Located within the western ranges of the southern Rocky Mountains, Elk Lakes Park is an easily accessible wilderness park. It boasts 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 backcountry hiking.
Trail Report [PDF] (November 3, 2023)
Learn more about backcountry safety in our backcountry guide.
There is a hike-in campground located 1 km from the parking lot on the northeastern shore of Lower Elk lake, which provides pit toilets, fire rings, food cache, and tent pads.
Backcountry camping fee: $5 per person per night (age 6+)
BC Parks reservation service allows you to purchase a backcountry camping permit before leaving home. Although the system does not reserve a campsite, the system provides visitors the convenience of prepaying for their trip and not having to carry cash. We encourage all visitors to register online so we can reduce the need to collect fees in the field.
For in-park registration, please fill in a self-registration envelope and deposit payment into the drop box. The camping fees are collected by the Alpine Club of Canada. Retain your permit for presentation to the ACC custodian during routine campground check.
See the wilderness camping section for other camping opportunities in the park.
The Alpine Club of Canada operates a small public lodge at the entrance to the core area of the park. For more information or reservations contact the Alpine Club of Canada at 403-678-3200 or through the Alpine Club of Canada website.
User fees are payable to the Alpine Club of Canada. The ACC advanced booking policies do not apply to the Elk Lakes Cabin. All visitors are able to make bookings for this facility up to one year in advance.
Alpine Club of Canada Park Operator Agreement: The Alpine Club of Canada (ACC) is the successful proponent for the Park Operator Agreement in Elk Lakes Park to maintain and operate the Elk Lakes Cabin and Lower Elk Lakes Campground for another ten-year term, ending March 31, 2030. Beginning March 16, 2020, the ACC will be accepting reservations for overnight bookings in the Elk Lakes Cabin for April 1, 2020, and onward. For reservations, contact the Alpine Club of Canada at 403-678-3200. |
Wilderness camping is permitted at several areas in the park. There is no camping fee for these locations.
Please practice wilderness camping Leave No Trace ethics.
This park only has pit toilets, no flush toilets.
Developed trails exist in the core area from the trailhead to Upper Elk Lakes, and connect to Peter Lougheed Park in Alberta.
For the adventurous, a less developed trail system leads into Cadorna, Wolverine, and Abruzzi Lakes. For your own safety and the preservation of the park, obey posted signs and keep to designated trails. Shortcutting trails destroys plant life and soil structure.
For trail descriptions, visit the Elk Lakes Park hiking trails page.
For trail maps, see park and activity maps.
Check the trail report before visiting.
There are limited cold swimming opportunities at this park. There are no lifeguards on duty.
Both canoeing and kayaking can be done in the lakes. The streams and rivers are not navigable. The closest lake to the main access parking lot is a 1 km walk with a 30 m elevation change.
A favourite activity of many park visitors is angling in the Elk River, Cadorna Creek and lakes throughout Elk Lakes Park. Species include bull trout, Rocky Mountain whitefish and cutthroat trout.
Anyone fishing or angling in British Columbia must have an appropriate licence. Consult the B.C. Fishing Regulations for special restrictions.
Tips for fishing in Elk Lakes Park:
Biking is permitted between the Elk Lakes trailhead parking lot and the Lower Elk Lake campground. Biking is not permitted beyond the campground or on any other trails. Bicycle helmets are mandatory in British Columbia.
For details on e-biking within Elk Lakes Park, see the e-biking section.
Please note that bicycles with electric assist motors (e-bikes) are permitted on signed or designated trails within Elk Lakes Park, provided they meet the definitions and criteria for e-bike use as outlined in the BC Parks cycling guidelines.
Elk Lakes Park is open to hunting. Check the B.C. Hunting and Trapping Regulations Synopsis for more details.
Elk Lakes Park is located in southeastern BC, about 104 kilometres north of Sparwood. Turn off Highway 3 at Sparwood and go north on Highway 43 until 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 Park.
This park proudly operated by:
Alpine Club of Canada
info@alpineclubofcanada.ca
Conservation
Much of the park is above treeline. At lower elevations, alpine fir, Engleman 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. Alpine flowers such as fireweed, castilleja, 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 reside 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 common in the area. While hiking or sitting quietly, one might see spruce grouse, wrens, juncos, snipe, flickers, or the Clark’s nutcracker. A variety of waterfowl is transient in the lake areas, as are osprey and blue herons.
Learn more about wildlife safety.
BC Parks honours Indigenous Peoples’ connection to the land and respects the importance of their diverse teachings, traditions, and practices within these territories. This park webpage may not adequately represent the full history of this park and the connection of Indigenous Peoples to this land. We are working in partnership with Indigenous Peoples to update our websites so that they better reflect the history and cultures of these special places.