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Attention
Visitors - Important Notice!
- There are no park alerts at this time.
Park
Info:
Well off the beaten track, nestled in a beautiful
mountain
setting are the quieter, sandy beaches of Mabel Lake Provincial
Park. Lush forests offer a pleasant retreat from the more
crowded urban centres. The park's sandy shoreline is backed
by a cool forest of hemlock, red cedar and birch, in sharp
contrast to the drier ponderosa pine/Douglas-fir forests
to the west. Squirrels often visit the campsites and painted
turtles can be seen at Taylor Creek. Deer and black bear
can be seen occasionally as well as a variety of birdlife
and water fowl. Fishing opportunities for rainbow trout are
available here year round.
Temperatures are warm in the summer but rarely extreme,
making this a great campsite for those who prefer a cooler
locale than the Okanagan Valley. The natural setting
and access to a 35 km long lake make this a popular destination
for all ages.

Park
Size: 187
hectares
Management
Planning:
Management
Planning Information
Location:
Take
Hwy 6 east from Vernon to Lumby. Follow signs in Lumby
turning north onto Mabel Lake Road that follow the
Shuswap River for 36 kilometers on paved road through
a picturesque
landscape of farmland and ranches and 1 kilometer of
gravel road to Mabel Lake and the campground. The total
distance from Vernon is 60 kilometers.
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 - Mabel Lake Provincial
Park was established in 1972. The lake was named after Mabel Charles,
daughter of a Hudson's Bay Company manager during the late nineteenth
century.
- Conservation - The
area's climate and landscapes mark the dramatic transition from the
Okanagan Basin to the Quesnel/Shuswap Highlands. To the west, the
slopes of the Thompson Plateau are covered in Ponderosa pine and Douglas
fir, while on the east side of Mabel Lake the wetter and steeper slopes
of the Shuswap Highlands grade into the Monashee Mountains. For visitors
accustomed to the dry Okanagan forests, the cedar and hemlock of Mabel
Lake clearly indicate the greater rainfall in this valley.
- Wildlife - Squirrels often visit the campsites and painted turtles can be seen at Taylor Creek. Deer and black bear can be seen occasionally as well as a variety of birdlife and water fowl.
- General Wildlife, Marine & Outdoor Ethics Information
Visitor
Safety:
Visitor
Safety Information (park
safety, hazards, wildlife safety information, health
risks)
Special Notes:
- Mabel
Lake can experience sudden weather changes. Boaters
are reminded to find shelter in bays along the lakeshore
in times of gusty winds.
- The
lake bottom drops off steeply from the beach. Use
caution.

Reservations:
For
parks that accept reservations,
all vehicle accessible campsites (with the exception of
group sites) must be reserved through Discover
Camping.
No
reservations, all sites are available on a first come,
first served basis.
Group
Camp/Picnic Reservations:
Group campsite and/or group picnic site reservations are accepted at this park. Please note: The group site is fully booked from June 30 thru Sept 4, 2006
Explore
Parks: Fees, park listings, what
you should know before you go and other useful links.
Contact
Information:
Quality Recreation Ltd.
E-mail address: quality-recreation@shaw.ca
Phone: (250) 545-1560

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This
park offers 81 vehicle accessible campsites in
two campgrounds: Trinity and Monashee. Full services
are provided from April 1 to Oct 31. There is
a gate across the road entering the park and
further gates at the camping areas. The main
gate is closed between 11pm and 7am during the
operating season. The main gate is open to the
boat launch but the road is not maintained during
the off season.The campground is closed for
the offseason Nove 1 to March 31.
The
Trinity Campground consists of sites 33-80 arranged
in three loops and includes four double sites.
The roads are single lane gravel. This is the
first campground encountered when driving into
the camping area. The loops are set in a thick
forest of cedar and hemlock that provide shade
and privacy with a forest floor carpeted in moss.
The loops are separated by open grassy areas
and linked by a trail that runs the length of
both campgrounds. The sites consist of medium
to large gravel spurs that have been raised and
levelled. The abundance of trees may make parking
difficult for some large RV's.
The
Monashee Campground consists of sites 1-32 arranged
in two smaller loops and includes eight double
sites. The sites are generally smaller than those
in the Trinity Campground and the forest is thicker
allowing for more privacy. There are more double
sites but these are also smaller and perfect
for trucks with campers. The sites are gravel
but not raised.
There
is no phone in the park and the closest store
for snacks and other small items is right next
to the boat launch. For more services, Lumby
is the closest community.
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
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Opening
and Closing Campground Dates: (campground
is accessible but may not offer full
services such as water, security, etc.)
|
April
1 - October 31 |
| Campground
Dates with Full Services and Fees: |
April
1 - October 31 |
| Campground
Reservable Dates: |
Not
applicable |
| Total
Number of Vehicle Accessible Campsites: |
81 |
| 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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No
wilderness, backcountry or walk-in camping.
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There
is a group camping area at this park. Access
is through the Monashee Campground but well separated
from it by forest allowing for privacy. Taylor
Creek flows beside the area. There is an open
gravel parking area next to the 80 square meter
wood frame/log picnic shelter. There are picnic
tables under the shelter and a large fire pit
beside it. There is space in an open grassy area
for approximately 10 tents and in an adjacent
gravel area surrounded by trees for a further
10 tents or several RVs.
The
area has
two taps and two pit toilets. Click
here for reservation information. Please
note: The group site is fully booked for July
and August after the January draw.
Group
Camping Fee: $15.00 per party / night
Youth
Group
Camping Fee: $50.00 per group / night
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Day-use
Area Vehicle Parking Fee:
$1.00 per vehicle / hour to a maximum of $3.00 per vehicle per/day. For information about yearly parking passes, or further information
about parking fees, click
here.This
park has a large day-use/picnic area extending
from the Trinity Campground to the boat launch.
The lawns are level, open and spacious providing
the opportunity for a variety of games. There
are 10 picnic tables amongst the cottonwood trees
that separate the lawn from the beach and provide
some shade. The tables have a great view of the
lake and the adventure playground. Five more
tables with three fire rings are found nearer
the boat launch, also surrounded by open, spacious
lawn. There
is a gravel parking lot with 45 spots. Four pit
toilets and a tap are located in a small patch
of shrubs just off the parking lot.
Depending
on water levels, it is possible to walk the beach
the entire length of the park from the boat launch
to Taylor Creek. Taylor Creek braids and forms
a delta as it enters the lake. Sandy floodplains
form underwater as the light sand settles out
of the stream in miniature example of the geologic
process that formed many parts of the Okanagan
Valley.
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Some
facilities in the park are wheelchair accessible.
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There
are eight cold water taps in the park, centrally
located in each campsite loop as well as at the
day-use parking area and in the group site. Water
is from a well. Taps are shut off during the
off-season
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This
park has 15 pit toilets also located centrally in each
campsite loop as well as at the day-use parking
area and
in the group site. There are no flush toilets.
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No
showers.
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A
sani-station/dump is located at the entrance
to the park across from the service area and
information shelter. Drinking water is also available
at the sani-station. It is available during the
collecting season from April 1- Oct 31.
Sani-station
Use Fee: $2.00 per discharge
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While
campfires are allowed and campfire rings are
provided at each campsite, we encourage visitors
to conserve wood and protect the environment
by minimizing the use of fire and using campstoves
instead. Firewood can be purchased in the park
for $5 a bundle or you may bring your own wood.
Limited burning hours or campfire bans may be
implemented.
To
preserve vegetation and ground
cover, please don't gather firewood from the
area around your campsite or elsewhere in the
park (this is a ticketable offence under the
Park Act). Dead wood is an important habitat
element for many plants and animals and it adds
organic matter to the soil.
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There are no electrical hook-ups in this park.
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There
are no regularly scheduled interpretive programs
at this park.
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The
short, 1 km "Changing Rainforest" self-guided
interpretive trail winds through the shaded forest
carpeted in moss that is found between the campsites
and the main road. It is a gentle hike taking
visitors through the maturing second growth rainforest
of western red cedar, hemlock and some Douglas
fir. The hike takes 30 minutes.
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This
park has an adventure playground. The equipment is
set in sand and surrounded by lawn and a few picnic
tables conveniently located for supervision of playing
children. It is a multi-level wood and plastic structure
with slides, ladders, hanging rings, and a tire swing
among other features. A permanent volleyball net
is set up for family fun. The playground is just
off the day-use parking lot. |
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Mabel
Lake is a great spot for swimming. A very large
fine sand beach provides the perfect place to
warm up and dry off or just relax in the sun.
The beach is separated from the lawns of the
day-use area by cottonwood trees and is easily
accessed from both the day-use parking lot and
the Trinity Campground. Another smaller beach
is found next to the Monashee Campground. The
sand is more coarse but still a great spot for
swimming. Both areas are marked with buoys but
there are no lifeguards on duty at provincial
parks.
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There
are paddling, canoeing and kayaking opportunities
at this park. This is a fairly large lake (35
km long) and subject to sudden weather changes.
Paddle near shore and explore the extensive shoreline
if the weather is poor. The lake is also popular
with motor boats.
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There
is a double wide concrete boat launch that slopes
gently into the lake located at the southern
boundary of the park beside the Mabel Lake Marina.
There is a large 60 square meter wooden dock
with rubber bumpers and pilings. Ample parking
is available in the gravel parking lot. 10 angled
spots for trailers are designated with cement
barriers and there are also spaces for trucks
with trailers. A turn around area near the launch
makes backing up easier.
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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
horseback riding.
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There is a designated beach area for dogs between
the boat launch and the swimming area. In all
other
areas of the park, pets/domestic animals must be
on a leash at all times. Please remember you
are responsible for
their behavior and must dispose of their excrement.
Backcountry areas are not suitable for dogs or
other pets due to wildlife issues and the potential
for problems with bears.
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No wildlife viewing opportunities.

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No winter recreation opportunities.
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No SCUBA diving or snorkelling opportunities.
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No windsurfing opportunities.
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Mabel Lake is a good spot for waterskiing, though
not a destination. The boat launch facilities are
sufficient for a variety of boats.
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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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No cabins, yurts or lodges for public use.
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