Elk Island Askiy-Geo Discovery Tour

Welcome to Elk Island National Park! It is one of Canada’s smallest national parks and part of the Beaver Hills Biosphere, a UNESCO designed biosphere since 2016 and one of nineteen in Canada.

Your geo-adventure begins at the Moss Lake Trailhead, where the last glaciation deposited rolling sandy hills and meltwater depressions along with alternating boreal forest and wetland vegetation. The second half of your journey will pass through terraced beaver dams and native grassland habitat where the buffalo (plains bison) still roam. To begin in a good way, your geo-experience will start with an opening circle and then a beaver/buffalo/elk/muskrat learning table along with a later tobacco offering.

Join Keith Diakiw, a proud Métis guide and professional geologist, as he shares some glacial geology knowledge of the region, the park’s unique history form 1906-1913, traditional Indigenous medicine knowledge of plants hiding in plain sight, and experience some wildlife encounters.

NOTE: The Moss Lake trailhead is accessible from the Elk Island Parkway road, and free parking is available.

Length: ~5 km

Time: 3–3.5 hours; weekends (0800 to 1130 hrs)

Significant Features: Mixed wood forest. Great for viewing beaver, elk, plains buffalo, and waterfowl.

Trailhead Location: Access from Elk Island Parkway, inside Elk Island National Park (Free parking at Moss Lake Trail parking lot)