Elk Lakes Provincial Park
New! BC Parks Backcountry Registration System allows you to pre-pay your overnight fees for backcountry and/or marine site usage, where designated. This system will not be used for vehicle accessible (ie front country) campgrounds or controlled back country permits (ie Bowron Lakes canoe circuit and Berg Lake Trail).
A section of trail approximately 1km long from the west end of Upper Elk Lake to the Petain Campground is difficult to follow due to seasonal flooding. Travel through this area will require route finding. Travel with caution and be prepared to get your feet wet. For more information please contact the Regional office at 250-489-8540.
Know Before You Go
Snowmobile use in the Cadorna valley of Elk Lakes Parks is limited to the seismic road and regular winter route to Abruzzi Lake only, as indicated on this snowmobile map. Continuance of this special exemption is dependent upon respect of this route by all motorized users. Non compliance of this exemption will result in closure of this route to all motorized use. Snowmobile use is not permitted in any other area in Elk Lakes Park.
Persons visiting Elk Lake Provincial Park are reminded that the park is a wilderness area, without supplies or equipment of any kind. All arrangements for supplies and transportation must be made beforehand.
Bring your own drinking water, as potable water is not available in the park.
All park visitors should wear strong waterproofed, lug-soled boots and carry a daypack with raingear, extra warm clothing and food. Weather conditions can change suddenly in this area and lightning storms with hail and snow are common in summer. For overnight trips a sleeping bag, groundpad, waterproof tent or bivouac bag and lightweight stove are essential. Only experienced climbers practiced in crevasse rescue and properly roped, should venture onto snowfields and glaciers.
Loaded logging trucks and other industrial traffic may be encountered while accessing this park. Drive with extreme caution and for your safety, always yield to industrial traffic.
Public communications are not available at this park. Visitors are reminded to use provided caches for food and garbage storage and to keep a clean camp.
About This Park
Located within the western ranges of the southern Rocky Mountains, Elk Lakes Provincial Park is an easily accessible wilderness park characterized by outstanding sub-alpine landscapes, remnant glaciers, rugged peaks and productive lakes.
Elk Lakes offers a variety of hiking experiences including some maintained trails that are appropriate for all family members with some experience in back-country hiking.
Park Size: 17,245 hectares
Special Notes:
National Topographic Series Map 82J/11 (Kananaskis Lakes) at a scale of 1:50,000 covers the Elk Lakes vicinity. Map 82J/6 (Mount Abruzzi) at a scale of 1:50,000 depicts most of the Cadorna Creek watershed. Map 82J/7 (Mount Head) depicts the southern park entrance and access points in the Elk Valley. These maps are available from Government Agents and most map retailers in British Columbia, and are very useful if traveling off trail. Topographic maps do not show park trails.
Location and Maps
Elk Lakes Provincial Park is located in southeastern BC, about 104 kilometres north of Sparwood. Turn off Highway 3 at Sparwood and go north on Highway 43 till you reach the community of Elkford, a distance of 35 kilometres. From here, travel the gravel road on the west side of the Elk River. Approximately 47 kilometres north of Elkford the road crosses the Elk River and joins the Kananaskis Power Line Road. It is 5.8 kilometres from the crossing to the Cadorna Creek trailhead; the Elk Lakes trailhead is a further 16.1 kilometres.
Driving time from Sparwood to the park is approximately two hours. Access to the park is also possible from Alberta’s adjoining Peter Lougheed Provincial Park. Please click onto the "hiking/trail information" page for a description of the route.
Maps and Brochures
Any maps listed are for information only - they may not represent legal boundaries and should not be used for navigation.
Nature and Culture
- Conservation
Much of the park is above treeline. At lower elevations alpine fir, Englemann spruce and lodgepole pine predominate, interspersed with juniper, twinberry, false azalea, white rhododendron and buffalo berry. Yellow violets, foam flowers and bunchberries add a touch of colour. The meadows are alive with scrub birch, cinque-foil, Saskatoon berry and gooseberry, while alpine flowers such as fireweed, Indian paintbrush, blue violet, elephant’s head and giant ragwort splash the area with vivid displays of colour. Flowers, trees and shrubs are part of the park's natural heritage, please do not damage or remove them. The area surrounding the Elk Lakes is a mature old growth forest and includes dead snags that provide excellent habitat for cavity dwelling birds and small mammals. - Wildlife
The wildlife at lower elevations includes scores of red squirrels and snowshoe hares. Beavers are resident near the Elk Lakes and upper reaches of Cadorna Creek. Elk, white-tailed deer and moose frequent the meadows throughout the park. Occasionally a mountain goat, Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep, grizzly bear or black bear may be seen by the observant visitor. Birdlife is fairly common. While hiking or sitting quietly, one might see spruce grouse, wrens, junkos, snipe, flickers or the Clark's nutcracker. A variety of waterfowl is transient in the lake areas, as are osprey and blue herons.
Activities Available at this Park
Canoeing
Climbing
Fishing
Hiking
Horseback Riding
Hunting
Pets on Leash
Swimming
Winter Recreation
Ice fishing opportunities exist in the park however both Lower and Upper Elk Lakes are closed to ice fishing.
Facilities Available at this Park
Cabins / Huts / Yurts
Campfires
Picnic Areas
Pit or Flush Toilets
Walk-In/Wilderness Camping
When toilets are not available bury human waste at least six inches in soil and 30 metres from water. To ensure drinking water is safe it must be boiled for at least 5 minutes. Register a trip itinerary with friends, check in and check out. When practical, use impacted campsites, otherwise practice “Leave No Trace” camping ethics. If you have a fire, build it on rocks, or remove sod, have fire, then replace sod.
The fees at Elk Lakes are collected by the Alpine Club of Canada who are operating the Hut and campgrounds. There is an Alpine Club volunteer at Elk Lakes who collects the fees.
