Lake Isle Kayaking Adventures: Four Directions to Consider when Kayaking

A gorgeous day kayaking from Lake Isle Kayaking Adventures.

Location:

Lake Isle Kayaking Adventures is located at Lake Isle 53413, Range Rd 62, AB T0E 0W0. Once you arrive at the end of the road (road converts into a boat launch), turn left and park on the grass, where it says Lake Isle Kayaking Adventures parking. Walk, following the arrows until you reach Cynthia at the check-in table. Below is map to help you arrive to the correct destination.

Map to get to Lake Isle Kayaking Adventures

Price for a single kayak rental (including PFD and paddle):

12 years old and older:

• $25 for one hour
• $45 for two hours
• $65 for three hours
• $20 per hour after three hours
• Method of payment: cash

Children under 6 years old: no charge

Children age 7 to 11 years old: $15/hour

Contact info:

• Pre-booking is required to reserve your kayak, preferably by text the day before or early morning the day of kayaking, at the latest.
• Text Cynthia at 780-241-5034 (the reception isn’t the best for a call to go through).
• Facebook is another option, but she might not see your message right away. Keep that in mind.
• Children under six years old will be required to ride with their parent or guardian.
• Lessons are provided with kayak rental if required.

Hours of Operation:

• May: 10 am to 6 pm
• Summer: 10 am to 7 pm
• September hours: 11:30 am to 5:30 pm
• Check the Facebook group for the most up to date hours

Additional Information:

• A liability agreement form requires a signature before going kayaking.
• If it’s too windy, Cynthia won’t rent out her kayaks. She’ll text you to ask you to reschedule for another day that works for you.
• She doesn’t have any double kayaks, only single kayaks.
• Cynthia has ten kayaks available. Perfect for a birthday, anniversary or any other special event.
• You might get a different kayak every time you go. If you prefer to sit closer to the bottom of the kayak instead of higher up, make sure to mention that to Cynthia. If it’s busy, you might not have your preference but it’s worth asking.

Gear provided:

• Kayak, for the allocated time you choose
• PFD (you can choose to bring your own, if you prefer)
• a paddle

Kayaking Close to Edmonton

If you’re looking for a location close to Edmonton to go kayaking, you’re in luck! Lake Isle Kayaking Adventures, located one hour west of Edmonton provides kayaks for you to rent from one hour up to six hours. Wonderful Cynthia will be there to greet you with a welcoming smile.

Cynthia is always ready to offer suggestions of where you can kayak around Lake Isle. She’ll show you the kayak she’s picked out for you, along with a paddle and PFD, if you’d like to rent one. You’ll need to sign a liability agreement stating if anything happens, she won’t be liable.

Bring Snacks

If you’re like me, she’ll ask if you brought your snacks, like I always do. It’s an excellent idea to be prepared! Plus, the kayaking adventure isn’t only for some exercise but also to chill around the islands and eat food. Having a power bar handy in case you get hungry after all your hard work, is always a fantastic idea.

Bring Appropriate Clothing

Another idea, is to bring a windbreaker, in case the winds pick up. The lake water can sometimes end up in your kayak if you end up crossing channels.

Different Directions to Kayak Leaving Lake Isle Kayaking Adventures

There are so many options of places to kayak when arriving at Lake Isle. To help you decide where you should go kayaking from Lake Isle Kayaking Adventures, here are four recommended loops, each with a three-hour duration.

1. Lake Isle Kayaking Adventures Loop One

Making It Worthwhile to Kayak at Lake Isle Kayaking Adventures

To make it worthwhile driving for one hour there and back from Edmonton, three hours kayaking makes sense for $65, if you’re up for it. Samsung Health tracked this loop, once I remembered to turn it on, half way through my trip. Cynthia suggested this direction (the island in grey on the map, shows a dot where I stopped). Often many animals can be spotted there.

Pelican Sightings

Pelicans can be found close to Lake Isle Kayaking Adventures on your trip to the north east, as shown in the picture below. You can tell it was gorgeous calm day for kayaking. Make sure you bring your camera. There are lots of opportunities to snap pictures! It’s such a treat to have water acting like a mirror when you can see your own reflection.

Photo credit: Chelsea Ross

Time to Reach the Island

It takes about thirty to forty five minutes one way to reach the island, if you go straight there. If you want to spend less time kayaking, this option is a smaller loop and takes a shorter amount of time of approximately one hour and a half kayaking from Lake Island Kayaking Adventures and back.

Loop direction Leaving Lake Isle Kayaking Adventures

For my journey, I went from the flag on land to number one and kayaked to the south side of the island, as shown on the map above. If you get hungry, it’s an excellent place to stop. The island creates a shelter from the wind (close to shore) where you can hangout in an eddy, allowing for your kayak to stay in relatively the same position. Depending on the time of year, you might be lucky enough to be surrounded by beautiful blooming yellow pond lilies.

Direction Around the Island

After filling up on a snack, go right, around the island. If you have time, stop on the north side of the island. You might be able to see some animals.

Seeing Animals Once You Leave Lake Isle Kayaking Adventures

Close to shore, if you get out of your kayak, you might get a chance to see a fawn, where I spotted one, on the island. Ducks and loons can also be seen swimming near your kayak.

After you finish exploring, keep going around the island paddling your way back to Lake Isle Kayaking Adventures. There tends to be wind coming from the north east. You’ll have to paddle hard if there’s wind, especially in the channel. Keep that in mind.

2. Kayaking Adventures Loop Two

I went on this second loop with Kris. We went to the other side of the lake, towards the other shore this time. By kayaking by number two and three, it allows you to see another island as well as the other side of the lake, where you’ll see houses or cottages. Choosing a day on the weekend, like we did has more possibility of running into boaters and water traffic. If you choose a week day in the summer, fewer people tend to be on the lake.

Photo credit: Chelsea Ross (top left and top right) and Kristopher Findling (bottom right)

Rougher Kayaking Conditions

On this day, it was a bit choppier on the water as you can see by the pictures. We spent a bit of time kayaking close to the grey island mentioned in loop number one, without stopping. Kris thought that I was taking too many pictures and snacking for longer than required. As you can see by the picture on the top left, he took my rope, joking that he’d pull me back but suggested we head back in the direction of Lake Isle Kayaking Adventures.

Plans Change

Sometimes, plans change and doing the entire loop isn’t possible, even if you’d like to do so. If we dilly dallied any longer, we would have been late returning the kayaks, which would of been inconsiderate for the next people who had reserved the kayaks. Be considerate and make sure to bring back your kayak on time for the next person.

3. Kayaking Adventures Loop Three

Kayak Cancellations at Lake Isle Kayaking Adventures

Cynthia had cancelled my booking the previous day since it had been too windy. The following day was a bit less windy but I still cautiously watched the waves not to get caught and flipping my kayak. When the conditions aren’t the best, staying close to shore and not wandering off too far is a fantastic idea to avoid getting yourself in trouble.

Going the same route as the first time around the grey island seemed like a safe bet. There wasn’t a lot of boat traffic by number three, as cottages and houses aren’t located in that area.

Large waves came into the kayak as the wind picked up in that channel by number three. Keep that in mind when the weather isn’t the best. The wind tends to die down and then dial back up at any given time, without any warning.

Channels

Even the smallest of channels can feel like you’re on an uphill battle. The waves felt huge and stopping wasn’t an option; I had to paddle hard and fast to get to the other side. It was extremely hard work to paddle against the wind and seeing the dark clouds rolling towards my kayak was also intimidating.

Tip

Don’t stop in a channel when the wind is against you! You take the chance of flipping over your kayak. This time the wind was coming towards me, and the waves were going sideways into my kayak. A terrifying feeling. The goal was to get to the other side as quickly as possible. Once you reach the shore and find yourself in an eddy, away from the wind, you can stop for a breather.

What to do with Spare Time before Returning to Lake Isle Kayaking Adventures?

Having a little over an hour remaining, I decided to venture down the other direction and explore that area. The boat traffic around number five, six and seven is less busy as they don’t seem to travel as much in that region. It was still difficult to manage the wind. Every time I took a break, the wind would push me back into the opposite direction. That was frustrating! Closer to the shore, in some weeds (yuck!), it allowed me to keep my kayak in a relatively stable position without having to adjust my bow a lot.

Exhaustion of Paddling in the Wind

Keep this in mind when kayaking in the wind. You’ll probably have to paddle and readjust your kayak’s direction many times causing possible exhaustion. You might consider going back early to return your kayak. It was a thought that crossed my mind but I did convince myself to stay out the entire three hours.

Making the Best of Your Time at Lake Isle Kayaking Adventures

You’ll want to think about the time spent driving out to Lake Isle Kayaking Adventures. If you love kayaking as much as I do, even though you’re exhausted, take a deep breath and power through. The money has already been spent. Just tell yourself “you love this remember!” If you keep thinking that you love it out here, before you know it, the time will have past, allowing you to stay on the water as long as you intended. That’s a win!

4. Lake Isle Kayaking Adventures Loop Four

When feeling adventurous and having put a lot of effort getting in shape, you might consider this loop to get some exercise instead of focusing on snacking!

I was fortunate enough to take a picture of a pelican lifting out of the water and heading away from the lake. The two other pictures show how calm it was that day. Photo credit: Chelsea Ross

Experienced Route

The channel is extremely large to get from number four to number eight. Only take this route if you are experienced. You’ll want to make sure that you don’t stop in the middle of the channel as boats won’t be able to see you. If you’re constantly moving your paddle in the channel, there’s a higher chance for the light to bounce off your paddle and it will make yourself more visible to boat traffic. It takes everyone to ensure safety. Always be on the lookout for boats. You never know if they’ll see you or if they are on the lookout for kayakers.

Time to Cross the Channel

It takes one hour to cross the channel and reach the far island. It’s advisable not to stop in the channel in case the weather changes for the worst and to avoid getting hit by a boat. Going closer to the north shore by number four and following the shore back down can work but keep in mind that it will take you twice as long to get back.

Close to Shore or Open Water?

As you can see from the direction I took to get to number three, it was along the shore which was less dangerous. Another consideration, would be to continue as far as the next point on shore and then crossing directly over to number four, allowing a short crossing to the island. This would minimize your time in the channel as well as limiting your chances of having an encounter with a boat. You could repeat the same path returning. It wouldn’t be a loop but would ensure your safety.

Kayaking Quickly

As shown on the map, the darker purple from number seven to number eight, was completed more quickly. This is because many boaters play in that area, featuring water skiing and tubing. Even as an experienced kayaker myself, it felt nerve-racking and worrisome that I wouldn’t be seen. Being on the lookout is always a terrific idea but you never know how close a boat will get to you.

Tip

If you want to cross that channel, I recommend kayaking with a partner in separate boats. This allows for double sets of eyes watching out for your own safety. It would allow more visibility for boats as more paddles move and reflect in the water.

Calm Water versus a Windy Day

On this calm day, it allowed me to cross the channel. It’s not recommended to cross when it’s windy.

Breaks

A short fifteen minute break allowed for snacking and refueling by the far island at number four but the majority of my time on this loop was spent kayaking. If you’re looking to get exercise, this an excellent three hour loop to consider.

I Love Lake Isle Kayaking Adventures!

I highly recommend kayaking at Lake Isle Kayaking Adventures. It’s straightforward to get to this location and easy to get in and out of the water by renting a kayak on site. Renting from here is affordable and better yet, Cynthia is a cheery lady always willing to help you out. It’s fantastic to connect with a warm person full of advice and exciting stories. The price is right for some fantastic kayaking!