Grande Prairie, Alberta, is a terrific place to be for anyone who loves quadding. An up-and-coming ATV club called the Peace Country Riders Association (PCRA) is dedicated to maintaining off-road riding and providing an active community to share this interest with. Look into membership to meet with a great community and have access to maps and information.

A justifiably favourite ride in the area is the Wapiti River Valley dunes. This area is ecologically sensitive but offers amazing recreational opportunities for anyone who wants to explore the trails. In the future, the Wapiti Corridor Planning Society will be working to identify areas that will be closed to motorized vehicles as well as those areas that will remain open. Regardless, the area will continue to provide riding opportunities for anyone.

Theresa Matkowski, secretary for the PCRA, pointed out that the dunes allow riders to spend the full day exploring, yet the 10-minute drive from town means they can easily return for lunch.

A variety of users come out to explore the dunes, to enjoy nature at its finest—you may in fact come across hikers or people on horseback in addition to other ATVers. There certainly is plenty of terrain for anyone. Visit for the grassy muskeg areas and the sand-floor forest.

A worthwhile event is being held at this site on June 9, 2012: the PARDS (Peace Area Riding for the Disable Society) Ride will be held for the 27th year. Everything gets started with a pancake breakfast and ends with a barbecue. Throughout the day, both ATVers and horseback riders will complete a fun course after raising pledges. The ATV trail is 30 kilometres of hills, marsh, forest and fun riding.

The PARDS Ride provides a wonderful opportunity to discover this beautiful and popular area. However, even if June 6 doesn’t fit your schedule, the Wapiti dunes are just waiting to be discovered when it does suit your summer plans.