Skip to main content.

Alberta Paddling Information
Where to Paddle in Alberta

RATINGS
Novice Novice
Novice +
Novice + (practiced novice)
Intermediate Intermediate
Highly Skilled Highly Skilled
Alberta Watershed Map

New!  Alberta Paddling Guidebook

Mark’s Guide for Alberta Paddlers

Mark's Guide for Alberta Paddlers

Mark's Guide for Alberta Paddlers

by Mark Lund
©2007

Guidebook is 8½” x 11”, spiral coil binding, 225 pages

Mark's Guide For Alberta Paddlers — this guide includes 60 reach reports for Alberta's rivers and lakes, stretching from Milk River in the south to the Peace River in the north, from the Cold River in the east to the Kootenay River in the west.

Table of Contents with links to sample reports

Retailers who sell Mark's Guide for Alberta Paddlers

Also available from Paddle Alberta for $35
Add $7 for postage within Canada
Add $12 for postage within U.S.

Purchase Online with PayPal

Please select the destination country for shipping:


Lake Paddling & Tripping

Lake Tripping: Maligne Lake in Jasper National Park

  • Rating: Novice + High winds & ice cold water
  • Reach Report by Mark Lund: Maligne Lake PDF icon
  • References, Books: Mark’s Guide for Alberta Paddlers

Lake Tripping: Lakeland Provincial Park

North Saskatchewan River Basin

North Saskatchewan: Devon to Edmonton


North Saskatchewan: Drayton Valley to Devon


North Saskatchewan: Nordegg to Drayton Valley

  • Rating: Intermediate
  • Paddle Alberta Alberta River Guide: North Saskatchewan River: Nordegg to Drayton Valley buy
    • Class I – II   A high volume river that flows through the foothills region of forested valleys and river characterized by ledges, wave trains and rock features. From Nordegg, Bridge through The Gap and many rough water stretches toward Saunders, Horburg and Rocky Mountain House. Then Baptiste River, Abraham’s Gates, Brazeau River, Lodgepole, Buck Creek and then on to Drayton Valley.

North Saskatchewan — Edmonton to Saskatchewan Boundary

South Saskatchewan River Basin

South Saskatchewan: Grand Forks to Estuary, Saskatchewan


Bow River: Calgary to Carseland

  • Rating: Novice
  • Paddle Alberta Alberta River Guide: Bow River: Ghost Dam to Carseland buy
    • Class I – I+   Features spruce and aspen forests to rolling grasslands. From Ghost Dam through Cochrane, Calgary then Policeman’s Flats, the Highwood River, McKinnon Flats and on to Carseland.  Includes the Lower Elbow River. Ghost Dam to the Gas Plant is the most technical stretch. Be aware of the Weirs in Calgary and Carseland.
  • Reach Report by Mark Lund: Bow River: Calgary to Carseland Dam PDF icon
  • References, Books: Mark’s Guide for Alberta Paddlers

Bow River: Ghost Dam to Calgary

  • Rating: Intermediate
  • Paddle Alberta Alberta River Guide: Bow River: Ghost Dam to Carseland buy
    • Class I – I+   Features spruce and aspen forests to rolling grasslands. From Ghost Dam through Cochrane, Calgary then Policeman’s Flats, the Highwood River, McKinnon Flats and on to Carseland.  Includes the Lower Elbow River. Ghost Dam to the Gas Plant is the most technical stretch. Be aware of the Weirs in Calgary and Carseland.
  • Reach Report by Mark Lund: Bow River: Ghost Dam to Cochrane PDF icon
  • References, Books: Mark’s Guide for Alberta Paddlers

Bow River: Lake Louise to Banff/Canmore area


Old Man River: Fort McLeod to Grand Forks

  • Rating: Novice to Intermediate
  • Reach Report by Mark Lund: Old Man River: Fort McLeod to Grand Forks PDF icon
  • References, Books:
    • Mark’s Guide for Alberta Paddlers
    • Prairie River: A Canoe and Wildlife Viewing Guide to the South Saskatchewan River
      from Grand Forks, Alberta to Estuary, Saskatchewan.
      2nd ed. (Print-Non-Fiction).
      Dickinson, Dawn, Baresco, Dennis and Newton, Garry, illus. Federation of Alberta Naturalists (FNA), 2003.
      158 p. ISBN 0-9696134-5-8 ($14.95 pbk.)

Red Deer: Content to Drumheller

  • Rating: Novice
  • Paddle Alberta Alberta River Guide: Middle Red Deer River: Dickson Dam to Drumheller buy
    • Class I   Aspen Parkland valley to City of Red Deer. Transition to badlands begin after Canyon Gap near Joffre Bridge. Content Bridge to Dry Island Buffalo Jump Provincial Park (a ‘must visit’ site). From Content Bridge, the spectacular Canadian Badlands begin to dominate the river valley through to Drumheller.
  • Download touring guide PDF icon from Travel Alberta/Canadian Badlands website
  • References, Books: Mark’s Guide for Alberta Paddlers

Red Deer: Drumheller to Dinosaur Provincial Park

  • Rating: Novice
  • Paddle Alberta Alberta River Guide: Lower Red Deer River: Drumheller to Red Deer Forks buy
    • Class I   Scenic Drumheller badlands, through Deadlodge Canyon, Dinosaur Provincial Park badlands, and on to the Cottonwood bends of the confluence with the South Saskatchewan River.
  • Reach Report by Mark Lund: Red Deer River: Drumheller to Dinosaur Prov. Park PDF icon
  • References, Books: Mark’s Guide for Alberta Paddlers

Athabasca River Basin

Athabasca River: Whitecourt to Fort Assiniboine


Athabasca River: Jasper to Whitecourt

  • Rating: Intermediate
  • Paddle Alberta Alberta River Guide: Athabasca River: Jasper to Whitecourt buy
    • Class I+ – II+ From Jasper through Jasper National Park & the majestic Rock Mountain front to Hinton, through forested foothills past ‘Tunnelrock’, ‘The Gates’ and the Berland River towards Windfall & Whitecourt.
  • References, Books:

Milk River Basin

Milk River: Milk River to Writing–on–Stone Provincial Park

  • Rating: Intermediate
  • Paddle Alberta Alberta River Guide: Milk River: Whiskey Gap to Deer Creek buy
    • Class I – II   Unique prairie scenery, coulees and river characterized by rock gardens and some undercuts. The guide describes the route from Whiskey Gap, past Del Bonita, the forks, Milk River and Gold Springs Park, on to Poverty Rock, Writing-on-Stone Provincial Park and finally Deer Creek. 
  • Reach Report by Mark Lund: Milk River: Milk River to Highway #880 PDF icon
  • References, Books: Mark’s Guide for Alberta Paddlers

Peace/Slave River Basin

Peace River: Dunvegan to Peace River