Bowron Lake Provincial Park
Encyclopedia
Bowron Lake Provincial Park is a provincial park
located in northern British Columbia
, Canada
, about 120 kilometers east of the city of Quesnel
. Other nearby towns include Wells
and the historic destination of Barkerville
. The park is known for its rugged and mountainous terrain. The main attraction is the 116 km (72.1 mi) canoe
circuit through the Cariboo Mountains
, which follows lake
s, river
s, and short portage
s between waterways. This trip takes about a week to complete. An alternative to this trip is the shorter Westside route, which traverses Bowron, Swan, Spectacle, Skoi, Babcock, Unna and Rum lakes. This circuit takes anywhere from two to six days to complete. The park includes glaciated
mountain
s, cold deep lakes, waterfalls, and abundant wildlife.
The park is open to a limited number of canoe
s and kayak
s from May 15 to the end of September.
. In 1907, Frank Kibbee began to set up trap lines and built a home on the shores of Bowron Lake. In 1926, the Bowron Lakes area was classified as a game reserve
by the Canadian Ministry of Environment. In 1961, the Ministry of Environment classified the area as a Provincial park
, naming the park after John Bowron.
Provincial park
A provincial park is a park under the management of a provincial or territorial government in Canada.While provincial parks are not the same as national parks, their workings are very similar...
located in northern British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, about 120 kilometers east of the city of Quesnel
Quesnel, British Columbia
-Demographics:Quesnel had a population of 9,326 people in 2006, which was a decrease of 7.1% from the 2001 census count. The median household income in 2005 for Quesnel was $54,044, which is slightly above the British Columbia provincial average of $52,709....
. Other nearby towns include Wells
Wells, British Columbia
Wells is a small mining and tourist town in the Cariboo District of central British Columbia, located on BC Highway 26, 74 km from Quesnel and 8 km before the highway's terminus at Barkerville...
and the historic destination of Barkerville
Barkerville, British Columbia
Barkerville was the main town of the Cariboo Gold Rush in British Columbia, Canada and is preserved as a historic town. It is located on the north slope of the Cariboo Plateau near the Cariboo Mountains east of Quesnel along BC Highway 26, which follows the route of the original access to...
. The park is known for its rugged and mountainous terrain. The main attraction is the 116 km (72.1 mi) canoe
Canoe
A canoe or Canadian canoe is a small narrow boat, typically human-powered, though it may also be powered by sails or small electric or gas motors. Canoes are usually pointed at both bow and stern and are normally open on top, but can be decked over A canoe (North American English) or Canadian...
circuit through the Cariboo Mountains
Cariboo Mountains
The Cariboo Mountains are the northernmost subrange of the Columbia Mountains, which run down into the Spokane, Washington area of the United States and include the Selkirks, Monashees and Purcells. The Cariboo Mountains are entirely within the province of British Columbia, Canada. The range is...
, which follows lake
Lake
A lake is a body of relatively still fresh or salt water of considerable size, localized in a basin, that is surrounded by land. Lakes are inland and not part of the ocean and therefore are distinct from lagoons, and are larger and deeper than ponds. Lakes can be contrasted with rivers or streams,...
s, river
River
A river is a natural watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, a lake, a sea, or another river. In a few cases, a river simply flows into the ground or dries up completely before reaching another body of water. Small rivers may also be called by several other names, including...
s, and short portage
Portage
Portage or portaging refers to the practice of carrying watercraft or cargo over land to avoid river obstacles, or between two bodies of water. A place where this carrying occurs is also called a portage; a person doing the carrying is called a porter.The English word portage is derived from the...
s between waterways. This trip takes about a week to complete. An alternative to this trip is the shorter Westside route, which traverses Bowron, Swan, Spectacle, Skoi, Babcock, Unna and Rum lakes. This circuit takes anywhere from two to six days to complete. The park includes glaciated
Glacier
A glacier is a large persistent body of ice that forms where the accumulation of snow exceeds its ablation over many years, often centuries. At least 0.1 km² in area and 50 m thick, but often much larger, a glacier slowly deforms and flows due to stresses induced by its weight...
mountain
Mountain
Image:Himalaya_annotated.jpg|thumb|right|The Himalayan mountain range with Mount Everestrect 58 14 160 49 Chomo Lonzorect 200 28 335 52 Makalurect 378 24 566 45 Mount Everestrect 188 581 920 656 Tibetan Plateaurect 250 406 340 427 Rong River...
s, cold deep lakes, waterfalls, and abundant wildlife.
The park is open to a limited number of canoe
Canoe
A canoe or Canadian canoe is a small narrow boat, typically human-powered, though it may also be powered by sails or small electric or gas motors. Canoes are usually pointed at both bow and stern and are normally open on top, but can be decked over A canoe (North American English) or Canadian...
s and kayak
Kayak
A kayak is a small, relatively narrow, human-powered boat primarily designed to be manually propelled by means of a double blade paddle.The traditional kayak has a covered deck and one or more cockpits, each seating one paddler...
s from May 15 to the end of September.
History
Bowron Lakes was named after John Bowron, the Gold Commissioner in BarkervilleBarkerville, British Columbia
Barkerville was the main town of the Cariboo Gold Rush in British Columbia, Canada and is preserved as a historic town. It is located on the north slope of the Cariboo Plateau near the Cariboo Mountains east of Quesnel along BC Highway 26, which follows the route of the original access to...
. In 1907, Frank Kibbee began to set up trap lines and built a home on the shores of Bowron Lake. In 1926, the Bowron Lakes area was classified as a game reserve
Game reserve
A game reserve is an area of land set aside for maintenance of wildlife for tourism or hunting purposes. Many game reserves are located in Africa. Most are open to the public, and tourists commonly take sightseeing safaris or hunt wild game....
by the Canadian Ministry of Environment. In 1961, the Ministry of Environment classified the area as a Provincial park
Provincial park
A provincial park is a park under the management of a provincial or territorial government in Canada.While provincial parks are not the same as national parks, their workings are very similar...
, naming the park after John Bowron.
Lakes and rivers
- Kibbee Lake
- Indianpoint Lake
- Isaac Lake
- Lanezi Lake
- Sandy Lake
- Spectacle Lake
- Babcock Lake
- Swan Lake
- Bowron Lake
- Unna Lake
- Cariboo RiverCariboo RiverThe Cariboo River is a river in the Cariboo District of the Central Interior of British Columbia, Canada. It is a tributary of the Quesnel River, joining that river just northwest of the settlement of Likely. Its reaches below Cariboo Lake were formerly known also as the North Fork Quesnel...
- Bowron RiverBowron RiverThe Bowron River, also formerly named the Bear River and Reid Creek, originates in Bowron Lake Provincial Park of east central British Columbia and flows northwest from the outlet of the Bowron Lakes, then northeast, to join the Fraser River...