North Barriere Lake is a 100 km drive from Kamloops, but it is a good destination for a day of paddling.   Drive north to Barriere, turn east onto the Barriere Lakes Road, turn north at the Forks onto the North Barriere Road, and continue around the lake to launch at the BC Rec site.

We enjoyed the 12 km 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.