We padded up Clearwater Lake in Wells Gray Provincial Park to the Diver’s Bluff Marine Campground, then hiked the Eagle’s View Trail. We launched our boats (canoes and kayaks) and headed up the west shore of the lake. With calm conditions we were at our destination in about 75 minutes. From the boat launch at the end … Continue reading →
Otter Lake Provincial Park is situated on the northwest shore of Otter Lake, just north of Tulameen. It can be reached by driving north from Princeton on the Coalmont Road (33 km) or on gravel roads (34 km) from Highway 5A starting near the turn-off to Kentucky – Alleyne Lakes. The park itself is a forested 49 hectare area in … Continue reading →
We camped at Haynes Point Provincial Park to do some paddling in the South Okanagan area. Osoyoos (“narrowing of the waters”) Lake is 18 km long with 2/3 north of the border and the south end in the United States. Haynes Point is one of the “narrowing” points with a shallow passage on the east side of the … Continue reading →
Whitetail Lake lies in a valley in the Purcell Mountains about 28 km from Columbia Lake in the East Kootenays. Access is by the Findlay Creek Forest Service Road near Canal Flats. The final section is on the Whitetail FSR to the Whitetail Lake recreation Site. The lake is a destination for camping and fishing, but we traveled out there … Continue reading →
We drove some backroads out of Invermere to visit Lake Enid, about 6 km west of Wilmer. A small recreation site is there with a good boat launch and a hiking trail around the lake. We paddled the lake and then I hiked the trail around the lake to finish the outing. Enid Lake is not a large body of … Continue reading →
In early May I paddled down the Columbia River from Invermere to Radium, a distance of about 16 km. The river was low and slow-moving except for 3 spots of faster water. Adjacent to the river are many wetlands so birds and waterfowl were abundant along the way. The launch spot was by the Athalmer Bridge at the outlet to … Continue reading →
Pioneer Park is a busy place in the summer, but in fall, the area is much quieter. On the river, the noisy and disruptive power boats are absent. We can return from the high country lakes to paddle up and down the river. On this grey and cool day in October, I pushed out from the boat launch and … Continue reading →
In late fall, we drove out from Barnhartvale on the bumpy Scuitto Lake Forest Service Road for 12 km to the Rec Site on Scuitto Lake. It was a sunny day for a 5.2 km paddle around the lake shoreline. We met pelicans and skeletons along the route. The Scuitto Lake Rec Site has been rebuilt and has designated … Continue reading →
Although we have about 100 lakes to paddle in the Kamloops area , there are many small lakes too, most of which are too small to warrant the drive and the effort and time to load and unload a kayak or canoe. Some are suitable for SUPs, but paddlers would most often prefer a lake that is at least 2 … Continue reading →
From Bruker Marina at Tobiano, Rousseau Hill stands above the north side of Kamloops Lake. This is a great spot to launch to explore the middle section of the lake and all its bluffs, eroded slopes, silt cliffs, gullies, hoodoos, volcanic features, and shorelines. It is a 2 km paddle across to the far shore, below Peregrine Bluffs. On this … Continue reading →
At the send of summer each year, we drive to Campbell Lake to paddle when the pelicans. sandhill cranes, and other migrating birds are on the lake. We have detailed how to get there and where to launch in previous posts: On Campbell Lake Campbell Lake Each year is different. In 2018 we spotted 14 pelicans on the lake … Continue reading →
One of our favorite lakes to kayak is found far up in the hills north of Kamloops. Badger Lake has an upgraded BC Rec Site for camping and a new boat launch area. To get to Badger Lake, most vehicles turn north off the Sun Peaks Road, heading toward Knouff Lake, then they just keep going all the way to … Continue reading →
Pat Lake and Jacko Lake are usually the first two lakes to be ice-free in spring so they get a lot of fishermen early in the season, but once all lakes are open, Pat Lake can be a quiet spot in summer. We can access the lake from the Tunkwa Lake Road or from the Six Mile road above … Continue reading →
At the very end of the Wells Gray road is the boat launch. Everywhere beyond is best explored in a boat. We can paddle 21 km north on one shoreline and 21 km back on the other shoreline. When the river volume drops in August, we can even paddle the additional 2.5 km up to Azure Lake by using back … Continue reading →
There are a number of lakes in the Roche Lake Provincial Park area. Some are easily accessible like Bleeker Lake, Roche Lake, and Horseshoe Lake and some are harder to get to, requiring high clearance or 4WD. Horseshoe Lake Campsite/boat launch is off the West Roche Lake Road and the branch road is clearly signed. The road is a … Continue reading →
Jacko Lake is one of the closest lakes to Kamloops and at a low altitude, it is also one of the first ice-free lakes for fishing. It is a busy place in spring so we paddle on the larger lakes early and come back to Jacko in summer when the lake heats up and fishing is not so good. When … Continue reading →