Alberta’s paddling community can contribute to the body of knowledge about the province’s protected areas… while stretching their legs. Many protected areas have potential for canoeing, kayaking, environmental stewardship, and creating lasting memories of past trips!
One of the best ways to see Alberta’s natural richness is from the cockpit of a kayak or from a canoe. A gentle j-stroke steers the boat past a grazing moose, oblivious to your passing. The quiet unpacking of the boat precedes enjoying a night of camping and fellowship on a remote shore. The enthusiastic wave from a child from an overhead bridge suggests to that “wee-one” a river is more than a barrier – it can be a gateway to adventure.
- A 40% Chance of Paddling (Maybe)
- SAPAA, BWCC, and Maybe Paddle Alberta
- The Cost of a Site Inspection (Hint: an Extended Stretch)
- The 2026 Paddling Challenge
- North Sask & Red Deer Rivers – Glaciers to the Foothills
- Red Deer River – the Badlands and Lakes
- Milk River – a trip 10,000 years in the Making
- Frog Lake Herony – Paddling, Camping, and a Rebellion
- Alberta’s North – Walking in the Path of HBC
- SAPAA, Paddling, and Next Steps
- Notes and References
A 40% Chance of Paddling (Maybe)
Of the 262 Protected Areas of interest to SAPAA, “113 or more than 40%” have paddling potential. The file below organizes these sites into Alberta’s counties and municipal districts. A further break down indicates whether the site is conducive to lake or river paddling.
Great News, with a big caveat. Alberta’s rivers and lakes have shrunk in recent decades. Upper Mann Lake Natural Area is an example of what was a fishing and paddling destination that is now closer to a prairie slough. Some of the destinations are seasonal as well. The Milk River is an exceptional river but only for a few weeks every year when there is sufficient water and weather.
SAPAA, BWCC, and Maybe Paddle Alberta
An example of an area with good water (thanks to the upstream Ghost Reservoir) is Wildcat Island Natural Area on the Bow River. Recently SAPAA has worked with the Bow Waters Canoe Club of Calgary to visit and report on this site. BWCC has maintained an outhouse on this site for decades and SAPAA thanks them for replacing this facility, their recent report, and the bag of garbage they dragged out.
Beyond Wildcat, it is possible for paddling clubs and organizations in Alberta to both contribute to and benefit from an affiliation with SAPAA. Paddle Alberta is the provincial body supporting recreational paddling. It has an environmental mandate and sustainable paddling is a central pillar of this organization.
Adding a SAPAA site inspection Report is a tangible way for a club to contribute to Paddle Alberta’s environmental mandate. More importantly, visiting, evaluating, and reporting on a site rounds out a day on the water.
The Cost of a Site Inspection (Hint: an Extended Stretch)
Many paddlers make notes in the form of a trip report to remember where they camped and what they saw. A site inspection is part of this tradition. With a bit of training, most site inspections take about an hour or two. This is dependent on the size of the site, the ability to get around it (existing trails, etc.), and interesting distractions found while walking about.
A paddler may want to turn on their phone’s voice recorder and make notes of their observations and the reason for taking a photo. Botanical observations of even the most common flora and fauna by submitting via iNaturalist are appreciated and add to the site’s story. Once back home, voice notes, photos, and iNaturalist observations can be quickly converted into a site inspection report.
Before heading out or to help with planning, SAPAA can provide a historical extract of all previous site inspections before or after visiting.
The 2026 Paddling Challenge
As paddling clubs, professional guides, and individual paddlers pack away their gear for 2025 and start to dream of trips for 2026, SAPAA encourages them to consider one of the 113 potential paddle destinations. Beyond Wildcat Island Natural Area, the following are examples of possible 2026 trip plans. This is not an exhaustive list but rather a teaser of what is possible in 2026!
North Sask & Red Deer Rivers – Glaciers to the Foothills
Tumbling out of the mountains, the Red Deer River is described by Mark Lund as “.. Alberta’s pre-eminent white water stream.” [1] This stretch of river includes massive protected areas such as the Kootenay Plains Ecological Reserve as well as many smaller sites. Both lake and river paddling is possible along this section.
| County | Paddling | Site |
| Clearwater County | Paddling-Lake | Cow Lake (NA) |
| Clearwater County | Paddling-Lake | Douglas Fir (NA) |
| Clearwater County | Paddling-Lake | Lake of the Falls (CNT) |
| Clearwater County | Paddling-Lake | Landslide Lake (PNT) |
| Clearwater County | Paddling-Lake | West Stony Creek (PNT) |
| Clearwater County | Paddling-River | Caroline (PNT) |
| Clearwater County | Paddling-River | Chedderville (NA & PNT) |
| Clearwater County | Paddling-River | Clearwater Ricinus (NA) |
| Clearwater County | Paddling-River | Kootenay Plains (ER) |
| Clearwater County | Paddling-River | Mill Island (NA) |
| Clearwater County | Paddling-River | North Ram-Nice Creek (PNT) |
Red Deer River – the Badlands and Lakes
Downstream of Red Deer, the river widens and meanders through a landscape worthy of the movie Jurassic Park. Nearby are other rivers worth exploring and lakes where beginner paddlers (and families) can enjoy a day out on the water.
| County | Paddling | Site |
| Kneehill County | Paddling-River | Dry Island Corridor (NA) |
| Lacombe County | Paddling-Lake | Sylvan Lake (NA) |
| Lacombe County | Paddling-River | Heatburg (NA) |
| Leduc County | Paddling-River | Genesee (NA) |
| Leduc County | Paddling-River | St. Francis (NA & PNT) |
| Red Deer County | Paddling-River | Butcher Creek (NA) |
| Red Deer County | Paddling-River | Markerville (NA) |
| Red Deer County | Paddling-River | Schrader Creek – Red Deer River (NA) |
| Starland County | Paddling-River | Tolman Badlands HR |
| Wetaskiwin No. 10, County of | Paddling-Lake | Mount Butte (NA) |
| Wetaskiwin No. 10, County of | Paddling-Lake | Winfield (PNT) |
Milk River – a trip 10,000 years in the Making
Petroglyphs and a river that empties into the Mississippi Watershed. The man-made boundary between two countries was nothing more than a point on the endless prairie a hundred or more years ago. Distances make this area ideally accessed by boat – when there is enough water in the Milk River!
| County | Paddling | Site |
| Cypress County | Paddling-River | Hargrave Coulees (NA) |
| Forty Mile No. 8, County of | Paddling-River | Milk River (NA) |
| Forty Mile No. 8, County of | Paddling-River | Pinhorn (CNT) |
| Forty Mile No. 8, County of | Paddling-River | Verdigris Coulee (PNT) |
Frog Lake Herony – Paddling, Camping, and a Rebellion
The Frog Lake Massacre is seared into the Canadian consciousness because of its role in the second Lois Riel Rebellion. A tragedy and a cast of characters continues to haunt and shape Canadian and Alberta politics. Additionally, there is a large island in the middle of Frog Lake to be explored and documented.
Camping is possible at the Riel Beach Campground and a large beach makes this a perfect destination for a summer/fall time meeting and training session. Nearby lakes are also tempting but water levels must be confirmed beforehand.
| County | Paddling | Site |
| Lac La Biche County | Paddling-Lake | Beaver Lake & Old Canoe Island (PNT) |
| Lac La Biche County | Paddling-Lake | Crow Lake (ER) |
| Lac La Biche County | Paddling-Lake | Lac La Biche (PNT) |
| Lac La Biche County | Paddling-Lake | Perch Lake Lac Canard (PNT) |
| Smoky Lake County | Paddling-Lake | Bellis Lake (PNT) |
| Smoky Lake County | Paddling-River | Victoria Settlement (NA) |
| St. Paul No. 19, County of | Paddling-Lake | Frog Lake Heronry (PNT) |
| St. Paul No. 19, County of | Paddling-Lake | Upper Mann Lake (NA) |
Alberta’s North – Walking in the Path of HBC
Hudson Bay department stores may be closed in 2025, but a few hundred years ago, its employees were paddling Alberta’s large northern rivers in search of furs and trade opportunities with the First Nations.
The Peace, Athabasca, North Saskatchewan, and smaller rivers saw voyageur canoes and trading posts winking in and out of existence. (Map courtesy of the Government of Manitoba).
| County | Paddling | Site |
| Athabasca County | Paddling-Lake | Bridge Lake (NA) |
| Athabasca County | Paddling-Lake | Caslan and North Buck Lake (PNT) |
| Athabasca County | Paddling-Lake | Island Lake (PNT) |
| Big Lakes County | Paddling-Lake | Police Point (NA) |
| Fairview No. 136, M.D. | Paddling-River | Dunvegan (PNT) |
| Fairview No. 136, M.D. | Paddling-River | Highland Park (PNT) |
| Grande Prairie County | Paddling-Lake | Bear Lake (NA) |
| Mackenzie County | Paddling-River | Caribou River (NA) |
| Mackenzie County | Paddling-River | Ponton River (South) (PNT) |
| Wood Buffalo | Paddling-Lake | Egg Island (ER) |
| Wood Buffalo | Paddling-Lake | Gregoire Lake (PNT) |
| Wood Buffalo | Paddling-River | La Saline (NA) |
| Wood Buffalo | Paddling-River | Whitemud Falls (ER) |
SAPAA, Paddling, and Next Steps
As part of its strategic plan, SAPAA wants to partner with peer organizations to collect information on the sites of interest. While SAPAA would like to collect data on all of Alberta’s public lands, let’s start small.
Paddlers are an environmentally conscious group and are excellent observers and note takers. Adding a site inspection is one more way to remember a paddle. Revisiting a site year over year gives Albertans longitudinal information on their status.
Paddle Alberta, canoe clubs, paddlers, and SAPAA – a perfect partnership!
Notes and References
- Lund, Mark E. R. Mark’s Guide for Central Alberta Paddlers. M. Lund, 1997.
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