Elk Island National Park

Elk Island National Park

Located on 35km down highway 16, also known as Yellowhead Highway, from the Edmonton city limits is Elk Island National Park. Elk Island offers excellent hiking, wildlife viewing and more to residents of Alberta’s capital city and all the surrounding area. The Park was established in 1906 to help preserve Canada’s boreal forest. Nowhere else in Canada can you find such an abundance of wildlife crammed into such a small space.

Image via Wikipedia

Hiking in Elk Island National Park

In summer the park offers eleven hiking trails of various lengths and difficulty.

Trails listed by length:

Living Waters Boardwalk – 0.3km

Amisk Wuche Trail – 2.5km

Simmons Trail – 3.5km

Lakeview Trail – 3.5km

Beaver Pond Trail – 3.5km

Shoreline Trail – 6km

Hayburger Trail – 10km

Shirley Lake Trail – 10.5km

Moss Lake – 13km

Tawayik Lake Trail – 16.5km

Wood Bison Trail – 16.8km

Image by Greencolander via Flickr

Other Activities at Elk Island

Elk Island offers a little bit of something for anyone who enjoys the great outdoors. Almost every trail head offers a small picnic area, some trails, like Tawayik lake offer a bird and wildlife viewing platform. The Park also boasts two campgrounds, two boat launches and a nine hole golf course with a fully licensed club house. In winter some trails are groomed for cross-country skiing while some of the shorter trails are designated to snow-shoeing.

Wildlife Viewing in Elk Island

Elk Island National Park is the premiere spot in Alberta to see wildlife in its natural habitat. The park is packed with herds of deer, elk and bison. There are also thriving populations of moose, coyote, squirrel, beaver, muskrat, weasel and much more. Many can be seen simply by driving through the park. Elk Island is also an excellent place to go birdwatching with over two hundred and fifty species of bird visiting the park every year.

Image via Wikipedia

All visitors are expected to take certain precautions when heading into the park. Pets are allowed in the park but must be kept on a leash at all times. Wildlife in the park are not to be fed by visitors at anytime. Although the park wildlife may seem tame and friendly, they are still wild animals and can be unpredictable. Extra precautions with deer, moose, elk and bison during the spring and fall months as Spring is calving season and Fall is the rut. They can be very unpredictable and much more aggressive during these seasons.