North Cooking Lake Natural Area is an Alberta Parks natural area in the Central region, 25 kilometres southeast of Sherwood Park. Alberta Parks lists no developed day-use area count.
The site covers 523.5 acres, or 211.85 hectares, in the Boreal Forest - Dry Mixedwood Natural Region.
North Cooking Lake is a rough-trail natural area for hiking, cross-country skiing, hunting, wildlife viewing, and geocaching near the Edmonton region. Alberta Parks says the system of rough trails throughout the area provides opportunities for hiking and nature observation.
The natural area has knob and kettle topography, with steep-sided hills and wetlands in depressions. Alberta Parks says this topography provides important wildlife habitat. Ponds ringed with cattails and willow are nesting and feeding habitat for red-winged blackbirds, and many types of waterfowl, including blue-winged teal and northern shoveler, use the ponds.
Wildlife viewing notes include aspen forests and paper birch stands that provide habitat for deer, moose, snowshoe hare, and weasel. Depressions contain willow shrublands, sedge wetland, and black spruce peatland, while upland areas are dominated by aspen forest.
Hunters must be aware of weapons restrictions within Strathcona County, WMU 248, and should consider nearby residences and other recreational users.
Wear sturdy footwear.
Plan around rough-trail hiking, cross-country skiing, wildlife viewing, geocaching, hunting-rule checks, knob and kettle landforms, wetland birding, and aspen forest observation.
Confirm access, rough trail conditions, Strathcona County hunting restrictions, licences, maps, advisories, weather, wildlife safety, and Alberta Parks updates.
