An often overlooked destination --and among the only islands of consequence on the Elbow River-- Elbow Island Park at the south end of Mission Bridge (4th Street and 26th Avenue) is a cool, lush oasis in a dense riverine forest. Marathon Realty donated the island to Calgarians for the city's 1975 centennial. The bulk of the park is located west of the bridge, with a small section to the east. The narrow paths are not easily reached or navigated by bicycle, wheelchairs or strollers; this is a walking park. Thick undergrowth makes exploring anything off the path difficult. The park has little more added to it than a few trash bins and benches, but it is home to a wide variety of trees, shrubs, flowers, birds, and, during damp summers, mosquitoes.
Even though very narrow, this island is longer than it seems, as it holds room for 3 geocaches and is now saturated. During spring run-off this island has seen its fair share of flooding over the past years, but the cache site is located on a high spot and should be safe for all but the worst floods (i.e. 2005).
The only access to the park is off the 4th Street Mission Bridge's westside sidewalk by stairs. The best parking is located to the south of the river inside the community of Roxboro with 2 hour parking limits.