Cypress Hills Inter Provincial Park (West Block)
The Cypress Hills West Block is part of Cypress Hills Inter-Provincial Park, a great place to explore beyond just paddling.
Elkwater town is tourist oriented and has a lodge, motel and several
campgrounds and some cabins for rent. Elkwater also has a couple of
restaurants, snack bars, and plenty of picnic areas to enhance your
apri-paddling experience,
The Town of
Elkwater feels very much like a mountain village as it has a similar
elevation to Banff Town site. Surrounded by Forest on one side
and bald prairie hills on the other, the views are great and the air is
fresh.
* make sure you clean and dry your boats and equipment before and after paddling.
Alberta Boat Inspection Station
You
will need to stop at the Alberta Boat Inspection Station in the weigh
scale parking lot and be inspected by the friendly staff, who's duty it
is to help protect our waters from invasion by invasive plants and
animals.
Be warned there can be BIG fines for not stopping!
Park Map drive routes
Elkwater Reservoir details
3 Launches, Marina Launch Latitude: 49°39'44.08"N, Longitude: 110°17'25.21"W
This is a big lake and can be quite rough depending on the weather (always keep and eye out for storms in the area).
Power Boats are also allowed on this lake and so the boat wakes can be a challenge (most people are respectful of you).
A peaceful area can be found though the narrow neck (which is full of reeds) into the quiet North Bay , the reeds are easy to go through in a paddle craft, but effectively blocks power boats.
The Summer of 2025 marks the installation of a specialized paddle boat
launch and take-out device at the Main Marina (on the map "b").
Spruce Coulee details
Latitude 49°40'43.99"N, Longitude 110°11'5.96"W
A nice paddle in a deep forested lake, has a nice but basic campground for tent camping.
Reesor Lake details
Latitude 49º39'57.03"N, Longitude 110º6'43.17"W
A nice little lake, fairly wide open (so wind can be a problem).
Also has a nice but basic campground for tent camping.
Lots of wildlife to watch
