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Our Facility

The Elbow Lake Environmental Education Centre is a satellite facility of the Queen’s University Biological Station (QUBS) at Opinicon Lake.

Explore Our Facilities!

Main Pavilion

A common space housing a fully-equipped self-use kitchen, dining/meeting space for groups of 30-40 people, and washrooms with showers.

Cabins

Ten electrically serviced cabins with 3–6 person occupancy.

Waterfront

A small sandy beach offers a safe area to swim that is defined with floating buoys in July and August.

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Our Nature Centre, Rec Hall, and Day Lodge.

Main Pavilion

At the centre of the ELEEC facility is the Main Pavilion, a common space housing a fully-equipped self-use kitchen, dining/meeting space for groups of up to 40, and washrooms with showers. Registered guests are also welcome to cook on the propane BBQ outside the building. In addition to WiFi, a projector and screen are available upon request for those requiring such amenities for conferences, meetings and classes.
  • WiFi
  • Propane BBQ
  • Full Kitchen
  • up to 40
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Cabins

All identical, each cabin is serviced with electricity for light and baseboard heat (off-season use only). Each cabin has a sitting area, and a non-serviced kitchen area with a small fridge, as well as countertop, cupboards and shelves. Cabins have two bedrooms, one with a double bed and the other with a single bed bunked over a double bed. In addition, a pull-out single cot is available. While the maximum occupancy of each cabin is set at six persons, recommended occupancy is a comfortable 2-3 people/cabin.

  • Electricity
  • 2 Bedrooms
  • 2-3 People
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Waterfront

A small sandy beach offers a safe area to swim that is defined with floating buoys in July and August. From June to October, a floating raft is in place nearby, or more adventurous swimmers can travel further across the deeper sections of the lake (pdf) to the east or north. Users swim at their own risk, however, as the beach at Elbow Lake is unsupervised.

Finger docks at the waterfront provide an ideal launching point for our fleet of tandem canoes, all of which are available for use by registered guests from May through October. All boats carry the required safety equipment; paddles and PFDs of various sizes are available near the docks.

Although Elbow Lake has remained free from harmful, invasive aquatic species (eg. Zebra Mussels), we need your cooperation to keep it that way! Do not bring outside boats or equipment into Elbow Lake, as these may contaminate its relatively pristine setting.

Relax and enjoy the outdoors in all weather and seasons from our screened gazebo!

*Note that access to the developed waterfront (sand beach, docks) and canoes is limited to outreach programming guests and registered users of group facility rentals.*

Attention Anglers!

Fishing in Elbow Lake is only allowed as part of sanctioned events. We practice catch and release, using barbless hooks and no live bait.

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Our log cabin Nature Centre is used by Eco-Adventure Camp and ELEEC for educational programming, and houses a small museum of displays and collections.

The Rec Hall is used by ELEEC staff as indoor teaching space for our educational programs.

The Day Lodge building contains a kitchen, dining area, washroom, and lounge in a more intimate setting. Smaller groups of 10-12 people may occasionally be accommodated here, to allow us to concurrently host two small groups at Elbow Lake.

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Recreation

All registered users and program guests have access to all recreational amenities Elbow Lake has to offer. Relax and unwind after your busy day! Recreational opportunities abound at Elbow Lake: From exploring the property’s 8 km of pedestrian trails; to canoeing, swimming and fishing by the lake; to sports on the grassy field or socializing around the campfire at the communal firepit; to simply taking in the quiet beauty of the Frontenac Arch landscape.