Running through the heart of William A. Switzer Park, Jarvis Creek connects all 5 lakes: Jarvis Lake, Blue Lake, Cache Lake, Graveyard Lake, and Gregg Lake.
This is a short, but beautiful canoe route perfect for beginners or long time paddlers.
You can paddle the Jarvis Creek Canoe Route with canoes, kayaks, or stand up paddleboards. It is not recommended to do the creek with an inflatable, as there is high risk of popping, and there are few places to get off the creek, you’ll be swimming the rest of the way.
Coming on Highway 16 from Hinton, Ab, you turn right onto Highway 40 to Grand Cache, or the Scenic Route to Alaska.
About 15km down this road, you will enter William A. Switzer Provincial Park. Continue on until you see sign’s for Kelly’s Bathtub Visitor Center.
Jarvis Lake all the way to Gregg Lake, you can expect to take 4-5 hours.
Kelly’s Bathttub to Gregg Lake, you can expect to take approximately 3-4 hours.
Kelly’s Bathtub to Trout Pond, you can expect to take 2-3 hours.
Kelly’s Bathtub to Graveyard Campground you can expect to take around 1.5-2 hours.
It is possible to go all the way to Gregg Lake, but after Graveyard Campground it gets a little more technical, with trees down along the way that will require you to portage over. Low water levels, sweepers and portages make this route more difficult. I only recommend doing the full length if you are an experienced paddler.
The current flows from Kelly’s bathtub towards Gregg Lake.
There are multiple spots you can start and finish the creek. The most popular put in point is across the highway from Kelly’s Bathtub.
Before the left hand turn into The Kelly’s Bathtub Visitor Center, there is a grassy spot on the right side of the highway that you can park. There is some signage for the creek that will help you know you are in the right spot.
You can also park at Kelly’s Bathtub, and carry your watercraft across the highway to the launch point.
Park the other vehicle at either Graveyard Campground, the bridge near Trout Pond, or Gregg Lake.
My recommended finishing point is Graveyard Campground. There is plenty of parking space there.
To get off near trout pond, there is a small bridge and small gravel parking area beside it. For Gregg Lake, park at the day use area.
If you only have 1 vehicle, the current is very gentle so it’s possible to paddle back to where you started.
You can also start this adventure from Jarvis lake, as there is a very nice back end of the creek accessible from there. (You can see this portion of the creek when hiking the Friendly Vista Trail.)
You can start at the Jarvis Lake Day Use Area (there is a boat launch here) and paddle along the East Shore until you see the tall grass marsh, which is the entry point for the creek.
You could also paddle here from Kelly’s Bathtub. However there is no boat launch at Kelly’s, and there are some stairs to carry down your watercraft, as well as the bridge you will need to portage over.
This back end of the creek was one of my favorite parts of the creek, but the downfall is that when you arrive at the highway, you will have to portage your watercraft up a small hill, and over the highway to the other side.
You will be going through wetlands, so there are few places to stop and get out along the way. Plan accordingly.
There are some interpretative signs along the way explaining information about the local environment and wildlife, but some of them are no longer upright.
The first stop is Blue Lake. You will come to a fork in the creek, and you can turn left into Blue Lake, or stay to the right to keep on the creek.
Blue lake is on the smaller side and you can paddle around fairly quickly. There is a small beach there you can dock and go for a swim or take a break.
Next you’ll come to Cache Lake. The creek will lead you right into Cache Lake, you cannot go around it.
Cache lake is a nice spot to paddle around, and there is an island in the middle you can stop at and check out. (Watch out for goose poop.)
To get back onto the creek trail, stay to the right hand side of the lake, and you’ll see the opening to get back onto the creek.
Next, you’ll arrive at Graveyard Campground, which is my recommended exit point.
This is also a good spot to stop if you need a restroom, as there are outhouses right next to the exit point of the creek.
If you keep going from here, you’ll arrive at Graveyard lake. If you want to stay on the creek, keep to your right, and if you want to check out Graveyard Lake, you can paddle to the left.
Finally, the last exit point before heading all the way to Gregg Lake will be near Trout Pond.
Here there is a small bridge over the creek, with a small parking space next to it.
If you continue on past this bridge, you’re heading all the way up to Gregg Lake.
Low water levels, sweepers and portages make this portion of the route more difficult. Along with multiple trees down along the way that you will need to portage over.
If you do continue on to Gregg Lake, you can finish your paddle at the Gregg Lake Day Use area.
It is not recommended to start from Gregg Lake Campground, as it is quite difficult to find the entry point to the creek from there.
The best time to paddle Jarvis Creek is early in the summer months (June-July) while the water levels are still high. By August the water levels in the creek become quite low, and the route is no longer doable. Water levels will depend on how much rain or sun we’ve had recently.
Call or stop in at the Switzer Park Visitor Center for creek conditions.
Visitor Centre: 780–865–5600 ext. 1
Switzer Park Watersport Rentals offers Canoe, Kayak and Paddleboard rentals at either the Jarvis Lake Day Use or Gregg Lake Day Use. Their website advises to contact them if you plan to use the rental for the creek, and they will give you their options.
Their website is https://spwr.ca/ and their phone number is 780-900-4343.
Check Alberta Guide to Sportfishing Regulations for fishing regulations and restrictions.
Fishing licenses are available online. Everyone between the ages of 16 and 65 must have an Alberta anglers license to fish.
David Attenborough has said, “no one will protect what they don’t care about, and no one will care about what they have never experienced” and I couldn’t agree more. While there’s no doubt that social media, specifically Instagram, has led to certain outdoor spots being negatively impacted (overcrowded, vandalized, trashed, etc.), I choose to believe that social media, and the internet in general, can be a place where education and environmentalism can thrive. Online resources that include more information than just a geotag, like this blog post, allow for the outdoors to become more accessible, inclusive, and diverse. When people are immersed in the outdoors, they are more likely to become advocates for it—and hopefully inspire others to do the same.
When visiting these spots, following the Leave No Trace Principles are crucial to minimizing impacts when recreating outside. The principles are seven things that will help preserve the environment for generations to come. For example, it’s incredibly important to pack out what you pack in. This means taking all your garbage with you—including natural things like banana peels or apple cores. Even though they may decompose, it takes a long time (especially in colder temperatures) and it attracts animals. Check out the Leave No Trace Principles below:
• Please use existing campsites. Camp on durable surfaces such as gravel and areas with sparse vegetation.
• Camp at least 60 meters from water. Avoid washing in streams. Detergents, soap and toothpaste are harmful to aquatic life. Scatter all wash water so that it filters through the soil. • In areas without toilets, use a portable latrine and pack out your waste if possible. Otherwise, make a cat-hole latrine (20 cm deep) that naturally decomposes human waste. All toilets and waste water pits should be filled with soil and levelled when you vacate your campsite.
• Garbage should always be packed out of the backcountry, never buried. Wildlife can easily find and dig up old garbage pits, even in winter. Once accustomed to human food, these animals may become a problem for future visitors
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