How to spend a fun long weekend in Cypress Hills Provincial Park: hike, bike, play at the beach… then paddle and play mini golf!
Cypress Hills Provincial Park is an awesome outdoor playground in southeast Alberta. The Cypress Hills are the highest point between the Rockies and Labrador, so you can enjoy hiking and mountain biking as well as boating and beach time at Elkwater Lake. Head to Fort Walsh on the Saskatchewan side (Cypress Hills is an inter-provincial park) to learn about the area’s history.
Using Firerock Campground on Elkwater Lake as our home base, we enjoyed a variety of free family-friendly activities. Here’s how we to spend 4 days at Elkwater with little kids (2 to 5 years old).
Table of Contents
Day 1: Beaches and Biking
- Bike the Shoreline Trail (2.4 km one way). The trail is paved / boardwalk and flat, so it is suitable for young riders – my daughter is 5 – or pulling a Chariot.
- Play at West End Day Use Area (beach and playground). The playground is near a small beach and swimming area, and has a shaded picnic table near it. We loved that the water was shallow and warm enough to wade in (go to the Marina for deeper water)!
Day 2: Walk and Play Mini Golf
- Take the Lakeshore Trail from the Marina to East End Day Use Area (approx. 500 m one way). There are lots of wildflowers along the trail.
- Visit the playground
- Play a couple rounds of mini golf (the kids couldn’t get enough!)
- Walk back to Marina and played at the beach for the afternoon
- Enjoy dinner around the fire with friends
Day 3: Biking and Hiking
- Drive up to Horseshoe Mountain Viewpoint for a hike. This scenic viewpoint would be lovely at sunset on a clear day.
- Check out the outdoor exhibits and have a picnic at Tom Trott Memorial Forestry Museum.
- Explore the Cypress Hills Visitor Centre. Admission is free and there are some interesting displays/exhibits on the local history, geography, and Dark Sky conservation. There is also a great children’s area including play room, coloring station, (magnetic) fishing, play house/puppet theater, and floor puzzles. If you need to heat up some baby food or water, there is a microwave in the playroom that the public is free to use.
- Dine at CAMP Cookhouse, next to the Visitor Centre. The chef is fantastic, so everything is delicious!
- Get an ice cream bar from CAMP Cookhouse & General Store. All the essentials are here (camp fuel, bread, milk), but there is no produce.
- Drive to Head of the Mountain Viewpoint for a view of the Sweetgrass Hills in Montana. You can bike or hike from here. Note: Cows grazing in the area. Keep kids and dogs close.
More Summer Activities in Cypress Hills
- Boating: Powered and non-powered boats are allowed on the lake. Canoe, paddleboat, and stand up paddle boats are available for rent. Inquire at the Visitor Centre. Note: There is a free lifejacket loaner program at the Marina if you forgot life jackets.
- Cycling: Various trails to choose from – see the Summer Trails Guide for more info. The Shoreline Trail, paved & boardwalk, is suitable for young cyclists. The Firerock Trail is an excellent (blue) mountain biking trail.
- Fishing: There are perch and pike in Elkwater Lake and trout in nearby Reesor and Lake and Spruce Coulee Reservoir.
- Hiking: Various trails to choose from – see the Summer Trails Guide for more info. Be advised there are cougars in the area.
- Mini Golf: There is free mini golf at the East End Day Use area!
- Playgrounds: at Marina, West End Day Use, and East End Day Use Area. Note: play structure at East End not for younger children.
- Sunbathing/Swimming: There are sandy beaches at Elkwater Marina (largest), West End Day Use area (second largest), and West Central Day Use area. The best place for swimming is Elkwater Marina as the water is deeper there.
- Tom Trott Memorial Forestry Museum: An interesting stop on the way to/from the Horseshoe Canyon or Head of the Mountain Viewpoints. Picnic tables and washrooms available.
The Elkwater area is really family-friendly with all the beaches and playgrounds along the lake. We hope you enjoy it as much as we do!
Where to Stay
There are several options for camping and comfort camping in Cypress Hills Provincial Park including 12 campgrounds, 8 comfort camping areas, and 5 group use areas. Visit Alberta Parks – Cypress Hills Camping for more information. We like Firerock and Lakeview for their proximity to the lake and showers, but the other campgrounds offer more shade and privacy.
The comfort camping huts are also really nice! We comfort camped at Elkwater and Reesor Lake in the winter and loved it.
If you’d prefer to stay at a hotel, Elkwater Lake Lodge & Resort has spacious rooms near the lake.
What to Bring
Disclosure: This section includes affiliate links through which I earn a commission on qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.
Waterproof mid-height hiking boots, a down hoody or fleece, toque, gloves, and windproof/waterproof shell are recommended year round. Trekking poles are useful for long hikes, steep descents, or when you’re carrying a fully-loaded backpack (or are babywearing). You should also carry The Ten Essentials including: water, extra food, extra clothes, a first aid kit, headlamp, GPS / compass / Garmin inReach Mini 2 satellite communicator* and map of the area, mineral sunscreen, bug spray (this DEET-free insect repellent contains 20% icaridin and will repel ticks), and bear spray. Carry bear spray in a Bear Spray Holster or Scat Griz Bear Spray Running Belt.
*A Garmin inReach Mini 2 satellite communicator is highly recommended for contacting Search & Rescue and emergency contacts in the event of an emergency, or communicating with friends and family when you are out of cell phone range. You can send text messages and your GPS coordinates via satellite, but a monthly service plan is required.
See our Ultimate Camping Pack List for all the camping essentials!
Getting Here
The hamlet of Elkwater in Cypress Hills Provincial Park is located 3.5 hours SE of Calgary / 2 hrs 20 minutes from Lethbridge / 45 minutes from Medicine Hat. Click here for Google Maps directions.
More fun things to do in the area / en route
- Firerock Campground, Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park
- How to spend a fun weekend in Medicine Hat
- Nikka Yuko Japanese Garden, Lethbridge
2 comments
It's a really family friendly camping destination! I regret we didn't visit the Saskatchewan side of the park! Thanks for letting me know about Fort Waslh. 🙂
We just went camping there a few weeks ago and had so much fun! My kids are 3 & 7. We also really enjoyed visiting Fort Walsh, on the Saskatchewan side of the park, and doing loads of birdwatching.
Comments are closed.