Wander along a dreamy floating boardwalk in a dazzling Alberta national park

Summer is just around the corner, and there’s no better time to start planning a few road trips. Elk Island National Park is a gem in the wilderness and a UNESCO-designated Biosphere Reserve. Aside from postcard-perfect scenery, there’s a lovely floating boardwalk in this Alberta park, and it’s the ideal place to take it all in.

Here’s everything you need to know before you visit.

What to expect

Any visit to one of Alberta’s national parks is bound to deliver. Located on Astonin Lake, the Living Waters Boardwalk is a 400-metre loop with sweeping views of the surrounding islands and wildlife. According to Travel Alberta, the walking path is especially great for anyone with small kids. It’s also perfect if you’re not in the mood for an ambitious hike.

The boardwalk trail starts on land and loops out onto the water of Astotin Lake. Here’s you’ll have amazing views of the islands along with wildlife like waterfowl, beavers, fish, and frogs. The loop is easy going and only takes about 30 minutes to complete. However, we recommend taking it slow to really soak up the sights.

If you still have some energy, you can continue on to explore the rest of Elk Island. It’s also an amazing place for stargazing, as the park is a member of the Beaver Hills Dark Sky Preserve.

If that extra exploring has left your muscles sore, consider booking a luxe relaxation experience at Canada’s first mirrored sauna. It’s less than a 20-minute drive from the boardwalk.

Getting there

The Living Waters Boardwalk in Elk Island National Park is less than a one-hour drive from Edmonton, and about three and a half hours from Calgary. So if you’re coming from further away, this makes for a terrific weekend trip.

Park admission will cost you $9 for the day, unless you have an annual Parks Canada Discover Pass, in which case it’s included.

Wear some comfy shoes and get ready to stroll. Oh, and snap some pictures. Every angle here is a stunner.

Living Waters Boardwalk – Elk Island National Park

Where: Directions here

Recent Posts:
One of Alberta’s coolest adventure parks has an alpine coaster, zipline, and summer tube slide
There’s a sandy beach in Alberta and it’s ranked among the best in Canada