Kamloops Trails usually provides fairly specific directions to each trail, route, or site, but there have been a few exceptions.   When an article on the Petrified Forest was published, no specific coordinates or directions were given.   Fossil beds and game trails have not been included to preserve the sites and avoid motorized users from spoiling the spot or route.   Spillman Beaches is clearly marked on maps and information can be found on Trails BC’s site.   But specific launch spots are coordinates are provided with some reservation.

Adams Lake is large, clean water lake in a pristine environment.   Up to now, the main road has been rough and somewhat unsafe to travel.   The road has recently been improved and we are now seeing greater use by trucks, ATVs and motorcycles.   With better roads come bigger power boats and marine campsites may now see parties who bring their toys to the wild.   In the off-season, the marine campsites have very few visitors.   On our recent trip, we saw only a couple of low horsepower fishing boats on the west shore and two tugs pulling boom logs.   No one was camped along the east shore and we were able to quietly paddle and explore sites.   Birds and the sound of running water were the only sounds to be heard.   Campsites had not been used since last summer.   Beaches had clear water over pebbles or sand.   Quiet, idyllic, remote.

Summer will bring the power boats, water skiers, boom boxes/sound systems, barbecues, and party groups.   If so, they will have to find the best camp spots on their own.   No specific launch spots or landing spots are listed here.

We launched from the west shore in our kayaks and paddled across a narrow part of the lake to some petroglyphs on a cliff face, then proceeded north to Spillman Beaches Provincial Park.   This is a series of beach marine campgrounds over a couple of kilometers of shoreline.   We identified 4 “official” camping areas, but we found about 10 more.   We camped at one, setting up two tents in an area that could accommodate many more.

The shore facilities were fairly primitive. The outhouse was up on the hill, with a roof, but no walls. A firepit at the water’s edge was well used. Tent pads have been carved out and are quite adequate. We followed a trail at one of the sites at the mouth of Spillman Creek and found a nice loop trail with small waterfalls. Following rough trails behind, we left the park and found logging spur roads with signs of hunters from last fall.  Marine campsites can be more primitive because we can carry more in our kayaks than we would in a backpack.

This was an end-of-May trip, but we would happily return in the fall. Even in summer, when the powerboats bring noisy groups to the campsites, we could still find a smaller site up the lake. Kayaks can land in tighter quarters and one-man tents have small footprints.

We swam in the lake with the flat pebbles in the shallows heated by the sun. The water was clear to 20 feet along this shoreline.   The sites faced to the afternoon sun and we sat by the campfire and watched the sunset.   A perfect spot, but one you will have to find by yourself.