Every time I come back from Athabasca and pass through Morinville, I look to the west and think that I should stop and paddle at Heritage Lake. We recently had the chance to do that.
The easiest access is north on Highway 2, leaving the highway right before the overpass and entering Morinville, and then take the Highway 642 underpass to the west.
Turn left (south) at the first intersection and follow the public fishing signs to the south end of the lake. (There is a beach and launch site in the RV park at the north end but there is no public access.)
In the public park, there is a boat launch with parking, washrooms, and picnic tables. The launch is a bit sketchy with no real bottom support once you get into the water. The bottom looks sandy, but that is silt on top of sucking mud. (Wear shoes that are on your feet pretty good!)
A quick circuit of the lake take about 30 minutes as a slow pace. Lots of ducks, some weeds, muskrat and lost fishing tackle. This would be a good first paddle for someone. But this is mostly just a local fishing hole.
Better options nearby include Cardiff Pond, the Sturgeon River or even Hermitage Pond.
This was insightful and helpful! We just moved to Morinville Autumn 2023 and have just bought kayaks. I’m creating a list of places to explore with my 11yo!
ReplyDeleteOh good, being helpful was one of the reasons I started this blog. The other being jogging my own memory about where to paddle and how to get there!
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