Ice Bubbles Parking Lot + Hoodoo Creek Area

The most accessible location on Abraham Lake

The new parking lot and lake access lead you to one of the best spots for ice bubbles on Abraham Lake with the classic views of Mount Michener and Sentinel Mountain.

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

The area between Hoodoo Creek and Windy Point has long been a favourite of ours, with great ice bubbles and views. In 2021 Alberta Environment built a new parking lot for this area, making it much easier to access the ice bubbles.

This is where you will find the deeper stacks of bubbles and the turquoise ice, complete with Abraham Mountain, Windy Point Ridge, Kista Mountain, Mount Michener, Elliott's Peak and Sentinel Mountain as your backdrops.

It does get busy but there is plenty of room to spread out and enjoy the moment once you get on the ice.

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 Ice Bubbles parking lot is approximately 35 km away travelling west on Highway 11. Coming from Saskatchewan Crossing it is approximately 55 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 the Ice Bubbles parking lot and Hoodoo Creek 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 but the easiest is to park at the new Ice Bubbles parking lot instead of illegally parking on the side of the highway.

At the parking lot, the lake can easily be accessed by walking down the rocky shore, following the path that starts at the locked gates. Access to the lake is only 100 metres here, but the rocky shorelines and ice left on shore can make it challenging.

Ice Bubbles and Ice Features

This area is my favourite with clear ice, lots of interesting features along the shoreline and amazing backdrops. The best options change from week to week depending on conditions, but we always find some amazing options in this area. This is especially true if you're willing to walk a little further and spend some time exploring.

Ice Bubbles at Sunset

Mount Michener

Elliott's Peak and Sentinel Mountain

Kista Peak

Safety Considerations

This area is fairly straightforward from an ice safety perspective. If you head out toward Windy Point, avoid the area where a stream enters the lake and the island. The cliff edge of the island is not always visible, and the ice there breaks easily.

If you're heading in the other direction, toward Hoodoo Creek, keep an eye for another stream entering the lake and the pressure ridge that often forms in that area. You'll be able to identify the pressure ridge from the wide white line going across the lake, with broken ice pointing up.

Pressure Ridges

Ridges like this happen when the pressure on the ice sheet builds up, causing one sheet to slide over the other. The ice around pressure ridges is weak and should be avoided.

Broken Ice on Shore

Most incidents on Abraham Lake happen on the shore. Watch for broken ice over rocks that create a fall hazard.

Steep Shorelines

Avoid areas, like along this island between the access and Windy Point where the shoreline is steep.

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.