Parking
Start at the Elkwood Amphitheatre day-use lot, which has pit/vault toilets. A Kananaskis Conservation Pass is required for vehicles parked in the area. William Watson Lodge has a separate 0.7 km access link to the loop.
Overview
About Elkwood Loop Snowshoe Trail
Why go
- Marl Lake is a memorable stop on a short, low-gain loop
- Vault toilets are available at the day-use start
Heads up
- Part of the return follows campground roads
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Peter Lougheed map
Full mapElevation1,707–1,728 m
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
4 active Peter Lougheed alerts
- ClosureTrail closures and Three Isle detourThree trail sections remain closed; stay out of closed areas and follow the signed Three Isle detour to reach the open backcountry campgrounds.Official details
- CautionBear activity near Elpoca and ValleyviewFrequent bear activity has been noted along Valleyview Road from Elpoca Day Use Area south to Highway 40, near Little Highwood Pass and Valleyview Day Use Areas; use bear precautions.Official details
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Peter Lougheed Tour Guide
Your drive to Elkwood Loop Snowshoe Trail, narrated.
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Peter Lougheed Provincial 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 Peter Lougheed audio tourRecorded for this trailhead
Elkwood Amphitheatre: The Walk to Marl Lake0:00 / 0:24
“You're coming up on Elkwood Amphitheatre, the public starting point for the summer walk to Marl Lake.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Peter Lougheed Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- William Watson Lodge: An Accessible Retreat
- From Beaver Pond to Meadow
- The Songbird That Dives
- Discovery Centre: Exhibits and Meadow Bears
- 41 audio storiesacross Peter Lougheed’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Grizzly Bear, Canada Lynx, Black Bear, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 66 trails, 41 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Trail guide
Hiking Elkwood Loop Snowshoe Trail
The loopElkwood Loop Snowshoe is a 3.
Elkwood Loop Snowshoe is a 3.4 km winter snowshoe loop from Elkwood Amphitheatre, with about 23 m of gain. It follows narrow forest paths to Marl Lake, then climbs a short hill to the campground’s D Loop and returns on mostly flat campground roads. Allow about an hour, with a pause by the water.
Marl LakeThe snowshoe loop shares part of Marl Lake Interpretive Trail, but it is a separate marked…
The snowshoe loop shares part of Marl Lake Interpretive Trail, but it is a separate marked winter route. From the eastern shore, look across Marl Lake toward Mount Indefatigable and the Elk Range. The lake is the main pause; after it, expect one short climb and a flatter campground-road finish. William Watson Lodge has a separate 0.7 km access link to the loop.
Start and winter useBegin at Elkwood Amphitheatre Trailhead, where the day-use lot has vault toilets.
Begin at Elkwood Amphitheatre Trailhead, where the day-use lot has vault toilets. A Kananaskis Conservation Pass is required for parked vehicles. This start also serves a groomed cross-country network: follow the snowshoe markers and stay off ski trails. Pets are allowed; keep them on a leash no longer than 2 m.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Peter Lougheed
132 sightingsGrizzly BearMost seen around 8 PMSighting map
17 sightingsCanada LynxMost seen around 8 PMSighting map
30 sightingsBlack BearMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
69 sightingsMooseMost seen around 5 PMSighting map
176 sightingsBighorn SheepMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
19 sightingsBald EagleMost seen around 8 AMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Peter Lougheed. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
