Kostal Lake is a lake located in Wells Gray Provincial Park

Wells Gray Provincial Park

Wells Gray Provincial Park is a large wilderness park located in east-central British Columbia, Canada. The park protects most of the southern, and highest, regions of the Cariboo Mountains and covers 5,250 square kilometres...

, east-central British Columbia, Canada. It is located west of Murtle Lake

Murtle Lake

Murtle Lake is a lava dammed lake located in Wells Gray Provincial Park, east-central British Columbia, Canada. It is fed primarily by the Murtle River which rises from a large unnamed glacier in the Cariboo Mountains at an elevation of and flows southwest for to the lake. The Murtle River also...

 and east of Clearwater Lake

Clearwater Lake

-Lakes:Canada*Clearwater Lake *Clearwater Lakes, the English name of the Lac à l'Eau Claire, a pair of impact craters in northern QuébecUnited States*Clearwater Lake , a lake and campsite in the Ocala National Forest, Florida...

.

Naming

Kostal Lake was named by Angus Horne in 1936 for Frank Kostal, one of the many trappers and prospectors who visited this remote region during the first quarter of the 20th century. Kostal had a cabin by the lake which he used when collecting animals from his trapline on Pillpill Mountain.

Access

Visits to Kostal Lake are rare due to difficult access. A trail from Clearwater Lake Campground was built in 1971 and originally extended 40 km (24.9 mi) to McDougall Lake

McDougall Lake

McDougall Lake is a lake in Wells Gray Provincial Park in east-central British Columbia, Canada. It drains through File Creek into Murtle Lake.-Naming:...

and the west arm of Murtle Lake. The section beyond Kostal Lake has been impassable since the mid-1980s. Even the section east of the Dragon's Tongue to Kostal Lake is now overgrown and in poor condition due to lack of use and minimal maintenance by B.C. Parks. Kostal Lake is at least an overnight hike round trip and an outing of three days is preferable to allow enough time to explore the Kostal Volcano. During June and July, mosquitoes and other insects are abundant. A knowledge of wilderness backpacking is essential.

Float planes and helicopters are not allowed to land at Kostal Lake.