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Kayaking Mayatan Lake- Parkland County

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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 on Mayatan Lake- going through the narrows.

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.

Gravel road accessing Mayatan Lake.
Access road to Mayatan Lake

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.

Mayatan Lake boat launch area.

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!

Kayaking Mayatan Lake.

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.

Forested shoreline of Mayatan Lake.

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.

Kayaking down the narrows.
Reeds framing the narrows.

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.

Kayak on the lake.
House on the shore of Mayatan Lake.
House near the narrows

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.

Beaver lodge.
Power line towers crossing over the lake.

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.

Wetland grass on the lakeshore.

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.

Old wooden dock with canoe at Mayatan Lake.
Weeds under the clear water.

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.

Trees on the shore of Mayatan Lake.
Curving shoreline of Mayatan Lake.

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.

Kayak heading into the cove.

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

Kayak going down the narrows on Mayatan Lake.
Reeds framing the narrows.

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. 

Beaver lodge.
Kayaking Mayatan Lake.
Mayatan Lake boat launch area.

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.

Kayaking Mayatan Lake.

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.

Kayaking on the lake.

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. 

Kayaking on the lake.

Tips for Kayaking Mayatan Lake

Location: Mayatan Lake is located west of Edmonton in Parkland County. It’s about a 50- 55 minute drive from central Edmonton and a 20 minute drive east of the town of Wabamun.

Getting There: From Highway 16 (the Yellowhead), turn south onto Highway 770. Keep on Hwy 770 past Carvel then turn right onto Township Rd 524 at Mink Lake. Head west until the road comes to a T-intersection at Star Lake. Turn right here to go north on Range Rd 25. At the first major intersection turn left onto Township Rd 524A. At the next junction, turn left onto Range Rd 30. Go south on RR 30 and eventually it will curve slightly right and become Mayatan Drive. When you reach the T-intersection on Mayatan Drive turn left. Watch closely for an unmarked gravel road on the right hand side (there will be a stop sign at the end of it). This is the public access to Mayatan Lake.

  • Here are the GPS coordinates for the Mayatan Lake boat launch: 53.49320, -114.30547

Launching Area: The launch point into Mayatan Lake is at the end of the access road. The road loops at the lakeshore so you can drive right up to the water to unload your boat then move your vehicle to the parking area. 

  • There is no dock or concrete ramp at the Mayatan Lake boat launch.

Facilities: None (no outhouses)

Reeds along the shoreline of the lake.

Nearby Parks and Recreation Areas

You may also enjoy visiting these nearby parks and recreation areas:

These recreation areas are further away but still in Parkland County:

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