The area immediately east of Tranquille floods each year and becomes the home to wildlife in channels and riparian zone on both sides of the river. The designated area is on the north side, but across the river 2 km away is another larger area. The flood zone also extends up the shores of the river trail and west along to Cooney Bay. To see all the channels of the floodlands is a 16 km route. Inside the flooded channels is willow and cottonwoods, creating green “islands,” with birds and aquatic life. Which wildlife will be seen depends on the month and the mating cycle of each species. Families are born and predators feed. Floodlands are inhabited by fish, amphibians, and reptiles. Mammals swim into the channels or forage on the shores. Each day brings more surprises. Over 5 days in the channels, many species were seen:
When the Thompson River is in flood, the flat lands near Kamloops Lake become part of the river. The Wildlife Management area on the north side is part of Lac du Bois Provincial Park. A parking area there can be used to do a hand launch at the end of the fence, just short of Tranquille on the Lake.
The flooded land is full of nesting birds and new families of ducks and geese. Small islets of shrubs and debris dot the bay. The river is at its widest here but the current is slow. It is a 2 km crossing to the south shore. A backwater channel starts at the west end of the green space and continues upstream for 2.6 km. The channel has lots of water for canoes or kayaks, but is not suitable for power boats. On the paddle upstream, I spotted a beaver lodge, a deer on an island, numerous ducks and geese, and a muskrat crossing a side channel. At a particularly narrow spot, a big black bear didn’t see my kayak and started to swim across the channel just meters in front of me, but slowly backed up as I back-paddled too. He watched me from the shoreline farther up, not quite sure what to make of the intrusion.
A full tour of both sides of the river is a 10 km journey. It is best done at full flood, before the mosquitoes hatch. There were no bugs now (mid-June), but they are due any day now. You will likely be the only one there (except for the beavers, bears, deer, muskrats, ducks, and geese)….
On a kayaking trip on Adams Lake, we camped at Spillman Beaches, but the next day we took a long paddle up the lake to a green spot on the map, listed as Poplar Point Provincial Park. The route was 10km one way so we followed the treed east side shoreline. All along the way, we saw sandy/pebbly places to land. There are no bluffs on this route and a number of spots would have made fine camping spots. Almost no wind allowed good progress and, at the end of the 10km, we arrived at a sandy point, a small marine park half way up the east side of Adams Lake. We had lunch on a log on the beach and explored the “park.”
A few tent sites bordered the beach. There was a fire pit and an outhouse in need of repair. It is a primitive (BC Parks calls it rustic) campground, the last for many miles on the east shore.
This will be a spot for another trip, one of many calling to us on Adams Lake. The spell-song of the shoreline calls us now…
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.
We have a green corridor right down the middle of Kamloops Whenever we get out to paddle the South Thompson River, we are amazed by the amount of wildlife, and the relative quiet of waterway. We launch most often at the Pioneer Park boat launch and paddle up river, cross under the Yellowhead Highway and go past the Kamloops Indian Band (TIB) buildings to the shores below the Gregson Trail and back. The paddle upstream is hard work, although less so in April. As the river takes a turn around the point near TIB, it narrows and we find ourselves going very slowly. We keep our eyes on the red and green river buoys to avoid shallows. Once we have passed the end of the Gregson Trail, we turn and enjoy the downstream paddle back. Along the way,, we have spotted many geese, ducks, muskrats, a beaver, bears, coyotes, hawks, and eagles. People come down to the river to walk, fish, and suntan. There is always something to see. We paddle this route up the river in April and May, then we leave the river to the powerboats and come back in mid-September. We start with this route to build up our strength and endurance since it is an easy launch spot with lots to see.
We enjoy the river upstream and downstream too. The North Thompson offers a different experience. As the upland lakes thaw, we will go higher up too, but when we are looking for an hour of exercise, this route is our home base.
Murtle Lake is the largest canoe/kayak-only lake in North America. it is also a remote spot that takes a lot of time, effort, and planning to provide a good wilderness experience. This article provides some information for paddlers who want to explore the north arm of the lake.
The Trailhead
From Blue River, watch for the Blue River Campground sign on the west side of the highway. The junction to Murtle Lake is at the northwest side of the campground. The road soon turns to gravel and begins to climb up the valleys. The road is narrow and there are a number of blind corners so caution is needed. After an hour of slow progress, the route enters Wells Gray Park and the parking lot is a short distance ahead.
The portage trail is a gravel surface, but has some smaller hills. Some of these hills will be a challenge if boats are fully loaded. For canoes and kayaks, most will use a cart. The Blue River campground rents them or you can bring you own. Think about the possibility of a flat tire in your planning. On our last trips in, there were gear carts at both ends so the load can be separately transported from the boats. The carts have larger wheels and are more ergonomically designed so it is an attractive option, though it means doing the trip twice each way. A poorly balanced load on a cart with small wheels (mine went flat last time) and is heavily loaded is a big challenge over a 2.5 km track. Once in the water, the load won’t be noticed so somewhere in between light and well-stocked is recommended.
At the end of the trail, the path leads down to a dock and beach and above is a storage rack for carts (bring your own cable lock), a registration/payment kiosk, washrooms, and a food cache.
Murtle Lagoon
The first part of the paddle is through a lagoon. Stay on the right side to go through the channel. There are campsites on both sides of the channel as it merges with the lake. Sandy beaches front both sides.
All campsites have shared firepits, an outhouse, and a bearproof metal food cache. There are designated tent pads at each campsite, but people also pitch tents on the beach.
Paddling North
The first campsite up the north arm is Strait Creek. The paddle is about 1.5 hours in normal conditions The campsite has a beautiful beach and good facilities, but it also fronts a wetland so it can be a buggy site. We noted about 4 sites in the trees and room for a number of additional tents on the beach. It is a good basecamp for the Wavy Crest hike which can be started by walking down the beach (after fording Strait Creek). We really enjoyed this site, but it is a popular destination for paddlers because of the location and the beach so plan for an early arrival to get a good spot.
We enjoyed walking up and down both sides of the beach and spotted an osprey nearby in the marsh.
East or West
The lake is narrower above Strait Creek so if the winds are right, paddlers can cross the lake in 20-30 minutes and go up the west side or they can stay on the east shoreline. The next campsite on either side is quite small – 1 or two sites only.
For this article, we will paddle up the east side.
Moonlight Bay
This small campsite is easy to miss unless you paddle close to shore. It is tucked away just south of the point. It is a pleasant spot, especially good for the afternoon-evening sun.
It takes 1.75 hrs at least to paddle north to this site, but longer in windy conditions.
The next leg is around the point and then around several more points as the lake curves northeast.
Eagle Point
This is one of the best campsites on the lake – a good beach, 3 campsites above the lake and room for 3 more on the beach, a central firepit, and excellent views up the lake. When we arrived, we had the site to ourselves for one night and it was dead quiet with no one else on the north end of the lake. On the next day, we saw 5 more couples arrive, but there was still enough space for everyone. One of the nicest things about this campsite is that it is not buggy, sitting on a sidehill with no ponds or flatlands nearby.
Looking north, ragged mountains head the valley:
Eagle Point is about 30 minutes from the end of the lake.
Murtle Beach
At the end of the lake, the Murtle River flows into the lake. The river forms a delta and all the lake is very shallow on the east side. On the west side of the end of the lake, a windswept beach sits in front of a narrow band of trees. A campsite is nestled in the trees. An expansive wetland sits behind the narrow forest band. There are great views, but we found the beach to be littered with debris blown down the lake and very buggy. We can’t recommend this campsite.
Paddling down the west side of the north arm there are three campsites:
Little Anderson
Just north of this campground is a little lagoon divided from the lake by a narrow channel which dries up in summer. It is worth a look. A spit runs along the southwest side and a small islet ends the sandy point.
We had heard that there was a dead moose near the campground and there was a also a sign that there was a bear in the area, so we just took a quick look at the site. It seemed okay, but not as nice as Wavy View or Eagle Point.
Wavy View
This was our favorite campground on the west side. It is a bit larger than the others, is right on the beach, and has a terrific view of the Wavy Range. It will get the early morning sun, but will be in the shade late in the day. The washroom is way up on the hill in the cedar forest.
On the route down to Sunshine Bay is a good view of the Wavy Range mountains.
Sunshine Cove
This small campground has room for 1-2 tents. It is a good spot to camp if winds prevent a crossing of the lake.
The North Arm
The West Arm has good fishing, nice beaches, islands to explore, a lagoon and some interesting hikes, but it also sees many more canoes and kayaks. The North Arm has smaller campsites, less visitors, but more dramatic scenery. It is quieter, less buggy, and more remote. We can recommend the North Arm to paddlers looking for a good wilderness experience.
Kamloops has two major rivers and a large lake but very few access points. We have some fully-developed boat launches – Valleyview, Pioneer Park, and for a short-time, McArthur Island. Boaters can also go to Tobiano, Savona, or Chase. Many communities also have hand launch sites, that is, a place to park and a gentle short slope to the river or lake. Good examples of hand-launch sites can be found along the Shuswap River and at various points on Shuswap Lake. But Kamloops has few access points to these rivers. There are a few possible locations though.There are a couple of narrow and awkward points in Westsyde to launch a canoe and kayak and when the river is high, access is possible from Schubert Drive, but parking, distance, and terrain makes these very limited spots. Can we add some hand launch sites to the river and lake? Where?
Kamloops is busy adding ball diamonds and rugby fields to the huge tract of land in Rayleigh. We drove down to look at it and we saw that there is ample room to provide a few parking spaces and an inclined slope for a hand launch for canoes and kayaks. Thompson River Interior Paddle Sports Club is working with this website to draft a letter to the City to request consideration of a hand launch site.
Cooney Bay has had a boat launch on the books for a long time. Will it ever happen?
What can we do to encourage marine access to our wilderness corridors right in the middle of the city?
On back-to-back days, we paddled the Seymour Arm of Shuswap Lake and the southern end of Adams Lake. The contrast was amazing.
Although the Seymour Arm is a remote and scenic spot, it was inundated with dozens of houseboats, jet skis, powerboats, noise, and a collective disregard for others. The area is probably very quiet in the off-season, but we can’t recommend it in the summer.
On the other hand, we found Adams Lake to be remote, quiet, and relatively deserted. No houseboats, jet skis, or ski boats. Every time we travel to the shore of Adams Lake, we find clear water, wildlife, and a quiet wilderness environment.
The lake is long with a few access routes off Holdings Road. We drove north to the lake, then past the mill at the south end to Adams Lake, then a few kilometers north to Adams Lake Provincial Park (Bush Creek). We parked at the campsite and used the boat launch, paddling north up the shoreline toward Agate Bay. The water in the lake is high so the beaches are covered, but there are few roads, few homes, and lots of scenery. On a previous trip we had found broad, pristine beaches. We will return to Adams Lake many times. Shooting video from a kayak is a challenge, but we posted some footage to give readers/viewers a sense of the sights and sounds:
When the summer heats up the valley, some of the highland lakes make a nice retreat for exploration, a workout, and some paddling. Two lakes worth visiting are McGillivray Lake and Morrisey Lake. The simplest route is to drive to Sun Peaks and follow the main road, turning up onto Sun Peaks Drive, then onto the McGillivray Lake Forest Service Road. This road is snowed-in the winter, but it is quite a good access road for late-spring, summer, and fall. Follow the road as it climbs around the resort, then around the cross-country ski system. This same road connects all the way towards Chase.
Along the way, a side road goes east to Morrisey Lake. There are two small campsites to launch a boat, camp, fish, or just picnic. It is a medium-sized lake, but in scenic forested bowl.
Not far to the south is the larger McGillivray Lake. Drive down to the McGillivray Lake Outpost where there is parking, a dock, a boat launch, and outhouses.
It is an easy launch from this spot. The lake is about 2km long. There are two large islands to explore, with a landing spot on the south tip of the northern island. Two bays are full of water lilies, loons dive for fish, fish jump with a new hatch, and many birds circled overhead.
On the way back to town, take the road south down, winding through the hills down to Neskonlith Lake. On our last trip we saw deer, a black bear, two badgers, and hillsides of wildflowers.
The road winds down the hill, passes the west end of Neskonlith Lake, and comes down to the Shuswap Road. Follow the road back to Pritchard, and cross the bridge to the Trans Canada Highway.
There is something magical about driving to the end of lake, then paddling out into wilderness. There are no roads beyond the boat launch and the lake is 23km long. Azure Lake adds another 23 km of wilderness.
The southern half of the lake is all trees along a steep shoreline, but these are ridges, not peaks. A few waterfalls tumble into the lake and there are some good spots to land at the marine campgrounds along the way. For a day paddle, we stopped at Cariboo Beach, then up to Divers Bluff and came back on the other side for a triangular route. We recommend crossing the lake at the narrowest spots since winds and waves can rise up on the lake, particularly later in the day. The water is clear, and the lake is quiet.
When the North and South Thompson Rivers reach their peak from mid May to mid-July, islands are flooded and new channels open up, providing opportunities to paddle into the channels and explore areas that motorized boats can’t get into. Two channels worth exploring are accessed from the McArthur Island boat launch. By late-July the boat launch becomes too shallow and the channels can’t be paddled. The challenge in going out into the Thompson River in flood is that the river runs quickly with the combined weight of the two rivers. Any upstream paddling west of Overlander Bridge is a slow paddle requiring strength and endurance. If you can find a back eddy or a slower part of the river, choose it.
Paddle 1.3 km downriver to the west entrance to the McArthur Island. Turn into the channel and paddle the still waters up to the bridge. On my last trip, the waters were too high to allow a kayak to get under the bridge so I turned around there. There were many ducks and blackbirds in the channel and its an interesting side trip away from the river’s currents. On the way back out, turn upstream and paddle hard upstream to the end of Rabbit Island. This upstream paddle will be the most challenging part of the route. Once around the point of the island, the current is a little less, then a back eddy can be entered, allowing an easier paddle on the south side of the island. To return back downriver, paddle out of the eddy into the current to return downstream to the west tip of the island. Steer close to shore and enjoy a lesser current up the north side of Rabbit Island. There is a small channel at the west end of the island to explore.
Continue up the north side of the island and look for the deep channel into the interior of the island. There is a bit of a current in here, but you can enjoy exploring the channel all the way to the end and back. Continue upstream along the shore of the island to avoid the main current of the river. I find it easier to go past McArthur Island, then angle back down to the boat launch..
A channel that floods in high water on the North Thompson River was featured in a post last summer (link). In May and June, the river expands and rises and creates a mile-long island island across from Westysde. By paddling across the river, a canoe or kayak can enter the channel at either end and enjoy and “everglades” type of environment. Beavers, muskrats, eagles, ducks, and nesting birds use the slower-moving waters of the channel. An eagle’s nest overlooks the south end of the channel. We saw a cowbird and western tanagers in the trees. Beaver activity is most often seen in the evening. The top part of the channel is partially blocked by a large ponderosa pine so care should be taken at the north end. Personal water craft or motorboats are not recommended. A number of submerged poles are evidence of former log-booming in the channel. The journey through the channel is safe and very navigable for canoes and kayaks, though the north entrance may daunt some so less-confident paddlers can enter at the south end and paddle up and back.
Crossing the North Thompson takes some experience. Starting at the Harrington Road hand launch site is recommended, with a quick crossing to the east side. Going up and back along the east shore is easier since the west shore current is much stronger.
We have wilderness and wildlife corridors right through the middle of our City. The North and South Thompson Rivers are transformed as the waters rise and flood the rock shorelines and sandbars. The rivers expand right into the vegetation zones on either side. While paddling on the river this week, the following can be seen by other observant outdoors people:
Nesting ducks and geese along shorelines, in tree caverns, and on shelves above the water line.
Loons are not normally seen on the river near town except in May-June. Loons were diving in the wide section of the river east of the Yellowhead bridge.
A muskrat home can be seen close to the shore on the Reserve side upriver.
Beaver activity can also be seen on the shoreline.
Two Canada goose mothers each had three fledglings on the shoreline.
Shrubs and trees adapted to the flooded riparian zone dominate the shoreline. In the Kamloops area, the shoreline it is often hardhack spirea, red osier dogwood, shrub willow, and black cottonwood.
Spirea was in flower, even with its feet in the water. Catkins have not yet swelled.
Shrubs and trees make hollows, tree-caves, and alcoves for wildlife. We area usually only aware of the rustlings.
Eagles and ospreys perch on high spots looking down at the river.
Gulls and crows scavenging along shorelines.
Shore debris that is lifted by the rising river.
The whole river channel changes with new eddies, small whirlpools, and rebound waves appearing over what had been shoreline a few weeks ago. Rippled water covers rock bars and sandbars.
On the claybanks, small birds nest in burrowed holes. We saw mountain bluebirds and swallows flitting to the nests and back over the river.
We launched out of Cooney Bay on a sunny, blustery day in October. Cooney Bay Road is a bit rough and it is a bit of a haul down to the muddy beach over logs. Once in the water, paddlers have to navigiate around the sandbars at the mouth of the river. It is much easier to round the point and venture into Cooney Bay and then along the north shore of the lake. To get to the south shore of the lake, there is a long traverse over some turbulent water to reach the rocky bluffs. The railway (CPR) follows the south shore and goes over trestles, platforms, and through tunnels where the clifffs come right down to the lake. The railbed was built in 1885 and the tunnels and platforms date back to this time, but were improved over time. Some of the platforms are quarried rock:
Paddling Kamloops Lake on a calm day is a great experience. It can be an adventure on a windy day and should only be attempted by experienced paddlers with full safety gear.
Taking pictures in a kayak with waves and wind is not easy. Further along the lake is a trestle which we paddled underneath to a rocky cove.
The shoreline remains rocky all the way to Tobiano. The angle of the lake turns WNW so the waves were now cutting across our bearing and we had to time each wave surge (some were 3 feet high) to avoid being swamped or overturned. This made for some concentrated efforts all the way to Tobiano.
Tobiano has a launch ramp. some docks, and a sandy beach. We found the landing to be easy, pulled our boats onto the shoreline and had then lunch.
A paddle from Cooney Bay to Tobiano is not an easy one. Good weather is important and a two-car system would work best. We are not sure if Tobiano would charge you for a landing. We understand that it costs $10 to launch there. That day was late in October, no one was around, and we paddled all the way to Savona, landing at the small park. It is a longish paddle with a lot of open water, but the scenery is fine all the way. It would be nice to have a better launch spot near Kamloops, but this also measn that there are very few boats on the east end of the lake.
The Scuitto Lake Road starts a short ways up the Campbell Range Road. After winding through Tree Flats, it starts to climb through the forest around Mount Vicars. The road is in good shape, but it is a little bumpy. Emerging out of the forest, the road comes to the northeast corner of Scuitto Lake. Both Scuitto and Campbell Lake are destinations for fishing, but they also are a nice spot for a leisurely paddle. There are a number of camping spots on the east shore and good access at a number of points.
There are some interesting shallows to explore on the west side and we landed on the island to look around. Mt. Vicars and Mount Scuitto rise above the uplands lake.
One of our favorite paddling destinations is Clearwater Lake. The launch is at the very end of the Wells Gray Corridor. There is a good parking lot and lots of room to launch. Start your journey north.
The first campground on the lake is just across the narrow part of the lake so if you have a late arrival, this may be a good choice. As you start your paddle up the lake, you will be amazed by how clear the water is. The lake gradually widens. Divers Bluff is a larger campground with some nice sites above the shoreline. Big Bar Campground is popular because of its sandy point and sheltered (small) bay. We like Ivor Creek because it is a small campground for non-motorized boats only. Two small streams come down to the lake here, but the forest behind is very dense and dark. If you plan to cross the lake, doing it early is a good idea since winds can whip up on this 22 km long lake. It is a long paddle to the end of the lake. We enjoyed the small campground at the north end.
If you have two nights only, then paddling Clearwater Lake to two campsites is a good choice. If you have more time, then you can try the portage to Azure Lake. Paddle to the end of the lake, them enter the river. The current makes progress slow but look for the slowest flow on either side. After some hard work, you can see a sign on the right marking the start of the portage. This is not a long portage, but it is an awkward one. The first 250 meters is fairly open, but the last 750m climbs over a small bluff, winding among rocks and trees. Even with a cart, this is a difficult section for a lone paddler. Most people carry their boats one at a time, working in pairs. More and more people are using the the water taxi to haul their boats instead, right to the end of Azure Lake and then they paddle back to their vehicles.
Azure Lake is also 22 km long. From the parking lot to Rainbow Falls near the end of Azure Lake is two full days of paddling. However far you plan to paddle, come prepared and be self-sufficient. There are no roads, homes, or services once you have started your marine exploration. But that is precisely why we return to Clearwater Lake as often as we can.
Tobiano has a launch ramp. some docks, and a sandy beach. We found the landing to be easy, pulled our boats onto the shoreline and had then lunch.
