A guide to the Provincial Recreation Area Day Use

• Trail Info
• Impact of the 2013 flood
• Kananaskis Trail Reports
• Elbow Valley Trail Locator Map

Read about proposed plans to renew the Elbow Valley facilities after the 2013 flood.

See photos of the work in progress as of September, 2017

The upgrades to the mini parks along the Elbow Valley are complete. There is a lot to like about these recreational areas now. Although we mourn the loss of Allen Bill Pond and the recreation area at Elbow Falls. The falls remain one of the most attractive aspects of the valley, along with the beautiful Forgetmenot Pond, but lots of parking has been added along with new trailheads  all along the valley, to provide access to the backcountry. One of the most notable upgrades is Cobble Flats located near the end of Highway 66, just before the Little Elbow Recreation Area. This is the place to go if you want to enjoy a picnic with family and friends. There are lots of picnic tables with firepits. Well over 50 tables, some pads have 2 tables for large groups. There is also a nice new indoor picnic are with a group firepit outside. All the tables are wheelchair accessible along paved paths. Many overlook the river which is easily accessible. This is a major change to the recreational options available in Kananaskis. Check it out.

    Allen Bill

Open all year

    West Bragg Creek

Open all year

Guide to Day Use Provincial Recreation Areas in the Elbow Valley

In these pages you will find useful and informative information about the beautiful places and attractive facilities available to you in the Elbow Valley of Kananaskis. But before we begin let me reveal one of the most unique and engaging attractions of all – Bragg Creek, the Gateway to Kananaskis. You will find everything you need to make your escape from the city rewarding and enjoyable – fine food, fine art, extraordinary gifts and fashions that will make your journey here and beyond something to treasure. And, if you don’t need the finest things we also have the basics; gas, food, sporting goods, snacks, liqour even duct tape. If you find all this irresistible and you decide that you just have to own a piece of paradise, we can even provide that. So come on out to the foothills, we won’t disappoint you. I say that knowing that we took a big hit in the flood that destroyed so much of the valley. But, we’ll recover and so will the Elbow Valley. Think of it like this, Bragg Creek is the Gift Shop and Restaurant that you can visit before or after a day in the Kananaskis Theme Park.

After the two most visited and most valued recreation areas in the Elbow Valley were all but destroyed on the flood of June 20 – 23, 2013, we’re going to survey the damage and take a look at some alternatives. This information won’t be updated so check the www.kananaskis-country.ca web site for current information. The photos and text in this feature were produced in early August of 2013. I assume that efforts will be made to restore some semblance of the beauty and rich resources available before the flood, but this will serve as a record of the toll taken by the raging torrent that ripped through the Elbow Valley and what was left behind.

The Provincial Recreation Areas intended for day use are only open from 7 AM to 11 PM. No Camping is allowed. Unlike campgrounds you can’t reserve space in Day Use Areas. They operate on a first come, first served basis – or “the early bird gets the worm”. Pets must be leashed within the Provincial Recreation Areas (PRA). It’s a poor rule (imprecise), but the rule of thumb is that the PRA extends about 100 metres around the parking lot. In some cases, like between Allen Bill Pond and Paddy’s Flat, the area is much larger. There are maps of the PRAs included here. Typically they have ample parking, outhouse style toilets, picnic tables, pathways and firepits. Not all have these amenities. Many are trailheads and serve as staging areas for cycling, hiking, horseback riding, kayaking off-roading and other recreational activities. Some have interpretive trails with signs along the way describing the natural features.

The bridge over the Elbow River on Highway 66 near Allen Bill was wrecked in the flood. Hopefully it will be repaired before winter, but, for now, there is a single lane bridge that has opened up the valley for visitors.

The Provincial Recreation Areas on this page are ideal for family outings, picnics and most have toilets. Use the map below to find cycling and hiking trails.

Intreactive trail and facility locator map

If you are using a laptop or desktop with a mouse and have Adobe Flash installed, I hope you will find this helpful and even fun. You can zoom in, pan around and when you roll your mouse over a trail, it will light up and show the name of the trail. There is a lot of information here, more than is apparent.