Trails

Enjoy your visit, and please consider supporting our trails and their upkeep through a donation to the ELEEC.

Our Trails

When the Elbow Lake property was acquired from its previous owner, we inherited a variety of recreational amenities, including several kilometres of walking trails. Because the mandate of the ELEEC is education, and the surrounding lands are now a nature reserve, only those trails providing interpretive value and showcasing habitat biodiversity were kept for the current trail system.

When you are visiting the ELEEC, please respect that you are on property being managed for conservation purposes. There is no fee to access the public trails at the Elbow Lake nature reserve. Please park at the outer gate and walk in. No motorized vehicles are permitted. While outside visitors are most welcome to explore the trails, we ask that you stay on the marked trails and caution that you do so at your own risk; staff is not responsible for your safety while on the trails as a self-use guest. Please do not remove or damage and plants or landscape, or harass animals. Please also be courteous to others who are also out to enjoy nature. A reminder that pets must be leashed while on trails at all times, and ownders are responsible for clean-up after them. While we do endeavour to keep trails clear of debris we cannot guaranteee that newly fallen trees will not block your way.

Interested in bringing a group on the trails for an interpretive hike or snowshoe? Click the link below for information on staff-led programming.

Elbow Lake Trail Map

Rules

Regardless of whether you are exploring on your own or participating in one of our programs, we ask that you follow some basic rules:

Black-Legged Tick Alert!

The biodiversity of the Elbow Lake property includes the black-legged tick. These tiny arthropods – related to spiders and mites – can carry Lyme disease. Follow precautions recommended by our local health unit[PDF] and check yourself thoroughly or ticks after visiting our trails.

Our Trails

Each trail is indicated with coloured markers for that trail. A digital map can be accessed on our Trail Guide.

There are four main trails at the Elbow Lake Environmental Education Centre:

Trails Elbow Lake

Trail #1: RED TRAIL

A moderately rugged 2.4 km loop through a variety of habitats, including a bridge over a beaver pond.
Elbow Lake trail

Trail #2: BLUE TRAIL

A remote, rugged 2.0 km trail encircling a rich wetland.
Elbow Lake property

Trail #3: ORANGE TRAIL

A rugged 0.6 km (one-way) spur trail to Spectacle Lake. Note that three un-bridged beaver dam crossings may make access difficult.
Elbow Lake Property

Trail #4: GREEN TRAIL

A gentle 1.4 km loop through deciduous and mixed forest, providing views of adjacent wetland habitat.