Five easy wins for a Whitecourt weekend away

Five Whitecourt wins

Here’s how to win on a quick getaway to Whitecourt.

Outdoor beauty

Surrounded by forested valleys and two major rivers, Whitecourt delivers the outdoors. And that includes a few surprises (keep reading to discover those!). 

For an easy win, head to the Forest Interpretive Centre on the southeast edge of Whitecourt for hiking and biking. For mountain bikers who dig cross-country flow, Cougar Ridge loop serves up all the challenge you could want on hard-packed dirt trails winding through pine, fir and aspen. 

"At one part of the trail, I said this looks exactly like BC," says Ashley John. She recently relocated to Whitecourt from Vancouver, and joined ZenSeekers last summer to explore her new home. 

"The trees may be a little different but it was so beautiful! I didn't know Whitecourt had anything like that." 

Into big downhill or park riding? The Whitecourt MTB park is another surprise; you can read more about that here.

When you're ready to rest from the saddle, hike the trails at leisure, check out the Heritage Park and find out where you can see a meteorite site nearby. (Surprise! Keep reading for more info...)

We'll save Hard Luck Canyon for the surprise section at the end too; it's worth it.

Perfect pit stops 

Get off the boob tube and onto an inner tube! Whitecourt is float central. On a hot day, tubing down the McLeod River is a great way to wash off the trail dirt and soak up some nature time on the water. Or, closer by, you can enjoy tubing right in town at Festival  Park.

Follow that up with a treat or two in town—your options include sweets like ice cream or fudge at Beaver Creek General Store or vintage candy at Hadley, Asher and Elliot's Candy Emporium. 

Or if you like craft beer, the patio at Sagitawah Brewing will call your name.

For arts enthusiasts, there's White Wall for stylish home decor and Just Peachy Arts & Crafts will connect you to a surprisingly creative local scene with 90+ regional artists represented. More pointers for exploring the local scene can be found here. 

And then there's Festival Park, with its sandy beach, home to the town's big local events. 

Which leads us to…

Entertainment 

Whitecourt summer events feature a slate of good times, with Party in the Park and Whitecourt Summer Street Fest powering the season.

Set for June 13-14, 2025, Party in the Park delivers two days of free concerts with headliners Aaron Pritchett, Wide Mouth Mason and more, in a lush green venue with the river flowing in behind.

Summer Street Fest, held annually in August, brings the community together to celebrate, featuring locally made food, drink, arts and entertainment. 

Welcoming community 

What's it like spending a summer weekend in Whitecourt? Just read what Dallas Corbin (pictured lower, right) had to say about the experience after attending Party in the Park.

"There was certainly a buzz while we were in town. The town was alive given the festival happening. Normally an event like that would come with a ticket price, but not in Whitecourt." 

Passing on those good vibes is at the root of Whitecourt's scene. 

Sandy Lovelace at Just Peachy explains her "why" like this: "I have always loved art, and I find it's very therapeutic, so the more we can support that the happier everyone will be… there are so many artistic people here and they each bring their own different ideas. 

"You'll find something unique here." 

It's not just idle words: finding something unique, through Whitecourt's efforts in passing on good vibes in a creative, outdoorsy community, hits home here. Which is where our final category comes in...

Surprising local scene

Surprise #1 is finding all the above in a laidback town just two hours from Alberta's capital. But there's more.

For some awe-inspiring natural beauty, here's where Hard Luck Canyon comes in. Located in Woodlands County, just a 20-minute drive from town, access to the canyon is a short hike to a wooden staircase, where you descend into a canyon with thousands of years of geological history revealed in its rock walls. 

And who needs to visit Area 51 for your sci-fi fix? Check out the Whitecourt Meteorite crater, at 36 metres circumference and 10 metres deep, one of the newest and most accessible of its kind.   

Ease of visit is another surprise. Whether you prefer a cozy hotel or the great outdoors, you can stay and still be five minutes from everything. With a campsite at Brooke's Creek, you can even enjoy a round of mini-golf right on site. 

Stay late for the encore at Party in the Park, or maybe a nightcap? No problem, your bed is easily walkable from Festival Park or downtown. 

By now, it should be obvious: Whitecourt has a winning formula for easy getaways. All that's left is to give it a try.