Abraham Lake Ice Bubbles Viewpoint: How To See The Frozen Bubbles Lake in Canada!
If you’re looking for the methane bubbles in frozen lake in Canada, you’ve come to the right blog! I recently visited to see this crazy thing for myself and have put together this guide to finding the lake, the best tours for safety and the best Abraham Lake Ice Bubbles Viewpoint.
Abraham Lake in Alberta Canada is home to this natural phenomena so read on for how to see the frozen bubbles lake!
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Where is Abraham Lake?
Abraham Lake is located in the West of Canada in the province of Alberta.
It is the largest man-made reservoir in Alberta and is one of the most popular places to visit in the Winter due to the unique frozen bubbles that form beneath the ice when the lake is frozen over and the visibility is clear.
Abraham Lake Directions
Address: Abraham Lake, Clearwater County, Alberta, Canada
You will need to rent your own vehicle as there isn’t public transport that runs from major cities/towns to the lake. We rented a car with Winter tyres using this comparison website which then told us the cheapest place to go in Downtown Banff.
Note: To drive on the Icefields Parkway during Winter, you need to have Winter/Snow tyres on your vehicle and you’ll need to purchase a park pass to drive on this road.
Edmonton to Abraham Lake is 339 km distance and takes 3.5 hours via Highway 2 and Highway 11.
Nordegg to Abraham Lake takes just 30 minutes via Highway 11 as Nordegg is the closest town.
Banff to Abraham Lake takes 2.5 hours drive and Calgary to Lake Abraham takes 3.5 hours both via the Trans-Canada Highway 1, Icefields Parkway and Highway 11!
The closest gas station is 30 minutes outside of the lake so ensure you are prepared for this road trip by packing correctly and ensuring the tank is full.
How Is The Frozen Bubbles Lake Formed?
When Winter makes its way to Canada, you sure know about it. The land is a white sheet especially Alberta with The Rockies majestically overlooking all the frozen lakes and rivers.
The largest lake in Alberta, Lake Abraham, is home to a natural and rare sensation: the frozen methane bubbles in ice!
So how does this occur? Naturally when plants and animals decay at the bottom of the lake, bacteria start to feed and this produces methane gas (a chemical compound). The gas forms thousands of bubbles that get frozen beneath the lake’s surface and thanks to the turquoise-coloured lake, becomes transparent to anyone looking down at the lake!
The result? Pearl-like orbs stay frozen as bubbles, making a lava-lamp spectacle that you can see right beneath your feet. It’s very cool to witness!
It can get very windy in this area of Alberta which is a good thing for seeing the bubbles as the wind sweeps the snow away making the frozen lake bubbles more visible!
How to See Abraham Lake Bubbles!
Abraham Lake is MASSIVE! The lake is 20 miles long and has a surface area of 20.7 square miles.
This is why you need a few pointers for good spots to see the famous Abraham Lake ice bubbles. The surroundings are absolutely breathtaking from the woods, mountains, skyline and a good chance to see wildlife.
Once you get to these spots, you’ll need to walk to get onto the frozen lake. It’s not a long walk and you’ll usually see footprints already in the snow so you can follow this path. Most of the spots have a little car park, bins or toilets which are indicators that people often stop here.
A few things to remember though: these places are not guaranteed to see the frozen lake bubbles, are not the only places on the entire lake with a chance to find them and you must remember safety on the ice! Welcome to Canada!
If you definitely want to see the frozen bubbles in Abraham Lake with a certified guide for safety and information then a private Abraham Lake Ice Walk is for you so you can safely and easily see this unique phenomenon!
Best Abraham Lake Ice Bubbles Viewpoint!
So the best places to see the Abraham Lake Frozen Bubbles are all along Highway 11 also known as The David Thompson Highway. Specifically:
- Preachers Point
- Cline Landing
- Belly of Abraham
- Unnamed Car Park Between Hoodoo Creek and Windy Point
Preachers Point
Located at the very South of the lake so perfect if coming from Icefields Parkway and you get to see the bubbles frozen straightaway! Preachers Point is pinned on Google Maps.
There’s a car park just steps from the lake too so very easy. This is however, a place with weak ice because the nearby river flows into the lake at this point.
Cline Landing
This is a popular place to stop right before you get to the Rockies Heli Canada base but due to its location, if it has been snowing the wind is unable to clear a lot of the snow just to note! Cline Landing is pinned on Google Maps.
Belly of Abraham
Belly of Abraham has a car park with washrooms making it an obvious stop to see the bubbles. This place is marked on Google Maps and covers a large area along Highway 11.
Unnamed Car Park Between Hoodoo Creek and Windy Point
There is no name for this car park and it doesn’t appear on Google Maps but this is the spot where I got to see the frozen methane bubbles. Bubble hunting at its best!
Once you drive past Rockies Heli Canada, David Thompson Resort and you’re on the long stretch of the David Thompson highway you’ll notice multiple places where you can pull in. Some have toilets, outhouses, bins, signs and some have nothing except space to park. Drive about 10 minutes after the resort.
Usually there is a path already laid out with footprints unless you are the very first people there that day. Follow the path to the lake and you’ll find the ice bubbles Abraham Lake is so famous for!
Seeing them was amazing, a bit scary, but definitely an unique phenomena that shouldn’t be missed when visiting Alberta!
Other Stops
We were going to drive further but we were made to turn around, by a huge flock of Bighorn Sheep in the road! Other Ice Bubbles Viewpoint include Coral Creek White Goat Staging Area, Vision Quest, Windy Point, Hoodoo Creek, Allstones Lake Staging Area and other un-marked car parks and pull-ins along Highway 11.
Frozen Bubbles Abraham Lake Map
Here is a rough map with markers for the above places:
Abraham Lake Tour Including Seeing The Frozen Ice Bubbles
For a once-in-a-lifetime experience, one of the best tours you can do is this Helicopter Ride Including a Walking On Ice Bubbles with Rockies Heli Canada. I experienced a helicopter ride through this company and can vouch for their professionalism, help, safety and absolutely mind-blowing services!
Alternatively, find your own here:
FAQ For Visiting Abraham Lake in Winter
- Is Abraham Lake real? No. Lake Abraham is a man-made reservoir and the largest in Alberta.
- Can you walk and skate on Abraham Lake? Yes but this is not guided or advised and will be at your own risk. Ice cleats are definitely worth taking because the ice is so slippery. Lastly, the thickness of the ice is not guaranteed to be the same everywhere.
- Best time to go? Jan – Early March
- Where to Stay Nearby? David Thompson Resort is the closest to the lake (literally on the lake) Abraham Lake camping is for the Summer only.
Things To Do Near Lake Abraham
- Go hiking!
- Take a once-in-a-lifetime Helicopter Ride over The Rockies
- Visit the Saskatchewan River Crossing
- Carry on to the nearby town of Nordegg
- Drive the Icefields Parkway
- Visit Edmonton, Calgary or Jasper
- Visit Banff & see all my Banff posts here!
- All my Quebec Posts
- All my British Columbia Posts
I hope my post has helped you find the amazing Abraham Lake frozen bubbles 🙂
Pin This Frozen Air Bubbles in Abraham Lake Post For Later!
