Green Lake Provincial Park in British Columbia’s Cariboo is a Great Destination for a Camping Holiday

Green Lake Provincial Park is a series of sites surrounding 14-kilometre long Green Lake in British Columbia’s South Cariboo. Of the park’s eleven locations, six have facilities for visitors.

The park contains three vehicle accessible campgrounds: Arrowhead, Sunset View, and Emerald Bay. On our most recent trip to Green Lake Provincial Park, we stayed at the Emerald Bay campground, which offers a mix of single and double campsites. We were very fortunate to get one of the waterfront sites, which was lovely as we almost always travel with our kayaks and we were able to keep our kayaks on our own little beach! The 51 sites at Emerald Bay are spacious and generally private, but there are a limited number of waterfront sites, and those that do have direct access to the water often have a steep trail as the access. The Arrowhead campsite, in contrast, contains 16 high-density sites. While you are undeniably close to your neighbours, your site will also be directly on the water with extremely easy access.

The Emerald Bay and Sunset View campgrounds, in addition to two other sites, Blue Spring and Little Arrowhead, all have day use facilities.  Emerald Bay and Sunset View have lovely picnic shelters and all sites have picnic tables. These sites are all great options for a day at the beach!

Green Lake is known for its warm, greenish coloured water. Despite only being 14 kilometres long, Green Lake has about 57 kilometres of shoreline. The lake contains numerous small islands and peninsulas, which makes it a perfect destination to explore by kayak.  Paddling from the Emerald Bay campground to the Arrowhead Campground is a nice day trip of about 17 kilometres round trip. Along the way, paddlers will pass by the Black Bear and Little Arrowhead sites. Another lovely paddle is from the Emerald Bay campsite across the lake to the Nolan Creek site, then down to the Green Lake Islands site. When paddling on Green Lake, it is important to be prepared for rough conditions, as the lake tends to get very windy in the afternoon.  A life jacket is a must and all paddlers should be prepared in case of an unexpected swim.

The area surrounding Green Lake is excellent terrain for cycling and horseback riding. On our trip, we did a guided horseback trail ride at a nearby lodge and guest ranch, which was a great experience for this nervous rider. My dad, on the other hand, prefers to cover his distance in the South Cariboo by bicycle, and enjoys nice long road rides while camped at Green Lake.

Green Lake Provincial Park makes a great basecamp for exploring the region, and a few highlights include nearby Chasm Provincial Park, the Bridge Lake Ice Caves, driving to Lone Butte to see the historic water tower, and checking out the many other lakes in the area, including Bridge Lake .

Visiting Green Lake Provincial Park each summer is a tradition for many families. The park offers perfect beachfront relaxation with excellent recreation opportunities both on and off the water.

For campgrounds in this area and elsewhere in British Columbia check out the Camping Map.

Share your BC travel and camping photos using hashtag #campinbc #explorebc

It’s always a great day to #CampInBC

Three Places Where British Columbia’s Cariboo Region Locals Like to Camp

Sometimes, the best places to explore just happen to be in your own backyard. Especially when you live in beautiful British Columbia!

Every summer, we connect with locals from the Cariboo Region as they set out on their annual camping trips with their families.

Over the past few years, these local families have shared their Cariboo Region camping experiences with us—from the new places they’ve only just discovered to those family-favourites that they love to revisit. 

Here are three places where our local Cariboo Region friends like to camp.

Mahood Lake

Mahood Lake is a great camping destination in the southern Cariboo Region. You’ll know that you’re getting close when you start to see huge forests of cedar and fir trees. If you like fishing and swimming, this is the perfect lake to visit.

Our friends from Quesnel visited Mahood Lake a few years ago and set up camp at Wells Gray Provincial Park—located on the western end of Mahood Lake. They described the forest when they entered the park as though they had just stepped into a fairy tale.

They found the campsite to be very clean and accessible—featuring great places for kids to bike around and a popular playground to meet new friends at.

They also found some great hikes to explore that were accessible right from the campground—Canim River Trail, Deception Falls Trail and Mahood Falls Trail.

The closest trail was Canim River Trail—only 1 km away from their campground. Deception Falls Trail was a bit further at about 8 km away. They found both trails to be family-friendly and full of beautiful sights! They even were able to portage their kayaks down the Canim River Trail to the river.

The Mahood Falls Trail was only 5 km away from their campsite. Even riding their bikes, they found this trail to be a bit more challenging with its incline—but still safe for kids.

All that pedaling was definitely worth it when they reached the beautiful Canim Falls!

Green Lake

Our friends from 100 Mile House set out to camp at Green Lake for their camping trip last summer.

They stayed at the Sunset View campground at Green Lake Provincial Park. This has been one of their family’s favourite places to camp over the years and rightfully named Sunset View—as they said that they always see the most amazing sunsets there.

They found a nice camping spot—spacious and close to the lake and a playground.

This family loves to head out and explore when they camp. Their first day trip was to Chasm Creek Valley—a quick 30-minute drive from Green Lake. Their kids were fascinated by the ancient lava rock formations, created by glacial melt water erosion.

For their second day trip, they visited Crater Lake, BC for the very first time as a family. This place featured more stunning views and waterfalls. They even brought their fishing rods to see what they could catch!

One of the most interesting sights they came across was devastation from the 2017 wildfires—now covered with vibrant greenery as it continues to grow back.

Ghost Lake

Our same friends from Quesnel went out on a second summer camping trip that year—this time, exploring along the historical Gold Rush Trail.

They set up camp at Ghost Lake, nestled into Cariboo Mountains Provincial Park. They found a very scenic camping spot at the banks of the Matthew River—looking out on beautiful turquoise water and the vast Cariboo Mountains.

They couldn’t resist getting out on the water as soon as they set up camp. It was the perfect lake for afternoons filled with kayaking, paddle-boarding and cliff-jumping.

Our friends weren’t the only ones who found the lake so peaceful and inviting. They even saw a deer come out onto the banks of the river to take a drink. It’s always exciting to see wildlife on camping trips—and there sure is a lot to see in the Cariboo Region!

After packing up and heading to nearby Likely, BC to check out a trail, they set up camp just an hour from Ghost Lake at Ladies Creek Recreation Site on Cariboo Lake—ending the day with a beach fire-cooked dinner and a sunset paddle.

You’re never short of finding new places to explore in the Cariboo Region!

If the Cariboo interests you, check out our drive:
Following the BC Gold Rush Trail through the Cariboo & Beyond

For other campgrounds in this area or elsewhere in British Columbia go to the Camping Map

Share your BC travel and camping photos using hashtag #campinbc, #BCNice, #explorebc

Published: November 5th, 2020