Right Move???????

[fainthopeacres]

Hello all,

Hoping to get some opinions/suggestions on our upcoming relocation. Both hubby and I are born & raised Southern Albertans & we've always lived in the SW part of the province. We are extreme outdoors folk (like you all are) and if we aren't working - we're recreating on public lands either in 404 - 402 or 308. Love hiking - hunting and most of all random camping. So, with all of this said - we have sold our home and we are now looking to buy somewhere here in Alberta.

Sadly, our budget is not going to allow us to stay down here in the SW Alberta we grew up in and love. We are looking up towards Vilna, Athabasca area and do have a few places lined up to go and see this upcoming weekend.

We are public land users - not private land or grazing lease users and we are looking for public lands that we can hike/hunt and most important random camp on. I do have the Backroad maps books and I have accessed the grazing leases online here so I can see where the public land/grazing leases are. Problem is - I can't tell if there's random camping or not? No, I can't get the I hunter app as my old flip phone won't allow that.

Any information would be so helpful for us. We want this to be our final move as hubby is near retirement and we just want to be sure to be somewhere where we can still random camp within a few hours of our home. Please PM if needed. Should mention not looking for your camping spots - just want to know if it is indeed permitted - the adventures are in finding our own! Thanks

[ehrgeiz]

I'd say the biggest question would be if you want to be closer to the eastern slopes? If you are from SW I imagine so, but maybe not.

Assuming you need a modest urban centre, would suggest looking at Rocky Mountain House, Drayton Valley, Edson or Hinton.

Nothing bad to say about Athabasca, lots of a lakes if that style of fishing is your jam, but it's boreal forest rec. I tend to enjoy the mountains once mosquito season is in full swing say mid-June to mid/end-July.

[Drewski Canuck]

The reason for your move from SW Alberta is ..... MONEY.

But you are moving to either Vilna or Athabasca. The reason for the move to these locations would be so you could earn more .... MONEY.

(How am I doing so far?)

But your interest is the outdoors.

Other than stream fishing for trout, you will fill your boots with hunting and fishing opportunities beyond your wildest dreams in northern Alberta.

There is far more public land in the Athabasca area, Athabasca has incredible sports and recreation facilities with the University, and if you needed a mountain / foothills fix, you are really only a few hours from Hinton to Grande Prairie and parts in between.

And while you do not state what your occupation is, there is more money related to forestry and Oil and Gas in the Athabasca area.

Welcome to the land of Giants (Bear, Moose, Deer, etc)!

Drewski

[Drewski Canuck]

By the way, Athabasca's Golf Course rates top 10 Canada for rural courses, if that is of any persuasion.

Drewski

[ak77]

There's an iHunter web that one can use on the computer.

[TrollGRG]

Originally Posted by Drewski Canuck

The reason for the move to these locations would be so you could earn more .... MONEY.

(How am I doing so far?)

Drewski

It may not be to make money but to keep it. We live in Rocky - two of us on my pension. We are managing but every day that the sultan of socks is in power we get a little bit poorer.

I think jobs will be available all over the province but what is the cost of living?

[ghfalls]

Look at some of the small towns on hwy43 as well. There’s some cheap places available with millions of acres of land around with tons of outdoor opportunities. Plus you’d be a bit closer to the mountains for when you need your fix.

[fainthopeacres]

Appreciate all the input but my question is - is there any random camping in the Vilna/Athabasca area?
As far as heading up there to make money - NO - not the reason. Reason we are wanting to move up there is we only have so much to spend on a place to buy. $150 doesn't buy you much down here in sw Ab but further up north, it does.
We are flooring installers by trade and have more than enough work to keep us going as much as we want. Seems like where ever we go, work is there. So not worried about work as like I said in my original post, hubby is looking to slow down as he heads into retirement.
We have lived around the Vulcan area for the past twenty years so we drive a few hours to get to our camping/hunting/ohving spots so driving is not a big deal.
I hope this fills in a bit more info - just want to know if there is any random camping up in the Vilna/Athabasca area. Thanks for helping out.....

[ehrgeiz]

The County of Athabasca publishes a landownership map for free:

https://athabascacounty.com/maps/

Also Smoky Lake County does as well for Vilna area:

https://www.smokylakecounty.ab.ca/Ho...b-f02b064939cb

You can review private vs crown (green).

[lannie]

I would be looking in the Peace River area.

[Sooner]

Draw a line from Athabasca east & west to each border and there is no shortage of random camping places north of it. Further North, more bang for your buck, more crown land.

[3blade]

Vilna - no, not within a couple hours anyway. That’s all private.
Athabasca - yes, kind of. You can camp on crown land. There’s plenty of bush and swamp with resource roads and cutlines, but most of it you can see a total of 5 feet. Very thick. Lots of fires, bears, more equals, and bugs. Lifted 4x4 with chains and winch is necessary for exploring, street tires will leave you stranded in the gumbo.

I think you’d better have a wander around before committing, it’s not going to be anything like you are used to.

[fainthopeacres]

Hey thanks a lot guys for the help! The maps are really helpful. We have a few properties lined up to view in Vilna area on Sat. Will check around and see what it's like. Athabasca looks like a very beautiful area for sure!
This is very tough to decide what to do and where to go and I do lose sleep over this. Not an easy thing to do but owning a home versus renting (which we're doing now) is more important to us. Will have to sacrifice a few things I guess!