Brule Sand Dunes: Desert in the Rockies
- Craig Hawkings
- May 22, 2015
- 3 min read
Brule, Alberta:
Is a tiny little mining town that sits literally nestled against the Rocky Mountains, it is located right outside the Jasper National Park gates. Just outside the town is the headwaters of the Athabaska River which we call Brule Lake. This lake is basically an ancient river bed which has left behind some of the most desert like country that you will find this high up in North America. The setting is serene, with eight to ten thousand foot snow capped peaks and sand dunes that remind you of the desert. I was lucky enough to take my first real trip of the year into the Brule Sand Dunes which are just across the lake, only 10 minutes away from the park gates themselves. The ride was filled with adventure and just enough challenge to keep me on my backside most of the day. This trip is not too remote but you should know a few things when travelling to the Brule Sand Dunes to keep you out of trouble.
First things first if you are going to travel all the way to Brule then you should have a good place to stay, since this place is located in one of the most popular tourist areas in the world - you are in luck. Hinton, Alberta is only about 15 minutes from the entrance to the dunes. It has plenty of amenities like shopping and lodging and it is the best choice if you want to stay in a larger area. Of course you could always choose to stay in the town of Jasper but that is about 40-50 minutes west down the Yellowhead Highway. Right at the entrance to the Brule Sand Dunes you have a few choices from renting cabins to bed and breakfasts and campgrounds. If cost is no matter then you do not want to miss out on a night or two at the Overlander Mountain Lodge which just happens to be the closest lodging to the dunes themselves.
Once you have your stay figured out then you can begin the trek into the playground we call the Brule Sand Dunes. For this you have two options, East and West entrance. From the East, you can expect a fairly easy ride on fire roads and double track trails until you emerge from the forest and see the dunes. From the West, you will pull off of Highway 16 where you see the signs marked Brule Sand Dunes. This is the more favored place to park because it has tons of parking and it's still fairly close to the dunes. You can expect to have a 20 or 30 minute ride into the sand dune area so here you must decide whether to bring lunch or maybe you want to come back out to your vehicle and eat lunch, gas up the ride or what have you.
As this is getting a little bit long I will post a link to a short trailer I shot from the Brule Sand Dunes, its only about two minutes but if you want to watch the entire ride you can click on the playlist that goes along with the trailer.
All in all the day was a blast and whether you go for a day trip or stay for a week you will not be dis-appointed by the sheer beauty that this place has to offer.
-Craig
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