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McLeod Meadows Day-use Area in Kootenay National Park

Picnic area · Kootenay National Park

McLeod Meadows Day-use Area

A cool, shaded picnic break at the Dog Lake trailhead.

Type
Picnic area
Nearest trail
Right here
Audio stories
4 nearby
  • Picnic tables
  • Restrooms
  • Parking
  • Trailhead
DirectionsMap

Hear the audio tour

Dog Lake Trailhead: Bridges and a Forest Walk

Overview

About McLeod Meadows Day-use Area

Why stop

  • Cool shade makes it a useful picnic stop on a hot drive.

Heads up

  • Its appeal is mostly a break or trail access, not a standalone sight.

Map

Where it is

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Picnic areaMcLeod Meadows Day-use Area50.76497, -115.94132
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Plan your stop

Before you go

5 active Kootenay alerts

  • ClosureWatercraft and angling prohibitedWatercraft and angling are prohibited on every waterbody in Kootenay National Park until March 31, 2027, to reduce the spread of aquatic invasive species (AIS), including whirling disease.Official details
  • ClosureSinclair Canyon construction closures and delaysRepairs to the Sinclair Creek Rock Tunnel and rehabilitation of the retaining wall at Sinclair Canyon require construction closures; expect alternating single-lane traffic on Highway 93S and…Official details
See all 5 alerts
A park ranger sits on a dash-mounted phone, talking, as Parkwolf’s Tour Guide plays “Army Cutworm Moths: A Grizzly Bear Buffet” on Grand Loop Road below Dunraven Pass in Yellowstone
Parkwolf Tour GuideThe highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.

Kootenay Tour Guide

Your drive to McLeod Meadows Day-use Area, narrated.

Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Kootenay National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.

See the Kootenay audio tour

Recorded for this place

Dog Lake Trailhead: Bridges and a Forest Walk
0:00 / 0:22
“You're nearing the Dog Lake trailhead at McLeod Meadows, for a forest walk across two suspension bridges over the Kootenay River.”

Plays as you drive up to McLeod Meadows Day-use Area in the Parkwolf Kootenay Tour Guide.

More stories near here in the app

  • McLeod Meadows Campground: Camping by the River
  • A Squirrel’s Cone Pile
  • A Conifer That Drops Its Needles
  • Kootenay River Day-use Area: A Riverside Break
  • 49 audio storiesacross Kootenay’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
  • Wildlife heatmapsfor Grizzly Bear, Gray Wolf, Moose, and 13 more
  • Works offlinemaps, 38 trails, 29 places, and audio download before you lose signal
  • CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
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Guide

More about McLeod Meadows Day-use Area

What this stop isMcLeod Meadows is a public, shaded picnic area in Kootenay National Park, about 28 km north of…

McLeod Meadows is a public, shaded picnic area in Kootenay National Park, about 28 km north of Radium Hot Springs on Highway 93. It also serves as the Dog Lake trailhead, so think of it as a useful break or the start of a walk, not a headline attraction.

A simple picnic stopThe area is known for its cool shade, and benches and toilets are mapped at the site.

The area is known for its cool shade, and benches and toilets are mapped at the site. It is separate from the nearby McLeod Meadows campground, which is an overnight stay.

Walk to Dog LakeThe Dog Lake route starts here. When it is open, the lake is 2.

The Dog Lake route starts here. When it is open, the lake is 2.6 km one way, or you can take the 7 km loop through old-growth forest and across two bridges over the Kootenay River. Check current trail notices before setting out.

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Wildlife

Wildlife in Kootenay

All Kootenay wildlife maps
Grizzly Bear41 sightingsGrizzly BearMost seen around 8 PMSighting mapGray Wolf31 sightingsGray WolfMost seen around 8 PMSighting mapMoose22 sightingsMooseMost seen around 6 AMSighting mapMountain Goat84 sightingsMountain GoatMost seen around 7 PMSighting mapBighorn Sheep522 sightingsBighorn SheepMost seen around 7 AMSighting mapElk65 sightingsElkMost seen around 6 AMSighting map

Sighting maps show where each species has been reported across Kootenay. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.

Keep exploring

Near McLeod Meadows Day-use Area

See it all on the map

Trails nearby

ModerateDog Lake Loop7 km · 2.5 hr · At the trailheadTwo Kootenay River bridges lead through old growth to Dog Lake.ModerateEast Kootenay Trail14.4 km · 4.5 hr · At the trailheadAn easy fire road to Daer Creek with two river bridges.

More stops nearby

Campground · 0.3 km awayMcLeod Meadows CampgroundUnserviced camping beside the Kootenay River.Sight · 1.9 km awayDog LakeTwo river bridges lead through old-growth forest to a mountain lake.Picnic area · 3.5 km awayKootenay River Day-use AreaA riverside picnic stop along Highway 93 South

Parkwolf’s Kootenay ranking

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Take Parkwolf to Kootenay.

The audio tour guide for the drive, plus offline maps, trails, and wildlife heatmaps for when the signal drops.

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