Mamit Lake borders the road that goes from Logan Lake to Merritt (Highway 97). From the juction west of Logan Lake, drive 11.5km south. There are 3 pullouts next to the lake and there is a boat launch at the second one. A good gravel beach is excellent for a hand launch.
The paddle around the circumference of the lake is about 9km. The setting is scenic and the area is fairly quiet. This should be a good paddle. In early September, though, the lake was choked with green algae. The south half of the lake felt like paddling through green pea soup. Wildlife had abandoned the lake and I was a lone paddler on the lake. There was a faint odor to the lake and I came off the lake happy to get to dry land. Perhaps the lake is nicer in the spring? We won’t return to this lake unless something is done to change this lake’s ecosystem.
Emar Lakes Park was created in 1996 as a wilderness area of small lakes, potholes, and wet areas in a forested area off Highway 24. The lakes are used by fishermen, but there is also a lake chain loop with portages for canoeists and kayakers. Access is from Janice Lake Recreation Site or from Willowgrouse Recreation Site. The trails/portages are mostly user maintained and have become difficult with windfall. To do the loop counter-clockwise, paddlers would have to do the following:
launch at Janice Lake (link to an article) at N51 29.457 W120 24.410
paddle 1.5km to the landing spot (at N50 29.115 W120 25.090)
portage for 1030 metres to Club Lake (past Next Lake)
paddle to the end of Club Lake (780m)
portage 100m to Boulder Lake
paddle across Boulder Lake (400m)
portage 400m to Willowgrouse Lake
option to paddle Willowgrouse Lake (670m) then portage out the campsite (500m) or
paddle across Willowgrouse following the loop (230m)
portage 150m to Emar Lake
paddle across Emar Lake (1.2 km)
portage 450m to a pothole lake then 100m into Sedge Lake (or push through to Dytiscid Lake)
paddle across Sedge Lake (220m)
portage 700m to the end of Janice Lake
paddle to the start (400m)
All of the trails are currently closed with windfall and danger trees on the route. Hopefully Parks can find some funding or perhaps volunteer user groups can help keep the routes open (count me in)? A BC Parks map is included here and more information can also be found on the Parks website (link).
Mahood Lake lies in the western edge of Wells Gray Park, but must be approached from the west, so from Kamloops we drive to Little Fort (95km), then west on Highway 24 (Interlakes) for 70km, then we turn north at Sheridan Corner onto the Horse Lake Road, then the Mahood Road (8000 Rd.) for about 40km to Canim Lake, and finally east for 15km to the west end of Mahood Lake. This takes about 3 hours. It can be done in a day, but the campsite at Mahood Lake is worth a night or two of paddling and hiking.
On this last trip to Mahood, I launched from the boat launch/beach at the end of the lake and headed down the lake to camp at one of the marine sites 21km away to the east. The winds were light at the start, but soon heavy winds came in from the northwest, so I beached about 1/3 of the way down the lake.
On this September day, the campsite was empty, the few cabins east of the campground looked locked up, there was no one on the lake, I was paddling solo, the temperature had dropped, and there was snow on top of Mount Mahood. With a choice of braving the winds downwind, waiting the winds out on the shoreline (it actually blew for 2 days), or turning back, I decided to turn the kayak into the wind and work my way back, a slow paddle in strong headwinds. Safe back at the launch, I went for a hike to Deception Falls and the Canim River Trail, but left Mahood Lake with the goal of paddling the whole lake another time.
Janice Lake (sometimes called Long Island Lake) lies next to Highway 24 (Interlakes) at the McDonald Summit. The turn-off to the Recreation Site on the shoreline is 22.5km from Little Fort. The access road is a bit rough and leads to a cleared area with 3 campsites and a steeper final slope down to the lakeshore. I chose to park in the clearing and carry my boat down the last 50m. The paddle starts in an arm of the lake.
The distance around the shoreline of the lake is 8.25km. At 1270m, this is a higher lake and temperatures are cooler than the North Thompson Valley. The lake water was clear and I could see schools of fish. The shoreline is treed and the lake can't be seen from the highway. The lake lies with Emar Lakes Provincial Park. It is one lake in a chain that can be paddled with short portages between (although one is 1030m long). At this time, the trails are closed because of windfall and danger trees (link to more information).
The most enjoyable lakes to paddle include these attributes:
no powerboats
no lakeshore homes
away from busy roads
clean water and a healthy ecosystem
wildlife potential
large enough to offer a good workout
reasonable launch and landing access
a scenic shoreline
Some good paddling spots have most of these, but Janice Lake has all of these. Although the lakes of this area are a bit of drive, they are worth a day of paddling in the high country on the edge of the Cariboo.
One of our favorite lakes to paddle is East Frogmoore Lake. It is not easy to get into the lake which makes it seldom-visited and it feels remote. Directions into the lake were detailed in a previous post – East Frogmoore.
This time we launched in the third lake, paddled across the lake, landed at the east end, portaged our boats over the dam, then relaunched into the channel. Near the end of the channel, we found it had been dammed with debris so we had to portage around the blockage-dropoff into the last part of the channel into the lake.
Extensive lily pads areas and marshlands surround the lake, making interesting paddling. The yellow pond lilies were in bloom in mid-August.
When the lake waa dammed, water levels rose, drowning some trees. Large rootstalks line the fens on several shorelines. Reeds, cattails, lily pads, and smart weed surround the lake.
On a sunny day, the sun and clouds reflect in the lake.
This lake has a special character to it.
The total distance to paddle both East and West Frogmoore Lake is about 6.5km. Adding two portages each way adds extra time. It is possible to 4WD or quad into the lake, but this is a very round-about route and does not get to a reasonable boat launch, so fishermen and paddlers usually paddle down the channel to get to East Frogmoore. Not easy, but well-worth the adventure….
Azure Lake has been the subject of several stories on this website (links below), but we continue to return to paddle the lake and explore the northern areas of Wells Gray Park. To get to Azure Lake, we would have to paddle the length of Clearwater Lake (24km), then go up the Clearwater River and portage to Indian Point. Or, we can take the water taxi (link below) to the end of Azure Lake and paddle back. The entire paddle one way is about 46km, but there are a number of campsites along the way (see the links below).
On our most recent trip, we took the water taxi to Rainbow Falls, then paddled 15km to Four and a Half Mile Campground where we stayed for two nights. On the second day, we hiked up to Mount Huntley. On the third day, we paddled 5.5 km to the Clearwater River, then continued on to the Osprey Falls landing, a total of 31km for that day. An easier paddling and camping would be to stay two nights on Azure Lake and two nights on Clearwater Lake.
Although power boats can reach Rainbow Falls if the boats can get up the river, most of the boats on the lake are canoes and kayaks. One campsite on each lake is reserved for paddlers only, but this is only a concern on busy weekends. While we were there, campsites were empty to half-full and all were quiet. The water was azure blue, clean, and warmer than expected.
We will return to Azure every year. It is right in our backyard, a world-class paddle-camping destination.
Badger Lake is one of our favorite lakes to paddle. To launch your boat in Badger Lake, take the road to Sun Peaks, then turn onto the Knouff Lake Road. Continue past Sullivan/Knouff Lake and don't turn off on any of the side roads. An intersection is reached, but continue straight through and around the lake. The road leads to a BC Recreation Site on the east shore. There is a good boat launch, used mainly by fishermen and paddlers.
All of the shoreline is interesting, but the best parts of the lake to paddle are the back bays on the west side, sometimes called Spooney Lake. The area is shallow and surrounded by marshes. There are often birds and sometimes deer or moose grazing in the shallows. The entire loop is 7km to 9km, depending on how you choose to do the back areas. The whole area is usually quiet and peaceful, perfect for a day of paddling.
On a windy day, Kamloops Lake is not the best choice for paddlers, but on a nice day, a tour of the east end of the lake is a rewarding outing. Launch from the parking area at the end of Tranquille Road. The road to Tranquiile on the Lake goes past the entrance and continues on to the edge of Cooney Bay. Padders will have to carry their boats down to the beach and launch near the river's mouth. Once in the water, turn the corner to Cooney Bay, then follow the shoreline.
There are some gravelly beaches on the way to Battle Bluff. If you land, be careful of poison ivy above the high water mark. The sheer face of the bluff rises above as you round the point. Look for a smaller tunnel next to the train tunnel. This is an escape tunnel that goes from deep within the main tunnel out to the east end of the tunnel. It has recently been partly stopped up with rocks. Watch for swallows nests high in the rocky bluffs as you round the point. There are no landing spots at Battle Bluff or on the far side, but there is a pictograph on the west side in an alcove now covered with shrubs. The shoreline past Battle Bluff is mostly rocky shoreline all the way to Frederick.
Frederick is a small community on the shoreline that is linked by the Dewdrop Road. The whole lake here is surrounded by rocky bluffs with a few trees found in gullies. The Cherry Bluffs run from Cherry Creek east to the head of the lake. Along the shoreline is the Salmon Beach, the location where some salmon fossils have been found. We were on this beach twice this year searching for the oval mudstones that can be broken open, but found no fossils. Read this article for more information – link.
On the way back on the south shore are some stoneworks built for the CPR line in 1885 and reinforced several times in the last 129 years. The large arch is made from quarried blocks transported by rail.
Where the river meets the lake, there are extensive sandbars running from south to north, leaving only a narrow channel in late fall and winter. In summer, we can paddle across the shallows. They are a feeding ground for visiting pelicans, returning seagulls, ospreys, llons, and ducks in late summer. We can paddle across the submerged sandbars in summer back to our starting point, a total of about 16 km of paddling (about 3 hours at a steady pace). Pick some good weather enjoy Kamloops Lake.
One of the best area lakes to paddle is Johnson Lake. Go north on Highway 5, and at Louis Creek, take the Agate Bay Road. Turn left onto the Johnson Lake Forest Service Road. Follow the signs to the Johnson Lake Resort, but don't turn left at the end of the lake (to the Resort). Instead, follow the road around the south side of the lake to the Johnson Lake Recreation Site.
There is a gravel launch site at the campsite, but if the site is full, drop off your boat and park up on the road. The paddle around the lake shoreline is 11km. Limestone shoals make the water crystal clear down to 20+ feet. The aqua-green-blue water is similar to Pavilion Lake. There are a small number of cabins on the northeast side, but for the most part the lake is surrounded by dense hemlock-cedar forest.
On a summer weekend, the beach area by the boat launch will be full of families in the water, and paddlers have now discovered the lake, but it is a quiet location with (almost) no power boats. This is a lake to paddle every year. More information:
North Barriere Lake is a 100km drive from Kamloops, but it is a good destination for a day of paddling. From the Barriere Lakes Road, turn north at the Forks, onto the North Barriere Road and then park at the launch at the BC Rec site.
We enjoyed the 12km paddle around the lake. The southwest end at the creek mouth was our lunch spot. The entire south shore is wilderness forest. The area from the launch to the east end of the lake is a busy area from beach-goers and boaters from the campsite, resort, and private homes. A number of big power boats were moored on that end, but we got an early start to the day so we only saw a few. For paddlers, a weekend afternoon may not be the best choice with so many power boats. We will schedule our next visit for May or September if we want a peaceful day on the lake.
The setting is a scenic one and the water was cool and clear. There were a few beaches to pick from and we found one with no one else around. North Barriere Lake is on our must-do list for a return visit.
Three lakes lie near the 50km mark on the Jamieson Creek Forest Service Road on the Bonaparte Plateau. Mayson Lake is a short drive down a BC Recreation Site road. There is a boat launch at this small campsite.
The distance around the shoreline is 8km if you choose to paddle into each small bay. This is a quiet area, even though the Horse Council of BC and BC Rec Sites have developed a nice campsite on the northeast corner of the lake. There are a number of rough horse trails from Mayson Lake, around Bogmar Lake, and over to Allen Lake.
Much of the lakeshore has marshy areas, but is fine for canoes or kayaks. Lilypads, reeds, smart weed, and an assortment of aquatic plants fringe the shallows. Loons, eagles, and an opsrey hunted the lake and riparian zones. Small fish jumped and plopped in the lake. Dragonflies and blue damselflies hovered for emerging insects. There was a quiet over the lake, high on the plateau, a long way from the busy city.
In the heat of summer, the lakes of the Bonaparte Plateau are a quiet retreat to the high country.
To get to Mayson Lake, go out Westsyde Road and turn up the Jamieson Creek FSR. This is an active logging area, but the road is wide and in good shape. Be cautious on curves, though. Mileage markers can be seen along the way. Near the 50km mark, watch for the sign (see above) and turn down to the lake.
We have so many lakes to paddle that it will take a decade to get to them all, but each year I add a few more, paddling the shoreline of the lakes. I was delighted by Pinantan Lake. It is a good lake for a recreational paddle on a quiet day. The best hand launch is from the small community park across from the school.
The shoreline has a few homes, but many are set back from the lake's edge. Wetlands can be found around the north and east sides of the lake. The narrow channel to Little Pinantan can be paddled, but there is one small debris dam that will need clearing each time you enter the route. Birds, dragonflies, loons, and ducks greeted me as I paddled the shoreline. The shoreline route is about 4.5km (including the channel). This would be a better paddle on a weekday when there is less activity from other boats. We will return to paddle this pleasant lake again.
The multi-year goal is to paddle all of the lakes in the area and East Barriere Lake was well overdue for a day in the kayak. The road to the lake is an easy drive and the best launch spot is at the BC Recreation Site boat launch on the northwest corner of the lake.
This is a fairly large lake best paddled on a day that is not too windy. To paddle the entire shoreline is about 23km. We went along the north shore to the "scout camp," crossed the lake, and then came back on the south shore, for a day of about 15km of paddling. The setting is scenic, the water is warm, and the whole area has a wonderful ambience to it. A number of large homes with large power boats were seen at docks, but this was a Monday and there wasn't much activity. We assume that it is a busier lake on summer weekends. We enjoyed lunch on a small beach and a swim afterward in the clear water. East Barriere Lake is a gem up in the hills.
There are hundreds of lakes to explore in our area and anything with a shoreline perimeter of 3km or more is on our list to paddle. We have hiked the trails around Hyas Lake before, but we had not paddled the lake. We were delighted with this quiet lake high in the hills.
It is about 45km from Kamloops. Take the road to Pinantan and turn left onto the Hyas Lake Road. Continue up the road for 8 km, watching for the signs (placed by the Hyas Lake Resort). A short, rough road leads to the Hyas Lake Rec site. Park at the Site and use the hand launch to get onto the water. The perimeter loop is about 4.1 km.
Loons were on the lake and we must have paddled too close to their babies. The male loon used the broken wing dance and cried, trying to lure us away from the shoreline. At the north end of the lake was a great blue heron fishing in the shallows. The slopes of Mount Shaw and Lolo Ridge stand above the wooded shores of the lake. The water was clear and no one was active from the few cabins at the south end, so it was also quiet and peaceful.
We also went into Pemberton Lake nearby. We found the road to be muddy and the site to be buggy and boggy. It was too small for us to paddle, but fishermen were on the lake. We were happy to hike in to the see the lake and then scoot back out to avoid the biting insects.
Hyas Lake, though, is recommended for a quiet paddle on a nice day (and bring your fishing line too).
The road to Paska and Face Lake is paved and both lakes see frequent use, but a backroad heads northwest on the upland plateau over to Dominic Lake to an area that is not as well-known. From the Logan Lake Road, turn north onto the Paska Lake Road and follow it for 9 km. The same road continues to Face Lake one km north. At Paska Lake a good gravel road bears off left and winds through the reforested area to Dominic Lake. Turn left 0.4 km past the 16km marker (the intersection is signed) and drive down to the lake. The road straight ahead is the Dominic Lake Resort. The road that forks to the right provides access to the cabins on the north shore. I counted about 25 of them from a kayak on the lake.
For anyone wanting to kayak or fish, there is really no public access unless you follow a rougher road around the north side of the lake to the dam at the far side. I was able to launch from the resort this time and paddled around the lake, landing at the far end where Durand Creek drains the lake. The lake is about 3km around the perimeter and is forested, except where cabins front the lake.
This is a dark lake, but fish were jumping and loons were on the lake. At 5000 feet, it warms up slower than the lower elevation lakes of our area. It is a pleasant spot, but not a destination for kayakers. On the same day, I went into Roper Lake, a shallow lake not far from the road, but mostly unremarkable. On previous explorations, I had been into one of the Wyse Lakes on a previous trip, but the main lake access is restricted with a piece of private property, so this time I drove some logging roads around to the far side and then hiked in on a marshy quad track to the lakeside.
These lakes are of interest for exploration but there are better spots to hike or paddle. Face Lake is the best choice for a day of paddling, but the backroads are also good for a moderate mountain bike outing too.
Update
I had previously stated that the Dominic Lake Resort was closed but apparently it was always open.
On the east side of Adams Lake, accessible only by boat is a strip of land designated as a provincial park. It is user-maintained and usually in good shape. Many of us do maintenance at the site when we arrive and try to leave it in better shape than we found it. Spillman Beaches has a series of camping areas and streams coming into the lake. Previous article – Spillman Beaches
We drove up Holdings Road and went down a little side road to a hand launch site, fine for kayaks, canoes, and cartop boats. The paddle across the lake is about 1.7km and the distance to the first camping areas at Spillman Beaches is about 5km. Crossing Adams Lake on a very windy day is not advised, but with some wind chop only, pick the narrowest part of the lake to make the crossing. Generally speaking, crossing Adams Lake is best done in longer kayaks or full canoes and with experienced paddlers.
Early in the season the water is high and the beaches are small with cool water, but we swam in the clear waters of the lake. The shoreline is cedar and fir forest right to the edge of the lake. A few single track trails and some old skid tracks can be linked up to go up the lake, but paddling up lake and back is a good choice too.
The best experience on Adams Lake is to go in good weather on a weekday or off-season up the lake and enjoy the quiet and unspoiled lake leaving nothing behind but the disappearing ripples of your boat.
The paddle around the circumference of the lake is about 9km. The setting is scenic and the area is fairly quiet. This should be a good paddle. In early September, though, the lake was choked with green algae. The south half of the lake felt like paddling through green pea soup. Wildlife had abandoned the lake and I was a lone paddler on the lake. There was a faint odor to the lake and I came off the lake happy to get to dry land. Perhaps the lake is nicer in the spring? We won’t return to this lake unless something is done to change this lake’s ecosystem.
