Parking
Use Boulton Creek Campground. Enter from Kananaskis Lakes Trail and take the first parking lot on the right; the signed snowshoe route starts among the campground paths. A Kananaskis Conservation Pass is required for vehicle parking.
Overview
About Frozen Toad Loop Snowshoe Trail
Why go
- Marl Lake shoreline and mountain views
- A varied winter loop with forest, creek and open wetland
Heads up
- Fresh snow can require breaking trail
- The early creek crossing and ski-trail intersections need attention
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Peter Lougheed map
Full mapElevation1,682–1,744 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 Frozen Toad 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
Boulton Creek: Trading Post and Creekside Break0:00 / 0:26
“Boulton Creek Trading Post is coming up, a useful stop for ice cream, baked goods, or a few forgotten camping supplies. It's inside the campground, but visitors can use the shop too.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Peter Lougheed Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Lower Lake Day Use: A Winter Lakeshore Stop
- Elk Pass: A Meadow on the Provincial Boundary
- From Beaver Pond to Meadow
- Upper Lake: Shoreline and Sarrail Falls
- 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 Frozen Toad Loop Snowshoe Trail
The loopFrozen Toad is an 8.
Frozen Toad is an 8.1 km winter loop from Boulton Creek Campground through forest, frozen wetlands and the shore of Marl Lake. Allow about two to two and a half hours on a packed track. It is a moderate-length outing with one notable early climb; fresh snow can make it much slower if you are breaking trail. The loop is commonly walked counter-clockwise from Boulton.
From Boulton to Marl LakeThe first stretch passes the trading post at about 0.
The first stretch passes the trading post at about 0.4 km, climbs beside a small flowing creek, then follows a campground road with views toward Elpoca Mountain. Forest and a creek corridor lead to the Packers ski-trail crossing around 1.4 km, then to an open meadow and the Amos crossing near 3.9 km. Marl Lake comes at about 4.1 km.
Shore and wetlandThe route follows Marl Lake’s open shore, with views toward Mounts Indefatigable, Lyautey and…
The route follows Marl Lake’s open shore, with views toward Mounts Indefatigable, Lyautey and Sarrail. Around 4.8 km it leaves the lake, crosses the Wheeler ski trail and enters open marsh. Forest returns near 7 km for the final stretch back. Orange diamond markers identify the snowshoe route; watch for skiers where routes meet.
Access and winter rulesStart from the first parking lot on the right after turning into Boulton Creek Campground from…
Start from the first parking lot on the right after turning into Boulton Creek Campground from Kananaskis Lakes Trail. A Kananaskis Conservation Pass is required when parking. Dog guidance distinguishes groomed ski trails from snowshoe routes but does not resolve the shared sections here, so check posted rules before bringing a dog.
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.
