Hi, my name is Mary MacArthur.
Lucky for me, I won two nights accommodation at the Zama City cabins when I won the Circle Tour Contest sponsored by the Mackenzie Frontier Tourist Association.
I grew up in Fairview and have been to most communities in the Peace Region, but I had never been to Zama City, and this was my chance to drive north with a group of friends and spend some time there.
It was such a fun experience I reached out to Move Up Magazine to share my experience and photos.
The 70 full-time residents of the tiny northern hamlet of Zama City know they have a unique community tucked into the boreal forest—they just needed to convince others to visit and play in their backyard. That’s why a stay at Zama’s new glamping cabins was the perfect prize for a local tourism contest.
“We wanted to boost the use and the number of people staying at the campground,” said Lisa Wardley, Mackenzie County councillor for the Zama City area.
It would take something special to convince visitors to drive 63 km down the gravel road to camp in Alberta’s most northern community, which is perhaps better known for its oilfield activity and its free roaming wood bison herd than as a premier recreation destination.
In 2023, with the help of a tourism grant and Zama Recreational Society volunteers, two luxury year-round cabins were added to the community’s existing campground.
From the beginning, Wardley and the Zama Recreational Society (ZRS) members wanted the cabins to have a “wow” factor and included luxury bedding, a full kitchen, washroom, air conditioning, TV, Wi-Fi and an extended deck with a barbecue.
A La Crete couple built and designed them in their shop before the cabins were hauled to Zama City where a second story was added.
“They’re amazing. We haven’t had a bad review. It’s completely positive. Two friends stay at the cabins, and they tell two friends, and then they tell two friends,” said Wardley.
The nearby campground was built more than 20 years ago to attract visitors and host activities for locals. With yearly upgrades, the campground now boasts a swimming hole with a floating island, a sandy beach, a stocked fishpond, a disc golf course, horseshoe pits, fire pits and a large covered shelter.
With these amenities, the two new luxury cabins and an upgraded community hall, the society hopes to soon host a wedding or family reunion in this unique area of the province.
“We don’t have big mountains or lakes, but we do have a beautiful community and wild bison. If you want to get away and really hear the outdoors, and the quiet of it, this is the place,” said Zama resident and ZRS member Krista Patriquin.
Patriquin says during the summer, the cabins are mainly used by vacationers from nearby High Level or Hay River (NWT).
In the fall, hunters enjoy the cabins, and during the winter they are a nice place to return after a long day of snowmobiling.
Words & Photography by Mary MacArthur
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