canyon with steep shores.

The gully

This gully became famous on social media a few years ago. The danger is easy to mitigate by simply walking around it.

The Gully Hidden by Snow

Blowing snow often makes it harder to see what lies underneath. Whenever possible, make sure to walk on ice and avoid snow covered areas.

The Water Source Area

The area where the water source enters the lake creates some amazing photo opportunities later in the season. Make sure to know where it is and approach the area cautiously.

The People

All the stories we share are by locals, whether they live here or love our region and contribute to making it an amazing place.

Contributors to this Story:

JP Fortin

JP is Owner + CEO at Nordegg Adventures where he oversees the development of new adventures, guide training, strategic planning, marketing and destination development partnerships.

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Outdoor Safety

For your safety and the protection of the area please follow trail signs, stay on the trail and respect all trail closures
Be respectful of wildlife and familiarize yourself with wildlife safety techniques including keeping your pet on a leash and keeping your group together.
Always use bear-proof garbage bins, keep a clean site and store your food in a bear-safe fashion.
Always be prepared when travelling outdoors.
This area has no to very limited cell phone reception. We recommend carrying an InReach or Zoleo on your adventures. A payphone is available at David Thompson Resort and across the highway from the Cavalcade Group Campground.
Information provided here may be inaccurate or outdated. Always make sure to obtain current information before going on your adventure.

Conditions and Updates

We share this information to help visitors to the area plan their trip. This represents the conditions we have observed at a specific point in time. Ice safety depends on many more factors than just ice conditions and anybody going on the ice should have the knowledge and experience required to assess the risks, or should consider going with a guide.