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

5 Fun Family Adventures Near Wasa Lake in the East Kootenays, BC

Wasa Lake is the warmest lake in the Kootenays and is a popular summer camping destination.  This Provincial campground has 104 sites (66 of them are reservable), an amphitheatre for parks talks, nature trail, kids (or adventurous adults) bike park, as well as washrooms with flush toilets and showers. Wasa Lake itself is a short walk or bike ride through the campground and has sandy beaches, a playground, boat launch and grassy picnic areas.

Although the weather was warm when we visited it wasn’t hot, sunny beach weather, so we opted to explore the local area and discovered some amazing places to visit just a short drive away.

Here are five fun things to do in the area.

Explore Wasa Lake Provincial Park

We spent the better part of a day just exploring our surroundings, especially enjoying the small bike park located within the campground. It’s perfect for younger riders with small jumps, obstacles like planks, bridges, rocks, and small ravines to challenge their skills.  Also, be sure to check BC Parks website for contests and things to do. You can also download a pamphlet for Jerry’s Nature Quest which includes some fun games to do in the park.

Visit Fort Steele

Fort Steele is a heritage town located about 20 minutes drive from Wasa. The town has heritage houses and businesses to explore, gold panning, a bakery, an ice cream parlour and a few restaurants as well.  We spent several hours exploring the town and had a great time.  Be sure to take a ride on the steam train if you go – it’s a fun way to step back in time.

Visit Cranbrook

Cranbrook is home of the Canadian Museum of Rail Travel. At one time this town was the major train hub for the area and is now home to a unique rail museum with restored train cars to wander through and explore. Cranbrook is the closest city to Wasa to restock your supplies and is one of the Kootenays major centres so you’ll find several large grocery and hardware stores, shopping in the mall as well as in the downtown core. It’s a great place to explore on days when the weather just isn’t on your side!

Hit a Hot Springs (or two)

Fairmont Hot Springs, Radium Hot Springs and Lussier Hot Springs are all close by. Fairmont and Radium are developed hot springs with several pools, change rooms, places to eat and lots of parking. They are both great options for the whole family with Fairmont being the closer of the two at just a short 45-minute drive away.  Lussier Hot Springs is a natural hot springs, so you’ll have to park and hike in – no services, change rooms are available, it’s definitely for the more adventurous campers!

Bike One of the Loop Trails

Take one of the Loop bike trails and explore a bit more of the Wasa area. There are two bike loops to get you out of the campsite and exploring the area. The first: Wasa Lake Lions way, is a shorter loop that is a good walking trail as well, although at 8 km you’ll need to be sure you have good walking shoes on and water for the walk.  It’s a paved flat trail, great for the whole family as even very young riders can manage this one.  The second loop is the Lazy Loop bike path, and don’t get confused by the name…the path isn’t lazy – that’s the name of the lake the path takes you to.  This route is 33 km round-trip and takes you up into the mountains to get there!

We had a great time at Wasa Lake Provincial Park and exploring the East Kootenays.  We’re looking forward to a return visit next year.

To locate other campgrounds in this area or elsewhere in British Columbia go to the Camping Map.

Share your BC camping and travel photos using hashtag #campinbc

Save

Save

Save

Golden Ears Provincial Park has Lots of Camping Options

Golden Ears Park Entrance Sign | Steve Young

Out for one last trip with my camping buddies and every year we choose Golden Ears Provincial Park as our end of “summer” camping trip not just because it’s close to home for the group, but it’s also quiet and serene.  If you just sit with your eyes closed you will hear the birds – chickadees, robins and the occasional raven as well as see some sweet little Chipmunks.

We have stayed in Alouette and Gold Creek campgrounds numerous times over the years. Golden Ears is one of the busiest Provincial Parks run by BC Parks and it is less than a two hour drive from downtown Vancouver (approximately 48 kms).  Golden Ears is located 18 kilometres north of Maple Ridge and covers 55,000 hectares.  The park was named after the twin peaks which are referred to as “Golden Ears”.

Trail at Golden Ears Park | Darlene Oswald

There are three main campgrounds as well as a walk-in Campground at Alder Flats on the West Canyon Trail. There is a sanidump for the RVers and don’t worry if you don’t have the coins – you can pay at the ticket booth.  There is a boat launch, a highly popular day use area that has canoe rentals. The lake has a roped off area for swimming and water fun and is large enough for water skiing.

Beach at Alouette Lake at Golden Ears Park | Darlene Oswald

Alouette Campground – the largest campground has 205 back in well treed campsites, a great playground for the children and also has lighted flush washrooms with showers as well as pit toilets strategically placed throughout the campsite.  Its main camping season runs from the middle of June to the beginning of September.

Golden Ears Park Trail to Beach | Darlene Oswald

To go to North Beach Campground you will need to check in at the ticket booth and they will give you directions to get to this little unknown part of paradise that has 54 campsites including some great pull-through campsites that are great for RVs, but be forewarned, there is no running water and pit toilets are the only washrooms available, so this could mean a short drive down to one of the other two campgrounds that have water taps.  It does operate from the middle of June to the beginning of September.  Gold Creek Campground which has 149 sites that can accommodate tents, tent trailers, travel trailers and I’ve seen a few big rigs and it operates from March to the beginning of October and also has winter camping starting the first week of October which runs until the end of March.  There are also two group sites available year-round that can accommodate 15-30 people.

Moss Covered Trees Golden Ears Park | Joss Penny

Are you wanting to get in touch with nature?  There are quite a few trails around with different levels from beginner to novice.  You have to check the posted signs because not all trails allow bicycles and are meant for foot traffic only.  Some of the trails are Menzies Trail, East Canyon and West Canyon as well as a switchback trail and the Eric Dunning Trail. The ticket booth has a great Trail map for purchase.  There’s also a lower and upper falls trail. And if you get really adventurous, there’s even horse trails. Now that’s not all, there’s a store on site that carries the basics, so if you forget something it’s right there for you. But remember it is only open during the summer months.

For more info on the park visit Golden Ears Park.

For places to camp in British Columbia go to Camping & RVing BC Camping Map.

Post your BC travel and camping photos using the hashtag #CampinBC

5 Great Tips for the New Camper in British Columbia

If you live in Canada you know that a camping trip is one of the best ways to see this amazing country. To fully embrace what makes Canada so special, invite someone who has never camped before to join you on your next camping trip and introduce them to one of Canada’s best features – the wilderness!

Over the past couple of years every time my daughter and I were getting set for a weekend camping trip, one of my friends would mention that she would love to try camping.  She didn’t grow up in Canada and hadn’t had a chance as a kid to experience camping.  This summer our schedules finally worked out and my friend and her daughter joined us for their first time ever camping adventure.

Both families learned a lot over the weekend and here are my top 5 tips to make an intro to a camping trip a success.

1. Keep it short and simple  

We decided that our guests would join us on Saturday morning and spend the day and one night at the site. One night is a great way to get a good feel for camping but not too overwhelming for new campers.

2. Make a list of all the camping gear that they will need

List everything from sleeping gear to clothes that they will require including extras like sunscreen and bug spray. Have your new camper check out the list and let you know what they need to borrow.   For our trip, we supplied all the camping gear (tent, stove, dishes, etc) and also ended up bringing an extra inflatable mattress for them.

3. Pick somewhere with a little bit of everything

We booked the weekend at Ellison Provincial Park in the Okanagan which is a great site for new campers.  Ellison Provincial Park has flush toilets, running water, a beach, mountains, playground for the kids, and nature trails which all gave a great first impression. It’s also full of families and different camper set ups – everything from the small single tent to luxury RVs and everything in between.

One of the interesting things I learned over the weekend was about the perception of camping. It wasn’t that they didn’t have equipment or access to equipment, it’s that for my friends (and likely many others as well) they had the impression that camping is about driving way into the woods, clearing your own site and being totally isolated from civilization.  While some camping is like that, having access to reserveable spots at Provincial Parks and local campgrounds really opens up the camping world to newcomers, which is less overwhelming and scary!

4. Keep the food simple

Don’t turn off new campers by making elaborate Pinterest worthy meals that also require endless hours of clean up!  Go classic, s’mores, hotdogs on sticks over the campfire, simple bacon and eggs for breakfast.  Try and mix campfire and camp stove cooking as well. We decided to make pizzas using Pie Irons for dinner but didn’t get the fire going far enough in advance so I ended up constantly trying to get the fire relit, getting some coals going, and supervising the use of the pie irons….in hindsight I should have just followed my own advice and kept it simple and planned to do hot dogs over the fire for dinner. My new little camping buddy agreed – she wondered why we didn’t have hot dogs!

5. Be prepared for questions

Everything from how reservations at the park work, to how to use the stove, to what kind of bug/bird/rock/animal is that!  The adage “no question is a bad question” is very true in this situation. The Park Rangers and operators are your best resource. When you check in, think of all the questions that your new campers might ask and get the answers ahead of time. While you are chatting with the Ranger make sure you pick up a copy of Jerry’s Nature Quest for the kids to do as well. Or you can download before you set out on your trip. It’s an amazing tool to fight any boredom that your camping kids might have, plus they receive a cool prize when they complete it.

Then just go with the flow.  Set some boundaries for the kids, get out some snacks, settle into the camp chairs and let the kids adventure while the adults get a true taste of why camping is so great.  Sit back, relax, listen to the birds and the sounds of kids exploring, and just enjoy Canada.

To locate campgrounds in BC go to Where to Camp at Camping & RVing BC.

Post your BC camping and travel photos using hashtag #campinbc.

It’s always a great day to #Campinbc.

Whistler Fun with Kids (Without Hitting the Slopes)

Recently our family had the chance to head up to Whistler for a quick day trip. We don’t ski or snowboard, so we were looking for fun (inexpensive) activities we could enjoy off the slopes. With Easter coming up, here’s a day’s worth of Whistler fun with kids under 10, for under $40 – without ever setting foot on the mountains.

Live music at a gazebo in Whistler, just one of the free ways to have fun off the slopes.

Before you go, we recommend you download a copy of the area map here: http://www.whistler.com/resources/pdf/maps/whistler_village_map_small.pdf. Note: most of these activities take place in “Village North” – the left-hand side of the map.

1. “Adventure Playground” – Free!

Adventure abounds on this beautiful playground.

Located in the Olympic Village, this inclusive playground is perfect for year-round adventure. Accessible to children of all abilities, it features two tree houses, slides, and interactive components like a musical station. In the winter it’s a snow-covered wonderland, and in summer there are splash pools for staying cool. It’s also adjacent to a Blenz and a Starbucks, so mom and dad can keep up their stamina.

2. Live Music and Entertainment – Free!

Just south of the playground is a gazebo where we stumbled upon a performance by a high-school band. They covered a medley of Beatles tunes, and had us dancing in the streets. If you want to be sure to catch a performance during your stay, check out http://www.whistler.com/concerts/ and http://www.whistler.com/events/ to review what’s happening.

3. Lunch at El Furniture Warehouse – Cheap! (El Furniture Warehouse)

When we stepped inside “El Furny” we weren’t sure it would be kid-friendly. It has a kitch, 1970s pub-style décor. But with all menu items coming in at $5.95, this is a great place to feed the family. The hostess immediately found crayons and paper for our little one, and after a few minutes’ wait, we were seated. The booths are a little tricky (slippery) for small ones to stay put, otherwise the environment is fun and very casual. The patio would be a great choice in warmer weather.

Decisions, decisions. Hard to choose what to order at “El Furny”.

We tried the chicken strips and fries, the pulled chicken sandwich with daily soup (yum!), and a twisted greens salad. With water for mom and dad and a small juice, this lunch clocked in at under $25 (plus tax and tip). Can’t beat that!

4. Afternoon Quiet Time at the Whistler Public Library – Free!

Can a library be a tourist attraction? This one is! The Whistler Library has a fantastic kids section with books, puppets, toys, and a computer for educational games (10 minutes a turn). They also have a small room where toddlers can explore and play as loudly as they like.

5. Extend Your Trip With Camping 

Our trip ended there, but we were surprised to learn how many camping options there are nearby. In addition to a number of private campgrounds, there are several provincial parks and recreation sites within a short driving distance. Next time we’d consider the following nearby camping options and extend our stay:

• Nairn Falls Provincial Park 
• Riverside Camping & RV Resort 
• Cal-Cheak Recreation Site
• Whistler RV Park 
• Alice Lake Provincial Park
• Klahanie Campground

Whether it’s a day trip or you end up spending the night under the stars, Whistler is an affordable year-round destination for families – even those that don’t ski!

Published: March 30th, 2015