At the end of Azure Lake is a magical spot.   Rainbow Falls Campground sits about 5km from the east end of the lake.   Angus Horne River flows into the lake here, tumbling over Rainbow Falls.   

Millennia of silt deposits have created a sandy crescent of a beach from the river mouth west around the bay.   Campsites in the woods fronting the beach are private and have picnic tables.    An old trapper's cabin sits in the woods, amidst the blueberry bushes.   The campsite has 3 food caches, 3 washrooms and about 10 campsites.   Fire rings are provided and there is ample firewood available.   A short trail leads back to a viewpoint of the Falls.   The area is in the Interior wetzone with large cedar trees, devil's club, and berry bushes.  We filled up our bags with blueberries and had them for breakfast and for after-dinner dessert.   This is now our favorite marine campground.  

The sandy beach extends into the lake for great swimming and paddling.   The water was cool, fed by the Azure River, draining the glaciers to the north end of Wells Gray.    We paddled to the end of the lake, and landed on the beach at the mouth of the Azure River.   We paddled, then walked up the river for a ways, a wonderful spot for lunch and photos.   The loop down to the end of the lake and back by the other shore was 11km, perfect for an afternoon's exploration.  

The next nearest marine campground is at the west end of the lake, about 19km away (a follow-up post on Azure Marine Campgrounds to follow).     From Rainbow Falls to Four and a Half Mile Campground, the shoreline is steep, with very few places to land, but we did see a half dozen waterfalls along the way.   The north shore is dominated by Buchanan Ridge, the view across the lake from the campground.  

We didn't want to leave this site, but we had 50km of paddling ahead of us.   Rainbow Falls rivals the best beaches on Murtle Lake, but is even more remote and far less visited,    This is on our return visit list, especially for the season after mosquitoes and in the blueberry harvest.  

(click on any image to see an enlargement)