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Attention
Visitors - Important Notice!
As
of May 28, 2008:
- The Bowron Lake canoe circuit is now open for the season, however please be advised that we are currently experiencing above normal high water levels. Extreme caution should be taken when canoeing the river systems along the circuit. Be aware of and steer clear of sweepers and submerged trees.
- Please
read the Pre-trip
Information Booklet (1 mb pdf) before
reserving/visiting the park.
- The
number of daily departures onto the Canoe Circuit
is
limited, in order to protect the visitor's experience
and reduce impacts on the park. Because of this, reservations
for Canoe Circuit or West Side trips are highly recommended.
Reservations may be booked up to 4 days prior to the
visitor's departure date. Callers will receive a guaranteed
departure date and confirmation number. Drop-in spaces
for 4 people per day are available on a first-come,
first-served basis. To secure one of these spots, show
up in person at the Registration Centre and be prepared
to wait up to three days for a departure time.
Park
Info:
Bowron Lake Park is a large wilderness area situated on the
western slopes of the Cariboo Mountain Range. The world-renowned
Bowron Lake Canoe Circuit encompasses
a 116 km chain of lakes, waterways and connecting portages.
This wilderness canoe trip takes from 6 to 10 days to complete,
depending on your time frame and skill level. For those looking
for a shorter trip, the west side of the circuit can be paddled
in 2 to 4 days. It is recommended that those who attempt the
circuit have some wilderness canoeing experience.
The park has tremendous diversity in topography and vegetation.
The rounded hilltops of the Quesnel Highlands on the west
side of the circuit have a unique character quite different
from the imposing Cariboo Mountains on the eastern and southern
sections of the circuit. The park is a place of many moods,
from bright sunshine and placid blue lakes to angry gray waters
and torrential rains.
Bowron Lake Park also has a very pleasant 25 unit drive-in
campground. The campground is located near the Registration
Centre a short distance from Bowron Lake itself. There are
also a few short walking trails nearby.
Increased park visitation during recent years has placed
a great deal of pressure on the park's resources. If we are
to preserve the wilderness experience, it is up to each visitor
to treat this special area with the respect it deserves.
For information on the nearby community of Wells and
services in the area, click
here for information.
Park
Size: 149,207
hectares.
Special
Notes:
- Any
person acting as a guide or offering guiding services
in Bowron Lake Park must hold a valid
Park Use Permit (Park and Recreation Area Regulation,
Section 4). For information on companies that are authorized
to conduct guided tours in the park, click
here.
- Bowron
Lake Park's rules and regulations have been put in
place to ensure the comfort and safety of park visitors
and
to reduce impacts on the park's facilities and natural
values from visitor use. The regulations are not
optional
and will be enforced. Repeated violations or serious
infractions may result in charges under the Park
Act
and/or eviction from the Park. With up to 5,000 people
travelling the canoe circuit each season, impacts
on
the park are considerable. Although you may not immediately
see the effects of your actions, please keep in mind
the cumulative effect of the other 4,999 or so people
who will visit the park this year.
Management
Planning:
Management
Planning Information
Location:
Bowron
Lake Park is located about 120 kilometers east of Quesnel.
To get there, drive north on Highway 97 through Quesnel,
then follow signs onto Highway 26, which leads through
Wells to
the Barkerville
Historic Town, where the three Barkerville
Provincial Park campgrounds are located. From there
it's
another 27 km to the park entrance on a wide, well-graded
dirt road. The nearest communities, towns and cities are
Quesnel (120 km east of Bowron Lake) and Wells and Barkerville
Historic Town (approximately 30 km).
National
Topographic Series 1:50,000 maps of the park are available
at most BC map retailers. While they may be of interest, they
are not necessary for people attempting the Canoe Circuit,
as the park map and brochure are sufficient for navigation.
Relevant maps are 93H2, 93H3, and 93H6.
Map/Brochure:
Any maps listed are for
information only - they may not represent legal boundaries and should not be
used for navigation.
Nature & Culture:
History
Cultural
Heritage
Conservation
Wildlife
Visitor
Safety:
- The
Bowron Lake Canoe Circuit is a wilderness area. Anyone
planning to paddle the circuit should come to the park
well prepared and with some canoeing experience. Click
here for information about the skills you will need.
- Bowron
Lake is a multi-use recreational lake used by both motorized
and non-motorized watercraft. BC Parks has developed
a Boating
Code of Ethics for Bowron Lake (295 kb pdf).
- Six
public two-way radios have been placed strategically
around the circuit for use in the event of an emergency
only (see map). These radios are not for personal calls
or requests for forgotten or broken equipment. Abuse
of this equipment will result in prosecution. There
are no cellular phone capabilities on the circuit. Visitors
may bring their own registered communication system,
but are not permitted to access the radio frequencies
used by BC Parks. Telus radio phone transmissions can
be received on the north and west sides of the park.
- Firearms, crossbows and bear bangers are prohibited in Bowron Lake Provincial Park. Pepper spray is permitted only if it is clearly
labelled by the manufacturer "for bear use only".
Here is detailed information on bear
safety.
- To protect the quality of wilderness experience for all park users, music boxes with external speakers (ghetto blasters) are prohibited on the Bowron Lake canoe circuit.
- Visitor
Safety Information (park
safety, hazards, wildlife safety information, health
risks)
General
Visitor Safety Information (park
safety, hazards, wildlife safety information, health risks)
Reservations:For
parks that accept reservations,
all vehicle accessible campsites (with the exception of
group sites) must be reserved through Discover
Camping.
-
Reservations
are accepted for the Canoe Circuit and wilderness campsites
along the circuit.
- Reservations
for the vehicle-access campground near the registration
centre are not available. All drive-in campsites are
on a first-come, first-served basis. For a list of provincial
park vehicle-access campgrounds that accept reservations,
or information on the campground reservation service,
click here.
Explore
Parks: Fees, park listings, what
you should know before you go and other useful links.
Contact
Information:
B
& M Maintenance Services
Email:
bowronlake@gmail.com
Ph: 250-992-3101
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This
park offers vehicle accessible campsites at the
Bowron Lake Campground on a first-come, first-served
basis - campsite reservations are not accepted.
There are 25 sites at the campground consisting
of 3 doubles sites and the rest being single sites
of medium size. The sites are shaded and parking
is available for extra vehicles. The closest store
is Bear River Mercantile, located about 1 km away
towards Bowron Lake. There is no payphone in the
park.
If
staff are not available when you arrive at the campground,
choose your site and pay later. Staff will be at
the campground at least once a day during the camping
season.
Vehicle
Accessible Camping Fee: $15.00 per party / night
BC
Senior's Rate (Shoulder Season only):
$7.50 per senior's couple/night
Campground Hours
of Operation
All dates are subject
to change without notice |
Opening
and Closing Campground Dates: (campground
is accessible but may not offer full services
such as water, security, etc.)
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Unknown opening date due to snow/ice in the area
May
15? - September 30
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| Campground
Dates with Full Services and Fees: |
Unknown opening date due to snow/ice in the area
May
15? - September 30 |
| Campground
Reservable Dates: |
Not
applicable |
| Total
Number of Vehicle Accessible Campsites: |
25
(and 54 wilderness sites on the canoe circuit)
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| Number
of Reservable Campsites, if applicable:
(all remaining sites are first-come, first-served) |
Not
applicable |
| Note: The above information is for the campground only. Park users can still walk into the park if conditions such as weather permit. Check the "Attention Visitor Notice" above for park alerts. |
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Wilderness
camping is allowed at camping areas spaced out around
the Circuit. The size of the sites varies from two
to eight tent pads. All sites provide bear food
caches, outhouses and fire rings. Some feature picnic
shelters or rustic cabins. Refer to the map in the
brochure for exact locations.
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There
are 12 wilderness group campsites available at this
park. Contact Canoe
Circuit Reservations for more information.
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No
day-use or picnic facilities.
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There
are no wheelchair accessible facilities at this park.
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Cold
water taps are located throughout the drive-in campground.
Taps are shut off during the off-season.
Out
on the Canoe Circuit, you must use a reliable method
of water purifaction, as no potable water is provided.
Either boil drinking water for at least two minutes
or use a commercial water filter effective against Giardia
(beaver fever).
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This
park has only pit toilets - no flush toilets. |
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No
showers.
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No
sani-station/dump facilities.
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Campfires
are permitted. Paddlers of the Circuit must bring a
portable stove for cooking. Some firewood is available
at woodlots located around the Circuit; the Park Operator
will inform paddlers of woodlot locations upon registration.
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There are no electrical hook-ups in this park. |
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There
are no traditional interpretive programs at this
park. However, all paddlers must visit the Registration
Centre for a mandatory orientation. This may also
be of interest to casual visitors, who can learn
more about the Canoe Circuit and the history of
the park. The orientations run twice daily. The
first is at 9:00am and the second at noon. For more
information refer to the pre-trip
information booklet.
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Portage
trails link all the lakes and waterways of the Circuit,
and provide safe routes around rapids and waterfalls.
There are 10.8 km of portages in total. All the
portages are built to a high standard and are smooth
enough for canoe carts, provided weight and width
limits are complied with (see additional information
section below). During the rainy season, portage
trails may become rugged and muddy making passage
challenging in places.
Other
than portages, there are only two developed trails
in the park, which are all accessed from the Canoe
Circuit. These are short trails to viewpoints of
Cariboo River Falls and Hunter Lake.
Refer
to the map in the brochure for exact distance and location
of trails.
For
your own safety and the preservation of the park, obey
posted signs and keep to designated trails. Shortcutting
trails destroys plant life and soil structure.
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This
park does not have a playground.
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There
are beautiful sandy beaches on many of the lakes on
the Circuit. Swimming is a great way to ease tired paddling
muscles. Although all the lakes are warm enough for
bathing in the summer, you will find the lakes on the
West Side warmer. These lakes are stream-fed, whereas
the glaciers and snowfields of the Cariboo Mountains
feed the east side lakes.
Please
do not use soap (even biodegradable) for washing in
the lakes. If you must wash with soap, do it at least
50 m (150 ft) inland from the lakeshore, and then deposit
soapy water in the outhouse.
There
are no lifeguards on duty at provincial
parks.
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Canoeing
and kayaking are by far the most popular activities
in Bowron Lake Park. The Canoe Circuit is renowned
world-wide, attracting many visitors from Europe,
the United States and across Canada.
Reserving
a departure time for the Canoe Circuit is highly
recommended since the number of canoes per day is
restricted. Click
here for more information on Canoe Circuit reservations.
To help plan your trip around the Circuit, here
are more useful web pages:
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A
gravel single-wide boat launch is located at the north
end of Bowron Lake near the private lodges.
Power
boats are only permitted on Bowron Lake and are not
allowed on the Bowron slough or other lakes in the park.
However, Park Rangers do use power boats to travel throughout
the canoe circuit.
There
is a canoe landing dock at the main campground.
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The
sport fish in the lakes and rivers on the circuit
are
bull trout, kokanee, rainbow trout and lake trout.
Bring a variety of flies and lures. June and September
have
proven to be the best months for fishing. People
can ice fish on Bowron Lake during the winter. Local
lodges and stores at Bowron sell licences. Anyone
fishing or angling in British Columbia must have an
appropriate licence.
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Bicycles
must keep to roadways. Bicycle helmets are mandatory
in British Columbia.
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No
horses and/or horseback riding.
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Dogs
and other domestic animals are not
permitted on
the Canoe Circuit. Backcountry areas are not suitable for
dogs due to wildlife issues and the potential for
problems
with bears. In the vehicle
access campground, pets are permitted but must be
on a leash at all times
and are not allowed in park buildings. You are responsible
for their behaviour and must dispose of their excrement.
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There are no developed wildlife viewing areas.
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The
canoe portage trails can be used as crosscountry ski trails, however,
there are no set tracks.
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No
SCUBA diving or snorkelling opportunities. |
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No
windsurfing opportunities. |
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No
waterskiing opportunities. |
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No
hunting in the park. |
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No
climbing or rock climbing opportunities. |
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No
spelunking or caving opportunities. |
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There are 6 cabins located throughout the circuit,
which hold from 4 to 6 people. They are available
throughout the summer and winter, there is no charge
to stay in them and they must be shared. There is
no booking system so people need to be prepared
to camp outside in the event that they are full.
Refer to the map in the brochure for locations of
the cabins. There are no lodges in the park for
public use; however, there are two located near
the park boundary on Bowron Lake.
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