Southview Provincial Recreation Area

When making the long journey along AB-40, Southview makes a convenient rest stop just north of Grande Cache. It is a small recreation area tucked in the trees just off the highway. Amenities offered are picnic tables, fire rings with grates, toilets, and trash cans. A large gravel lot with a turnaround can accommodate several large vehicles at a time. This is technically a day use area, not a campground, but overnight parking is allowed, and use is free of charge. Please treat the area with respect; clean up after yourself and your pets. You may encounter any of Alberta's wildlife in the area, so use caution.

Southview is really nothing more than a place to stretch the legs and rest from the road, without much else to do. A short walk into the woods does reveal a nice view, though. A gap in the trees reveals a vista of the Smoky River Gorge, which the highway parallels but is hard to glimpse from anywhere on the road. Southview is generally open year round but may close or become inaccessible in bad weather.