Last updated on May 18th, 2022 at 02:18 am
After a big summer of backpacking nothing beats getting off the beaten path and finding a quiet campsite, having a fire and going for a swim in a warm lake. Whitetail Lake Campsite delivered it all!
Located near Canal Flats in British Columbia Whitetail Lake is just one of many hundreds of BC recreation sites. We like to use the Backroads map book (find yours here) to scope out our next great camping spot and this didn’t disappoint. 30 minutes off of Highway 93 along a fairly smooth forestry road you find Whitetail Lake. This is an active forestry road and you are likely to meet logging trucks, make sure you stay alert and get ready to pull over if you encounter one!
Whitetail Lake is a fair sized lake with 30 camping spots many of which get lake views and lake access. Whitetail Lake campsite also has a day use area and a boat launch.
On the opposite side of the lake there are undeveloped lots with a few RVs parked up. All in all this place was pretty quiet when we went to visit, we had the whole place to ourselves pretty much. I believe it’s a different story if you show up on a weekend in spring when the fishing is at it’s best! Once you pass through the first area of the campsite where the day use area is located, a rough road alongside the lake edge will take you to the final few sites and a turnaround area.
Whitetail Lake campsite is a managed recreation site which means there is a site manager at the campground, you’ll find him located in the first camping spot on the right as you enter the site. This was hands down one of the most well maintained recreation sites I have visited so far. The toilets were some of the cleanest and best smelling drop toilets I’ve ever encountered in a campsite and for that reason alone it is worth the $14 per night camping fee. The firepits were clean and the camp spots immaculate.
For me, this place was a perfect front country site to disconnect. No cell reception, no ability to check emails, or deal with work. The lake is a beautiful emerald green in the sunlight and still warm enough to swim in, even during early September. Being able to unload the canoe and pitch the tent right on the lake shore made a perfect combination. Apparently Whitetail Lake has quite a reputation for fishing, however on my visit nothing was caught, but that is not unusual for me! I am far more interested in the relaxation aspect of floating in the canoe and casting than ever actually catching a fish.
From the end of Whitetail Lake campsite a trail leads alongside the lake shore. We didn’t explore much on foot, instead chose to paddle a good portion of the lake in the canoe, The docks and lots on the opposite side of the lake to the campsite are private property, but further along the lake on the same side as the campsite we stumbled upon a small dock and picnic table, a perfect place to enjoy the sun, try some fishing and make a quick bite for lunch.
Whitetail Lake campsite really did deliver. I understand for many paying for a recreation site is somewhat uncommon, but this place is a serene and a beautifully kept gem. It was a site I was sad to leave and one I will surely return to both in the coming summer and hopefully many more after that.