Kayaking Mayatan Lake- Parkland County

Mayatan Lake, in Parkland County, is a wonderful kayaking spot west of Edmonton. This sheltered lake has two basins connected by an easy to paddle narrows and features a forested shoreline, clear water, and wildlife viewing opportunities.

Kayaking Mayatan Lake

The public launch area at Mayatan Lake is in Mayatan Lake Estates, at the end of an unmarked access road off Range Road 30/Mayatan Drive.

You can drive right up to the lake, unload your boat, then park nearby. There’s no dock, so you’ll have to wade into the water or push off from shore.

Once you’re on the lake, you’ll soon notice how clear and deep the water is. The water clarity allows you to see all sorts of plant life growing below the surface. In some places, it’s quite the jungle down there!

As you kayak Mayatan Lake, a nice route is to head left along the shoreline to get to the narrows. You’ll pass by a few lakeside homes with private piers then the shore will curve towards the narrows.

The water at the narrows is more shallow than the rest of the lake, but it should be easy to paddle through unless the lake is unusually low for some reason. The waterway is framed on both sides by reeds and tall trees, so it’s pretty to paddle down.

At the end of the narrows you’ll arrive at the southeast section of the lake. Much like the northwest part, this side of the lake is sheltered with tall trees and wetland grass. You’ll also find some quiet coves to explore, which the other side of Mayatan Lake doesn’t have.

Heading counterclockwise, you’ll pass by a beaver lodge then come to the entrance of a cove. The big power line towers and wires crossing over the lake ruin the scenery a bit, but it’s still worth paddling into the cove.

Once you reach the far end, you may notice the water flowing through a small gap in the shoreline grass. When you look at a satellite view of the area, it appears as though this narrow channel leads to two small ponds. However, the channel is way too tight and crowded by reeds to comfortably paddle through.

As you continue around the cove, there’ll be more tall grass and trees to look at. There’s also quite a bit of weeds in some spots that your paddle can get tangled up in.

Back in the main part of the lake, resume your counterclockwise journey along the shoreline. The scenery doesn’t change much so it’s a good time to keep an eye out for birds and other wildlife, including herons and muskrats.

Eventually you’ll come to another small cove. This one doesn’t take long to paddle around but it can be a good spot to see ducks.

Next up, paddle towards the narrows then return to the northwest section of the lake. 

Finish your kayak trip on Mayatan Lake by going clockwise along the rest of the shoreline. You’ll find another beaver lodge and may even spot some more wildlife before you arrive back at the boat launch. 

Review of Mayatan Lake Kayaking

Kayaking Mayatan Lake makes for a peaceful and enjoyable day trip from Edmonton. 

The scenery is pretty typical of a central Alberta lake, but the narrows and coves add some additional interest. It’s nice that the shore is densely forested with tall trees that help block the wind.

Since the water is so clear (much clearer than other kayaking spots near Edmonton), it kind of doubles the amount of scenery you get to enjoy- there’s stuff to look at both on land and below the water.

Another great thing about Mayatan Lake is that it feels like you’re kayaking two lakes in one because of the narrows that divide it. This separation also makes the lake feel smaller than it really is. 

While kayaking Mayatan Lake you may encounter a fishing boat or two, but there’s a 12 km/hr speed limit so they won’t be creating wake and disturbing the peace. 

Shop for Alberta & Adventure Themed Merchandise

Visit our store for more Alberta, nature, and adventure inspired products.